As fall approaches, several activities take place in the beef operation. Spring calving operations are weaning calves and culling cows, while fall calving operations are calving and tagging calves. Regardless of calving season, there are several fall management considerations all producers should consider.

Those who run spring calving operations should evaluate their marketing options. As calves are weaned and processed, consider adding value by enrolling in a preconditioning program. Preconditioning programs may be sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, feed suppliers or marketing groups. The key to these programs is to know the requirements before processing calves. In some instances, preconditioning requirements are strictly limited to certain vaccines and procedures while others allow product and management flexibility to fit numerous operations. Preconditioning program selection should match the operation’s marketing goals and weaning management practices.

One marketing decision producers must make before calves leave the farm is age and source verification. Verification of calf age and source must be conducted prior to calves leaving the farm of origin. To verify calves’ ages, producers must provide calving documentation indicating the start and end of the calving season or individual calving dates. If you are a fall calving operation not currently recording calving dates, consider this market opportunity lost — you must document the birth of the first and last calves in a group. There are several USDA-approved age and source verification programs; a complete list of available programs can be found at http://processverified.usda.gov/ and http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/arc/qsap.htm.

Spring calving operations should have cows evaluated for pregnancy status using palpation or ultrasound if not determined earlier. Determining a cow’s pregnancy status gives producers the opportunity to group cows according to probable calving date and cull open cows. When making culling decisions, remember that cows are the employees of a beef operation. Open cows and low-production cows have been getting paid for six months while providing little to no return.

Keeping calving records during the fall calving season will not only open calf market opportunities but will also help make culling decisions easier next spring. Cows with excessive calving difficulty or low milk production will not be forgotten if records are maintained and reviewed.

Finally, as the fall calving herd moves toward the breeding season in November and December, remember to administer pre-breeding vaccinations for IBR, BVD, PI3, BRSV, Lepto and Vibrio 30 to 45 days before starting an estrus synchronization program or the breeding season. Contact your veterinarian for specific vaccination recommendations for your area.

Justin Sexten, 618-242-9310, sexten@uiuc.edu
Date: 9/7/2006