Improving Beef Cattle Profitability by Changing Calving Season Length

Cow-calf producers face many annual decisions, as well as some less frequent but very fundamental decisions. A couple of those fundamental decisions include determining the appropriate calving season (e.g., spring or fall) and calving season length (e.g., 45, 60, 90 days). Approximately 67 percent of the cow-calf operations in the United States do not have a defined calving season (United States Department of Agriculture [USDA], 2009). This is despite research showing that a controlled calving season is more profitable than year-round calving (Doye et al., 2008). However, this decision can be difficult because nutritional demands, reproduction, calf performance and market prices have to be considered and evaluated.