Fall Calving: Pros and Cons

[pandiana]

Several years ago I was hearing quite alot about cattlemen trying out fall calving (i.e. Aug, Sept). I would be interested to hear from some who have tried it out for a few years.
Is it a good idea to run both spring (winter) calving along with fall?
How do late calves fair over winter?
Are you able to market calves born in the fall during peak sales? What facilities are required if any?
What cows go into a fall calving program, i.e those cows that fail to catch in spring or cows from fall calving programs? If the former, what is the subsequent fertility rate? Is the conception rate of 2nd calvers better for fall calvers than in winter calvers?

[cowman]

I'm no expert on fall calving as I calve out my cows in March and April, but like most people I always get some tailenders...some as late as Aug./Sept. I guess if I was doing everything the experts say that wouldn't happen but I'm not running a resort for bulls here! If the cow is a good one it doesn't matter...it's when you sell the calf that counts not when he is born! If she's a dog put them in about Dec.1, grease her up and sell her about the end of Jan. You will be surprized how well you did with her and the calf sure knows how to eat barley by then! If she's a good one leave her and the calf out with the main herd. By spring he won't be overly fat which is just what the grassers want, or grass him out yourself...he will gain like hell! I've also found late calving cows get bred back real quick and can catch up in a couple of years. To sell a good young cow because she came in late is a real loss.

[pandiana]

Thanks for the very comprehensive reply, cowman.
One more question. Do you find that fall calves have more or less health problems in general as compared to spring calves? I would imagine you would miss out on scours but what about the pneumonias that are prevalent in the fall?

[cowman]

I can't remember any of them ever getting sick. They are with their momma and seem to avoid all the stress. I wouldn't want to do this with a lot of cows but with just a few it's okay.

[boer]

Just a few comments on fall calving. Any time you have the facilities and the time commitment the money is certainly there to be made in the off market. By facilities I mean a separate place to winter cows and calves because you certainly don't want to make them rough it over the winter. And of course any time you have separate groups they do require more work.
Keeping a few stragglers is certainly a different concept to having a herd of specific fall calving cows. On my farm we calve both spring and fall with specific groups in both herds. But that doesn't mean they are not able to shift from one to another because they do. The biggest advantage to fall calving is in working the two programs together. Good open or late calvers can drop into the next program, but make sure they only get one extra chance. You can make better use of your bulls, your facilities and your feed. Plus you are marketing at an off season which always means a premium price. But beware without proper feed and facilities it can be a disaster and the extra price is somewhat offset by a more expensive winter gain.