On autumn-calving suckler farms, there is no time to draw breath just yet. Despite the calving period coming to a close for most herds, the breeding season is just around the corner – one of the most critical periods in any suckler enterprise.

For successful autumn and winter breeding, focus must be placed on getting the suckler cow cycling once again. The average time from calving to first oestrus in beef cows is 50 to 55 days, but there are some factors that can help to reduce this timeframe and ensure pregnancy and a 365-day calving interval is achieved.

Nutrition

Nutrition is one of the key factors in getting the suckler cow back in calf. Farmers must ensure that nutrition is adequate to fulfil three requirements; feed the calf, maintain body condition and allow for the onset of oestrus.

In autumn-calving herds, even greater emphasis must be placed on nutrition as cows are generally housed during this period.

Often, the first stumbling block in autumn-calving herds is the transition from a full grass diet on to a full silage and concentrate diet. One option is to feed some level of silage at grass for a week to 10 days before housing to help a gradual changeover and prevent shocks to the system.

At housing, the nutritional demands to get cows cycling once again will depend largely on the condition of the cow. For mating, the target BCS is 2.5. Cows meeting this target will need little more than a maintenance diet to fulfil the above three requirements, while cows in poor condition will need to be placed on a high plane of nutrition before and after breeding to ensure reproduction is not delayed.

Sample diets for cows in good and poor condition are shown in Table 1.

Silage quality is key to putting the correct diet in place, so getting silage analysed is a must.

While finances may also be tight, ensure, at all costs, that cows get the necessary meals and minerals to perform adequately. While it has been a tough 2018, 2019 will be a whole lot tougher if cows don’t go back in calf.

Cow-calf bond

The cow-calf bonding effect can also play a significant role in inducing oestrus in suckler cows. The bond between the cow and her calf is one of the main reasons why the calving to first-heat period is usually over 50 days, double that of dairy cows.

Breaking the cow-calf bond can significantly speed up the onset of oestrus.

To successfully implement this approach, separation should begin when cows are 30 days calved, and should continue for two to three weeks with calves allowed to suckle morning and evening. About 85% of cows will exhibit heat by the time they are 50 days calved. It is important that calves are at least 50m away from cows but not necessarily out of sight or earshot.

In the case of autumn-calving herds, this technique can be used as a double-edged weapon. Where calves are already leaving their mothers to lie in a creep area, there should be a further option for them to go outside to a nearby paddock to graze.

In doing so, the cow-calf bond is broken, and calves are going outside, which will benefit thrive, health and save on bedding.

If you are considering taking this approach this winter, now is the time to close off some paddocks near the yard so there is grass available for the calves throughout the winter.