Abstract:
The traditional practice on beef cow-calf ranches in the high
desert region of Eastern Oregon has been to breed the cows to calve
in the Spring months. Interest has been growing recently in the practice
of Fall-calving; that is, breeding cows to calve in the months of
October and November. The Squaw Butte Experiment Station at
Burns, Oregon, began a Fall-calving program with part of their range
beef herd several years ago. They found that climatic conditions are
generally more favorable for calving in the Fall, resulting in higher
weaned-calf percentages. Calves from both Spring and Fall-calving
herds were weaned in late Summer, with Fall calves averaging around
500 pounds compared with 330 pounds for the Spring calves.
There was little doubt about the biological feasibility of the Fall-calving
practice in that area, but its economic feasibility was somewhat
in question. The purpose of this research was to analyze the
economic aspects of Fall-calving and determine what are the most important
factors in deciding its economic feasibility.
A linear programming model was developed for comparing Fall
and Spring-calving systems under different conditions. The model was
designed to maximize net returns to labor, management and fixed resources
in the beef enterprise. This model took account of range
forage utilization patterns.
Solutions from the model indicated that Spring-calving systems
may have slightly higher net returns than Fall-calving because of two
main differences: (1) the lighter Spring-born calves bring a higher
average price per cwt. , and (2) the Fall-calving herd requires about
1500 pounds more Winter hay than cows in the Spring-calving herd.
An algebraic relationship was found between calf price differentials
and the price of meadow hay, which would equate the net return values
for Spring and Fall-calving systems. With an expected differential of
$2. 95, between the average prices of calves sold from the Spring and
Fall-calving herds, it was found that a price as low as $14.12 per ton
of meadow hay would be needed to equate the net returns of a Fall-calving
system with those of a Spring-calving system (with calf sales on
September 1).
Labor costs were not included in the model, but the ranch operator's
labor situation may well be the most important element in his
decision to go with Fall rather than Spring calving. The main
difference is in the times of the year that labor is needed. The Fall-calving
system needs more labor in the Fall, and the Spring-calving
system needs even more in the Spring.
