Cows
About the Herd
Our cow herd consists of 400 mother cows that are black and black baldy. Due to the pasture sizes we have them split into six or seven groups during the summer. Some of the larger groups we can rotate as some pastures border each other. If we can rotate the cows, we give the cow/calf pair approximately nine acres each. When moving cows we use 4-wheelers, leading them with hay on the back of a pickup, or “cake”. Summer grazing starts around May 1st and ends in October.
Our calving date is March 1st and we are usually finished by the end of April. Cows are split in two groups. We then calve out on available corn stocks, which is always different from the location the year before so it eliminates scour problems. Our first calf heifers are always close to the house though as they need checked through the night.
At birth we give a shot to prevent any intertoximea, band the bull calves, and give them a tag the same number as their mother. The cow tag has our name across the bottom of the tag and the first two digits are the year she was born (example 2051 cow would have been born in 2020). Before going to grass we work the calves again, giving them a brand and a shot to prevent rhinotracheitis and respiratory viruses. The cows are also given a shot to prevent reproductive diseases and given a pour on which eliminates internal and external parasites.
[slideshow_deploy id=’227′]Winter Grazing
With winter grazing we utilize a lot of our corn stalks. We use electric fence and split our herd again according to the available water source. The cows eat the corn that fell on the ground prior or during harvest and the residue. The leaves usually blow away by spring anyway and any corn eaten cuts down on volunteer growing the next summer. We only graze the stalks down to about 50% residue remaining so there is still plenty for our no till program (check out more on quick links). During the last trimester we supplement alfalfa hay or protein tubs to provide extra protein and vitamin A and continue this through calving time.
Cow Management
Our heifer replacement program starts in the feedlot from weaning. The heifers we want to keep either raised or purchased, are pelvic measured and Bangs vaccinated in January. Then a month before breeding we begin to synchronize them with a feed additive followed with an injection to get all the heat cycles aligned. At the scheduled time we artificially breed them and turn the bulls in for 30 days. After another 45 days we ultrasound them for pregnancy. The heifers not bred are then placed on feed, normally fitting into the later calves already at the feedlot.
All the cows are evaluated and culled for reasons of disposition, health, udder issues, or not with calf. Any cow failing in these categories are sent to the packing house in Gibbon Nebraska. The heifers entering our program replace these numbers. The bulls we purchase are from Registered Angus programs, targeting the top 1/3 of the herd offering.
Phil Bamesberger Home Page