Things You'll Need
- Herd health plan
- Beef cattle body condition scoring guide
- Feed containing 10% protein and 65% energy
- Mineral mix
Instructions
Develop a cattle health plan, with the help of a veterinarian, that keeps your animals healthy and protected against disease. These health plans usually include biosecurity measures, vaccinations, testing, examinations and parasite control. Biosecurity is isolation of livestock from animals outside the ranch that may carry disease.
Give bulls an annual breeding soundness exam prior to putting them with the cows. This exam shows whether they are still fertile and capable of doing their job. Palpate cows 60 days following conclusion of the breeding season to determine if they are pregnant and their reproductive tract is healthy. Cull cows that are not pregnant.
Manage your animal nutrition program so that cows have a body condition score of 4 or 5 during the breeding period. Four is a borderline body condition score, but the animal's ribs and hip bones are not showing. At a body condition score of 5, the cow looks slick and there is a small amount of fat on each side of the tail-head. Obtain a beef cattle body condition scoring guide from your nearest animal science college or county agricultural extension agency.
Provide cows a diet containing 10 percent protein and 65 percent energy when they are with the bulls. These nutrients are obtained from green pasture, good-quality hay, a supplement or a combination of these feeds. The cows, during this period, probably have two-month-old calves and they have just peaked in milk production. Good nutrition is required during this period for them to rebreed.
Feed a free-choice mineral recommended for your area by the county agricultural extension agent. Regulate mineral intake so each animal gets its required amount. Control intake by adding salt or molasses to the mineral mix.