‘fVI Beef Briefs mm V ON BULLS AND GATES As I write this, the Pennsylvania Performance Tested Bull Sale is just a few days away. We have discussed may times the tremendous influence that bull selection has on progress and pro fitability in the beef herd. One other thing that may be just as important to success is when not to use the bull. It is, of course, important to open the gate for the bull at the most appropriate time in the spring or early summer, but it even more important to know when to close that gate. Defined breeding and calving seasons are essential to effective management of a cow herd. Some of the factors affected by planning the calving season include nutritional, health, calv ing, and marketing management The nutritional needs of a cow herd are dynamic; that is, they change throughout the year. We should not expect to feed a cow the KEN CLUGSTON (717) 665-6775 CRAFT-BELT CONSTRUCTION INC. FARM-HOME BUILDING 1242 Breneman Road MANHEIM, PA 17545 PH: (717) 665-4372 BUILDING & REMODELING FOR DAIRY RESIDENTIAL SWINE POLE BUILDINGS BEEF STORAGE <CRi@cknocK I MORTISE & TENON *NEW & RESTORATION FROM DESIGN TO COMPLETION, OUR GOAL IS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. WE OBTAIN THAT BY QUALITY CONSTRUCTION WITH COMPETITIVE PRICES. CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION by John Comerford Penn State Beef Specialist same thing 6 months before calv ing as we would just after calving. Trying to do so would result in either a waste of feed or a loss of production. Feed needs are based on the productive status of the cow and not what the date is on the calendar. By defining and limiting the calving season, we can more close ly use feed resources to their best advantage, and, at the same time, simplify the nutritional manage ment of the herd. For example, when there is a spread in calving dates in a herd of five months, this implies there are cows in early lac tation and cows that are still in mid-pregnancy. The protein needs of the former group may be twice what they are tor the diy cows, and the energy needs are about 20 percent greater. Failure to feed the cows with young calves even the 3 pounds of additional TDN they need can result in up to 10 pounds less daily milk production. With all of the cows in a 60-day calving window, they can all be fed the same way and therefore reduce the hassle of • CONTRACTORS DESIGN • BUILD FRANK A. FILLIPPO, INC. - WANTED - DISABLED & CRIPPLED COWS. BULLS & STEERS Competitive Prices Paid Slaughtered under government inspection Call: Frank Fillippo - Residence - 215-666-0725 Elam Cinder - 717-367-3824 C.L. King - 717-786-7229 mwk AGRICULTURAL * EQUIPMENT STORAGE * DAIRY & LIVESTOCK CONFINEMENT (215) 445-7897 separating cows. A good health management program, including both vaccina tions and deworming, can be planned and implemented easier when all of the cows can be treated the same way on the same day. This is best accomplished when all of the cows are at a similar period of reproduction. Again, particular ly for spring vaccinations for the reproductive problems vibrio and lepto, it only makes sense to gather and send the cows through the chute on one day. More effective health management will result. Since mostof the cow-calf herds in the region are part-time enter prises and the managers have other jobs, calving management can suf fer when calving is strung out over a long period. Defining and limit ing the calving season will con dense the management needs at calving. This will result in better planning of time and people, more live calves going over the scales, and more dollars relumed to the enterprise. Finally, we have a real market ing deficiency in the region because of herd size. Truck load lots of uniform calves are usually worth more on the market Calves from a herd that vary in weight by as much as 200 pounds are com monly seen simply because of dif ferences in age. This kind of varia tion is easily eliminated by better planning of the calving season. How long should calving last? This question can only be answered on an individual basis. In most cases a calving season of 60 337 Panorama Dr. Denver, PA 1 17517 days will be manageable for most breeders. Some of the questions you should ask include: Do you have enough bull power to logical ly get all of the cows bred in a short period of time? This implies there should be no more than IS cows per yearling bull, 2S cows per 2-and 3-yr old bull, and 45 cows per mature bull. Do you have the necessary feed resources to get cows cycling with in 90 days after calving? Young and/or heavy milking cows have a tremendous energy drain in the first 8 weeks after calving, and it will be necessary to do a good job of feeding cows to be sure they are capable of cycling on time. Is the general health of the herd in good shape? There are many kinds of “bugs” and worms that can seriously effect reproduction in a herd. A sound, well main tained health program is essential to success in limited calving seasons. Are you prepared to reduce the time involved in calving manage ment to a shorter, more intensive Sheep Industry Calls DENVER, Colo. In an effort to combat the polyproylene-in wool problem aggressively, the American) Sheep Industry Associ ation’s Wool Council and Produc tion Education and Research Council have teamed to sponsored a polypropylene summit meeting. The meeting, which has not yet been finalized, will include pro ducers, wool merchandisers, mill manufacturers, hay producers, bale equipment, and poly propylene manufacturers, and other natural fiber representatives. The initial effort is to create an awareness of the polypropylene problem in the United States sheep industry and to develop a dialogue and cooperative effort involving all segments of the wool and allied industries associated EQUESTRIAN * RIDING ARENAS * STABLES, ETC. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 27, 1993-C5 Meeting To Tackle Wool Problem HENRY K. FISHER, INC. 667 Hartman Station Road Lancaster, PA 17601 period? You may be used to having a calf arrive every other day for several months. Do you have the time needed to handle several calves a day? The first step in better organiza tion of a cow herd is defined calv ing seasons. Remember to shut the gate, too. Real Good Timing The recent storm in the North east arrived at just the right time— the right time to kill a lot of calves. I have heard of more losses this year than at any time I can remember. We may not have seen the end of the trouble from the storm, either. Many producers have had trouble from calf scours and poor feed being available because they simp ly cannot get to their better feed. The result may be some cows that do not get bred on time this year. This makes it doubly important to get some condition on the cows as quickly as possible. Secondly, be sure the bulls are in good shape to turn out. with the issue. “In our efforts to clean up the clip, we won’t just be talking to producers,” said Gene Brune, president of the American Sheep Industry Association. “We will be looking for ways to negotiate with some of the manufacturers and users of poly to see if feasible alternatives can be found. “Poly is not a problem we can solve today,” he said. “But we can continue to educate producers not to use poly around their operations or feed hay baled with poly propylene twine. The effort today is a long-term commitment to overcome a problem we know is critical to textile manufacturers.” Wool contaminated with poly propylene has been a serious prob lem for years and has caused the sheep industry millions of dollars in lost revenue because of dis counted product and extra labor costs to handle contaminated fabric.
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