The importance of having a breeding season

Optimal reproductive performance is crucial to the success of a beef cattle enterprise. A defined breeding season can help to achieve this.

Having a breeding (and calving) season can optimise the reproductive performance of a breeding herd and the prewean growth rate of calves. This, in turn, can profoundly influence the profit margin of a beef cattle enterprise.

The aim of a breeding season is to get the maximum number of female animals in calf in a short period, and as costeffectively as possible, for calving during a time that favours the following: • Re-conception;

• Calf survival; and • Pre-wean growth of calves.

performance testing and marketing are easier because the calf groups are larger

The major factor governing a breeding season is nutrition. The most effective breeding season is one that makes optimal use of the cheapest source of high-quality feed, namely summer grazing.

Many problems can arise if a breeding season starts too late in the year. To begin with, calves born too late may be too small to utilise their dams’ high milk production from peak summer grazing. This will result in lower weaning weights.

• The pre-wean growth period of calves coincides with peak grass production, resulting in higher weaning weights;

• The period of cows’ lowest nutritional requirements (after weaning) coincides with winter, when grazing is least productive. Low nutritional needs in winter also mean that less supplementation is required then; • Strategic, cost-effective supplementation of breeding cows is possible;

• Feed-flow planning is simplified;

• Routine management practices are also simplified. These include dosing, pregnancy diagnosis, calving observation, identification, inoculation, dehorning, castration, weighing and weaning. With single-sire mating, breeding groups need to be kept separate for only a short period;

• The calving season can be coordinated with other farming enterprises and activities, such as planting or harvesting; • Attention can be focused on the breeding herd during the breeding and calving season; • Performance testing can be carried out more effectively because calf groups are larger and the animals are more or less the same age; • Similarly, marketing can be done more effectively because the calf groups are larger, the animals are approximately similar in weight and age, and cows that are not in calf can be marketed before winter in a good condition; • Selection for fertility is easier and more effective because sub- or infertile female animals can be identified easily; sub- or infertile bulls and/or bulls lacking libido can be identified easily; female animals not in calf can be culled early; and early- and latecalving cows can be identified.

• Source: Berg, L. 2004. ‘Breeding seasons for beef cattle in South Africa’. Agricultural Research Council Livestock Business Division. Retrieved from sasas.co.za/ wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ Bergh2004PopSci_0.pdf