Beef Management Tips

Livestock Update, June 2003

John B. Hall, Extension Animal Scientist, Beef, VA Tech

June Beef Management Calendar

Spring Calving Herds

• Finish AI; turnout cleanup bulls
• Check bulls regularly for performance and injury
• Feed 1st calf heifers separately; give them best forage and supplement
• Use 48 hour calf removal for thin cows and 1st calf heifers at beginning of breeding season
• Begin fly control program
• Begin creep grazing
• Continue feeding high magnesium minerals to prevent grass tetany; may be able to switch to high Se trace salt late in month
• Do mid summer deworming and implanting late in month or early next month
• Finish making first cutting hay early in month
• Start grazing warm season grasses

Fall Calving Herds

• Body condition score cows; plan nutrition/grazing program based on BCS
• Begin fly control program
• Do mid summer deworming on replacement heifers and preg heifers (2yr olds)
• Plan marketing program for calves
• Vaccinate calves for VQA programs; line up certification
• Wean calves if selling in VQA weaned program in July (weaned for 30 days)
• Switch to high Se trace mineral salt
• Start grazing warm season grasses

July Beef Management Calendar

Spring Calving Herds

• Check bulls regularly for performance and injury
• End breeding season; pull bulls
• Feed 1st calf heifers separately; give them best forage and supplement
• Continue fly control program
• Continue feeding high Se trace salt
• Continue creep grazing
• Do mid summer deworming and implanting early in month
• Start grazing warm season grasses
• Move cattle to some hay fields to give pastures a rest

Fall Calving Herds

• Continue fly control program
• Do mid summer deworming on replacement heifers, preg heifers (2yr olds) and 3yr-old cows
• Continue high Se trace mineral salt
• Move cattle to some hay fields to give pastures a rest
• Vaccinate calves for VQA programs; line up certification
• Wean calves if selling in VQA weaned program in August (weaned for 30 days)

Young cows need extra nutrition during breeding season
First and second calf heifers are still growing as well as lactating during the breeding season. These heifers will need about the same total amount of energy as a mature cow, but they eat about 15-20% less feed. So these young cows need 4 to 5 lbs of corn, corn gluten or barley daily to meet their extra energy needs and breed back quickly. (JBH)

Stocker cattle benefit from reimplanting and ionophores
Stocker cattle will gain an extra 20 to 25 lbs if reimplanted in mid summer. Producers should use the same implant as previously given or another implant for that weight and sex of cattle. Ionophores can also benefit grazing stockers. Products like GainPro® or Rumensin® are approved for grazing cattle and can result in increased gain of 10 to 15%. Remember that response to implants and especially ionophores require abundant good quality pasture. Results with these products after July may be disappointing if you are grazing overmature grasses or have limited grazing available. (JBH)

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