The fundamentals of fertility in beef cattle

Llewellyn Angus, an animal scientist, Simbra/Simmentaler breeder, and SA Interbreed Judges Association examiner, says that grazing and fertility management are both crucial to profitable beef cattle farming. Here he shares the basic principles of managing fertility in a beef herd.

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A livestock farmer is firstly a veld and pasture farmer. It is vital that the animals’ nutritional requirements are met, especially during breeding and when the cows are raising calves. Moreover, the cattle should be fully fed in a relatively short period of grazing. This implies that the farm’s fodder flow must be sufficient throughout the year.

Arguably the most crucial aspect of grazing management after establishing the correct stocking rate is to ensure that a portion of the veld and pasture is given a periodic rest period comprising a full growing season.

The foremost economic factor of a cattle farming enterprise is fertility. It is five times more important than growth performance, which in turn is five times more important than carcass quality. Obviously, it is better to have a poorly performing calf than no calf at all.

MANAGEMENT & GENETICS

Fertility has both a management and a genetic component.

The management component includes all those aspects, such as feeding correctly and maintaining animal health, that are your sole responsibility as a farmer. It also includes maintaining strict breeding seasons in order to establish which animals are not reproducing. Breeding seasons make it far easier for you to use a veterinarian to determine which cows have failed to conceive.

Good management enables animals to produce and reproduce optimally. The genetic component of fertility is limited to 10% heritability. However, it is highly repeatable, so make sure to identify the cow families that calve every year.