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-Hugh _H ender son, Associate Extension Animal Husbandman of V. F7T, says the lack of bull lots or the lack of using the lot on hand is the greatest bugaboo in Rappahannock’s Beef Cattle industry which is essentially feeder calf production. WHY . . — A study of Virginia Feeder Calf Sales for the past ten ^years reveals the average Virginia calf has weighted more than- the average calf consigned to the Rappahannock sale every year but one! Our average per head calf weight for the ten-year period is 16.4 lbs. less than the state average.
Rappahannock’s calves are high quality and have sold well . . . what we need to do is get our calves coming earlier so as to have calf on the scale comes weaning or sale time. Our calves are high quality and in good condition indicating good breeding stock and good pastures. We sell by the pound . . not by the head. Aim at no more calves born after April 1st. expecting those from 1st calf heifers.
The purebred breeder sells by the head and therefore has less reason to be as concerned about getting early calves. He will be content i© get a calf a year . . little it matters what month it may be born in.
Research shows calves bom in February to weigh 50 more pounds by Oct. 15 than calves born in March, March calves are 45 lbs. heavier than April calves, April calves 35 lbs. greater than May calves. Therefore we need concern ourselves primarily with calving dates!
Based upon these facts, our 1949 Beef Cow population (3440 head) and last fall’s Feeder Calf Sale prices income to Rappahannock cow herd owners would be $7616.16 greater if we could have our calves coming but two weeks earlier and get feeder calves to market from 90% of our cows!, Now that sort of increased income is not to be sneezed at during our present cost and price trends.
What can be done???
Buy a good registered bull'that is growthy for his age. The more rapid grining bulls are most likely to sire more rapid gaining calves, Remember it takes 50% more tcT wThTe r~feed a bull than it does a cow. Run him with the cows during March, April, May and June. Better yet aim at a 90 day breeding period. Comes first of July put the head man in a lot to himself. Such a practice will tell you which cows are shy breeders, therefore too expensive to keep. Get rid of the shy breeders. Then too by putting your herd sire to himself. You will eliminate the chance of having some of those nice replacement heifers getting bred too young—eliminate the calfy heifer problem in feeder calf sales and thereby maintain more buyer good-will. Good-will may mean success—the lack of it failure.
Keep only the cows that are good milkers, easy keepers, those that breed readily, and are representative of their breed type in both color and body make up. Keep on the look-out for disease—try to avoid trouble before it strikes. If reproductive trouble strikes get your veterinarian to check over the herd. Bangs is not only reproductive disease. Bangs has little influence on rate of conception. Failure of heifers to settle has never conclusively been traced to calf-hood vaccination against brucellosis—vaccinate replacement against this disease at 4 to 8 months of age—preferably at 6 months. •If you have a forty-cow herd keep six heifers for herd replacement each year. Keep the best heifers—those
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