Choosing the Time of Year to Breed and Calve Beef Cows in Texas

Abstract

As any cattleman knows, the time of year when cows calve directly affects many herd management practices: • The start of calving is dictated by the start of breeding. • Cows calving in the fall normally need more supplemental feed in the winter, unless cool season pastures are used, than do cows that calve in the spring. • Fall-born calves will be marketed in the spring and calves born in the spring will be marketed in the fall unless the producer can retain ownership of calves past weaning. These few differences in management indicate that a producer should give careful consideration to the time of year in which to calve cows. The decision of when to calve is complicated by numerous factors and, in many instances, inattention to details can dramatically affect costs of production, animal performance, income and profitability.