Stratton, Ontario, Canada | The norm is due to pathetic and incompetent management. You should be aiming for 25-42 days. I know one local ranch that does 25 days on their 80 heifers between 2 bulls and those that are bred make the final cut.
If you want a 'longer' breeding season, it would be much more advantageous to do two 21-day exposures with a 21-day rest period in between them, to give you a 42 day season over 63 days. Tighten up the uniformity of age and size on your calves and it will pay dividends.
When people talk about leaving their bulls out with the cows 365 days, I think lazy hobby farmer who doesn't need to earn a premium and I can buy his calves to background through the winter at a dime or more discount. That is, assuming they have some kind of vaccination program. If not, it's at least a quarter discount, if I even bid at all.
This is coming from an operation that 20 years ago ran bulls 365 days, than 150, than 120, than 100, than 90, than 70, than 63, than 50, than 42 and last year was 30 days in the spring herd and 40 days in the fall herd. |
How long do you leave your bulls in?
