Beef Management Tips - November 2007
By Dr. John B. Hall, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, VA Tech. Beef management tips for November.
30 November 2007
2 minute read
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Beef Management Tips |
November Beef Management Calendar
Spring Calving Herds- SECURE ENTIRE WINTER FEED SUPPLY NOW
- Body condition score cows and separate thin cows
- Market calves at graded sales, telo-auction or as off-farm truckloads
- Background calves for sale in December, if possible
- Feed replacement heifers to gain 1.5 - 1.75 lbs per day or use the Target Weight method to calculate rate of gain
- Cull open, old and very thin cows; check feet and legs, udders and eyes
- Test hay for nutrient quality
- Get list of bull sales coming up early this winter
- Remember VAPAH Bred Heifers sales
- SECURE ENTIRE WINTER FEED SUPPLY NOW
- Finish calving
- Check cows 2 to 4 times per day, heifers more often - assist early if needed
- Keep calving area clean and move healthy pairs out to large pastures 3 days after calving
- Ear tag and dehorn all calves at birth; castrate male calves in commercial herds
- Give selenium and vitamin A & D injections to newborn calves
- Feed cows extra energy after calving; stockpiled fescue will take care of needs. Cows calving at BCS < 5 should receive special nutritional attention.
- Test hay for nutrient quality
- Look for opportunities to secure low-cost feed supplies of bulk feeds or commodity feeds
- Keep high quality, high magnesium, high selenium minerals available
- Begin breeding replacement heifers late this month; try AI on heifers
- Get breeding soundness exams done on all bulls
- Last minute to buy bulls at November-December bull sales
