Typically, a bull is judged by how many exposed females (at least 90%) were bred within its specified breeding interval. Is this a true indication that he has “done his job,” or could he have done better and should you ask more of him? The answer to these questions is “I don’t know” because each situation is different and only individual records can indicate a “good” or “poor” job. Although very important, grading a bull’s performance on how many females he bred within the season is not the final justification for a passing grade. The specific time (early vs. late) the females were bred within the breeding season is also important and should also be considered.
Obviously, females which conceive early will calve early, therefore those calves will be older—and potentially heavier—at weaning, oftentimes as much as 75 pounds per head. An important but often overlooked aspect is: these cows bred early consistently return to estrus earlier in subsequent breeding seasons, then often continue to produce calves heavier at weaning. Regardless of the size of your herd, this biological fact is important to all of us simply due to the fact that these benefits require very little additional management or input cost.
I will never forget the “now I get it!” look on my kids’ faces when given the opportunity to explain the monetary facts surrounding compound interest and its exponential growth. Early calving females, from the very onset of their reproductive contribution, are like an IRA: compounding interest every year throughout her longevity due to the accumulation of performance in conception and weight. However, much like managing your finances, this additional biological wealth will not happen on its own and takes a bit of discipline and planning to achieve. The most important step, as is the case with retirement planning: you must first get started, even if only on a small scale.
So, what are the necessary steps to get started?
Although not as glamorous as many of the things in which we, as producers, like to partake, one of the first steps is simply asking yourself, “when does it make the most sense for my cows to calve?” and reflecting upon that answer. To the outside (non-agricultural) world, this may seem trivial. But anyone who has had to undertake this endeavor knows different.
Serious consideration must be given to aspects such as the renewable natural resources your particular situation offers and your intended marketing approach. Again, the task at hand is establishing a starting point towards greater reproduction and biological efficiency in your operation. It is a scientific fact that a bovine female (i.e. cow) is going to drop a calf roughly 283 days from the time she conceives. That known, you might want to make sure that calving date falls roughly where you want it to fall.
Another practice of utmost importance is the completion of a breeding soundness exam by a trained veterinarian on all bulls prior to turnout. Aside from physical observations for obvious defects (eyes, legs, feet, knees, shoulders, etc.), a breeding soundness exam evaluates your bull or bulls for things such as reproductive tract (testes, penis, etc.), defects and semen quality (motility and morphology). A breeding soundness exam will not only increase the probability your exposed females in good condition will re-breed within the breeding season, but also the probability they will re-breed early in the breeding season.
Alright … up until now, things have been pretty easy, and with—outside of a little mental energy and paying for a BSE—very little commitment. Now, it boils down to the main reason why most producers don’t/won’t take advantage of compounding “reproduction” interest: DISCIPLINE.
At some point, you’re going to have to pull bulls for a length of time or cull cows bred outside your calving window. I refer to this as “getting medieval” on your cows—but being smart about it. This transition doesn’t have to be done overnight and, depending upon how much a herd needs to adjust, doesn’t—and shouldn’t—mean selling productive cows. It will mean monitoring progress as you go and keeping a few additional records you might not be currently keeping in order to make better, more informed decisions.
Last thing: whether raising your replacements or purchasing them, only introduce females that will calve early in your prospective calving season. Outside of continual genetic improvement, this might actually be the most important aspect of your long-term reproductive success.
Just like we tell our kids, “Don’t dip into your savings account; let it grow,” we likewise want to ensure our agriculture capital also continues to grow.