Management
Coming Soon: Breeding Season
By Taylor Grussing, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist
With calving season nearly
wrapped up and pairs being
turned out to green grass,
breeding season will begin
before long. In order to
maintain a 365 day calving
interval, cows need to be
rebred within 80 days after
calving. Cows that calved at
the beginning of the calving
season, should have resumed
estrous cycles around day 50
postpartum, as observed by
showing mounting behavior
and mucus discharge from the
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vulva. These cows are prime
candidates to breed again early
in this coming breeding season.
The later calving cows may not
be showing signs of estrus yet,
but once uterine involution is
complete, they will be ready for
breeding season too. The earlier
we can get cows bred in the
breeding season, the greater
their lifetime productivity will
be due to less open cow days
and also raising older and
heavier calves to weaning.
Plan the Breeding Season
Before starting the breeding
season, make sure you have a
plan in place for what type of
breeding program you want
to utilize and what supplies
are needed for either artificial
insemination or natural service.
For example, utilizing artificial
insemination and estrus
synchronization provide many
benefits to beef producers