When to breed heifers

[cswilson]

Conventional wisdom says breed heifers early so they can recover to rebreed.In 2001 our breeding heifers got stranded in community pastures-all but one-we weren't able to expose them till bulls had been with cows 40 days.We pregtested them yesterday-all were bred back but the one that clved early-kinda interesting.

[Muttley]

I start calving my cows in Feb. and am usually finished by the end of March.
I breed my first time heifers to start about the first of March. I find if I calve the heifers to early in the winter they pull down to much before pasture time. If I calve a little later the heifers do not pull down as bad and respond to the spring pastures well. In most instances we find by the second calf the cow has moved up earlier on her own and by the third calf she is right up there with the rest of the herd.
I have had over the years heifers get down and just never get back in time with the cows. We sacrifice some weight on the calves but rarely enough to worry about.
In our situation by doing it this way we have been able to run the heifers with the cows all winter and do not have to pen them seperate for feed and care.
If I have a heifer we want to push up earlier after that first calf we pen them away from the cows after calving and usually A.I. them.
As well it is nicer to calve those heifers in better weather than the cows.
If I calved in late spring or summer I would just calve the same time. If a heifer is in good shape she should calve within the time period you allow for your cows anyway.