Many producers use artificial insemination or A.I. to breed their cows. This practice allows them to use very high quality bulls that they may not otherwise be able to afford. These cows can be bred through visual identification of cows that are in heat or cows can go through an estrus synchronization program so that all the cows are bred at the same time. This allows a producer to time the breeding as well as when he expects the cows to calve. Be sure to have a back up plan or a "clean up" bull that can breed any cows who don't settle through the artificial breeding process.

     Regardless of whether the cows are bred naturally or through A.I., a producer can use performance data to help select bulls to mate to certain cows. This information tells a producer what to expect for birth weights, weaning weights and yearling weights. This information can also predict milk production in females as well as carcass characteristics in feedlot cattle.

 
Calving Season
     Producers have different methods for calving cows. In general, you will need to decide if you want to calve the cows outside on pasture or inside the barn. The time of year that you calve  will determine to some extent where you calve. Cows calved in the colder part of winter or during periods of cold rains should have those calves inside to decrease the chance of losing calves. Keep in mind, however, that inside calving can increase the incidence of calf scours.  

     During warmer times of the year, cows can calve outside on pasture. Be sure to observe the cow and her calf to make sure the calf is receiving adequate amounts of colostrum, the first milk that is rich in antibodies that protect the calf against sickness.

Weaning Time
     Most calves are weaned at 6 to 8 months of age. You can increase the weaning weights of your calves by deworming them 1 to 2 months prior to weaning. In addition, calves will be less stressed at weaning if they have access to dry feed, either hay or grain prior to weaning.

Health Programs
     The old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is very true in the beef cattle business. Time and money spent preventing diseases is much less costly than treating the disease once it occurs in the herd. Calves should be dewormed one to two months before weaning and then vaccinated for IBR, PI3, and BVD as a minimum. Vaccination programs will often include HS (haemophilus somnus), BRSV (bovine respirator syncytial virus), pasteurella haemolytica, Lepto, and clostridia. In some areas mature cattle should receive an annual booster vaccine. Check with your local vet.

Plan your cattle marketing in advance
     Two of the easiest places to sell your calves are through a local auction barn or through a local feeder calf sale. This is always a gamble because you never know what you will receive for your calves. Sometimes that gamble can work in your favor as well as against you. When taking calves to the market, look for those times of the year when demand is high and you are more likely to receive higher prices. For example, early fall and early spring are good times to sell your calves.

     Other options for selling calves are to develop your own direct market. This might be selling freezer beef, breeding stock, or feeder calves to a feedlot. Other options are to produce a value-added product such as beef stew or market your beef through your own restaurant. Producing a unique product can also develop niche markets. Be sure to check on any government requirements for selling processed products. Or, you may want to focus on organic beef or grass fed beef. Use your ingenuity to come up with your own special product, but be prepared to spend some time and effort on marketing that product.

Some Final Thoughts
     Whether your new cattle ranching enterprise will raise purebred breeding stock or commercial cattle for market, you will need to sit down prior to getting started and make some decisions. Spend some time thinking about what you would like to do as well as developing a business and marketing plan. Developing the plans will help you to focus on the goals you wish to achieve as well as provide a valuable source of information to lenders if you plan to borrow money.