It’s finally spring and our cows are just starting to calve. This is my favorite time of year. Yes, I know, summer calving would probably be much easier, but there is a high demand for spring PCC™ yearling bulls and we live in the nice part of Wyoming where the winters are (mostly) mild and open.
I keep pushing our calving date a few days later every year. This year we just missed a big storm two weeks ago. That got me thinking of waiting a couple more days on next year’s calving. Shoot, in ten years, we might be summer calving!
Calving after daylight-saving time is a big help. This gives the perception of more daylight and gets the crew up earlier to do that morning check. With Pharo genetics, we generally check cows once a day. The heifers calve out with the cows in big, open pastures and rarely have issues.
The cows do what they are supposed to do by having unassisted births. The calves behave like nature intended and get up and nurse right away. The only interference I make includes a quick minute to collect a birthweight and add a tag.
Many management decisions are based on the data collected at calving. In addition to birthweight, we make observations on the cow’s disposition, maternal abilities, BCS, udder conformation and calf vigor. I enjoy seeing the fruits of the breeding decisions I made and I’m already thinking ahead to the bulls I will use the next season.
If you don’t enjoy calving season, I bet a good PCC bull can change that! Don’t miss the opportunity to find a PCC bull that fits your needs at one of the spring bull sales. Some of the bulls are even guaranteed for calving ease. Who else does that? It’s time to put the fun back into calving season!