Clay & Sue McQuiddy wrote:
> How long after the cows calve do most seasonal dairies wait till the
> cow is worth breeding? Or, if a cow comes into heat, how long in
> milk must she be, before she has a chance to conceive, keeping in mind
> that getting the cows bred is more important than number of services?
>
> This might not be relevant to your situation, but here's how it works
> at Bobolink Dairy:
March 1-April 15 the calves are born, more or less (cows have been dry
since Thanksgiving, outwintered on hay)
April 1st we begin grazing,with some supplemental hay for the first few days
May 1st we begin weaning the calves who are 6-8 weeks old, and we bring
the boys back into the herd. It seems that the combination of clover
(phytoestrogens), back fat and weaning brings on strong heats, and
whaddyaknow, the cows get bred.
This year, the bull ran with the cows all spring, although it appears
that no cows conceived until after their calves were kidnapped. I'll
know next spring how well it worked!
--
Jonathan & Nina White, cheesemakers
Bobolink Dairy & Bakeyard
Vernon, NJ USA
please visit us at <http://www.cowsoutside.com>
