It’s simple math — higher conception rates means more calves on the ground and more profit for you. But have you considered how long it’s taking your cows and heifers to become pregnant and how much the calving pattern can influence your bottom line?

The ability of cows and heifers to conceive in their first cycle, maintain the pregnancy and calve early in the season can have significant impacts on profitability and future production.

Meat and Livestock Australia recommends producers aim for 95% of cows calving in a 9 week period. This results in an ideal calving distribution of 65 - 70 % of calves born in the first 3 weeks (or first cycle), followed by 20% in the second 3 weeks and 10% in the third 3 weeks.¹

The benefits of a tight calving pattern include heavier average weaning weights as there are less light calves, and heavier pre-breeding weights in heifers, which will increase their chance of cycling and conceiving at joining.

Furthermore, cattle producers should be aware that studies have also found that the impact of the calving pattern continues for generations in the herd. Heifers born earlier in the season are more likely to conceive early in their first joining and therefore calve earlier, giving them a longer period to recover before their second joining. As a target, heifers should reach a joining weight (critical mating weight) that is 65% of the mature cow weight within the breeding herd. ¹ Early calving should ensure heavier calves at weaning, both steer and heifer progeny. ^2,3

 Local Australian trials have shown that using Multimin® Evolution prior to joining can help increase first cycle conception rates by 10.7% to 19.4%. ^{4, 5} which can have a significant impact on overall herd profitability. Studies have also shown cows treated with Multimin Evolution pre-joining had a 13% higher first cycle conception rate compared to the control group which yielded a 12:1 return on investment as seen in the table below*⁶.

So what can we do to increase the probability of cows and heifers conceiving on their first cycle and maintaining the early pregnancy?

Many factors affect the fertility of cows and heifers and all need to be considered. One very important factor is increasing the trace mineral status of cows, heifers and bulls prior to joining with injectable trace minerals to ensure adequate availability at a time of increased demand.

Essential trace minerals such as selenium, copper, zinc and manganese are involved in many important functions of the fertilisation (conception) process. Trace minerals also have important roles in embryo survival, development of the foetus, sperm quality and libido. The roles of these trace minerals in reproduction often overlap; no single trace mineral is superior to the others and a combination will give the best result. ⁷ So it’s important to provide a timed and balanced trace mineral treatment pre-joining, rather than just a single element at a random time.

Preparing your bulls for joining

Treating bulls prior to mating can also lead to improvements in fertility. Using Multimin ® Evolution prior to joining ensures bulls will be ‘performance ready’ by optimising sperm quality. Trials have shown that bulls treated with Multimin Evolution 90 days before joining had 22% higher sperm concentration and significantly more motile sperm than control animals.⁸ In another studies, bulls treated with Multimin Evolution 90 days before the bull breeding soundness examination (BSE) had improved sperm motility and morphology, and more bulls tended to the BSE.^9,10 Both studies led to an improvement in breeding soundness prior to joining.

Multimin ® Evolution contains the highest trace mineral content of any other injectable trace mineral product on the market. Multimin Evolution is the only injectable trace mineral in Australia scientifically proven and formulated for modern cattle in more than 39 peer reviewed studies. Multimin Evolution contains 50% more Zinc than any other injectable trace mineral in the Australian market. Zinc is critical for reproduction, immunity and to meet the high demands of modern cattle. Multimin Evolution is designed to be used at critical times of the production cycle (e.g. weaning, joining, calving, transport and induction to feedlot).

Read more here – Multimin Evolution

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To learn more about improving your calving pattern with Multimin Evolution, contact your local Nutrien Ag Solutions Branch Manager or Virbac Customer Support 1800 242 100.

References

 ^{1 .} Based on concepts contained in Weaner throughput (Module 5), More Beef from Pastures: The producer’s manual. Meat & Livestock Australia, 2013. https://mbfp.mla.com.au/weaner-throughput/2-control-mating-period/#

^{2 .} Funston R.N. et al (2012) Effect of calving distribution on beef cattle progeny performance. J Anim Sci. 90(13):5118-21.

^3. Cushman R.A., et al (2013) Heifer calving date positively influences calf weaning weights through six parturitions. J Anim Sci. 91(9):4486-91.

^4. Virbac (2015) Trial protocol 578/15*.

⁵  Virbac (2018) Trial protocol 594/18*.

^6. Mundell, L. R., et al. (2012). Effects of prepartum and postpartum bolus injections of trace minerals on performance of beef cows and calves grazing native range. The Professional Animal Scientist, 28(1), 82-88.

^7. Suttle N. (2010). Mineral Nutrition of Livestock, 4th Edition. CABI, Cambridge.

⁸ Durel L. et al. (2016), Proceedings of the 29th World Buiatrics Congress, Dublin, Ireland, 3-8 July 2016*.

⁹ Preedy, G. W. et al. (2018). Injectable trace-mineral supplementation improves sperm motility and morphology of young beef bulls. The Professional Animal Scientist, 34(1), 1-9

¹⁰ Hill S.L et al. (2015). Breeding soundness of weaned bull calves treated with bolus injections of trace minerals. Proceedings of the Society for Theriogenology Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX, USA - Aug. 5 - 9, 2015.

The benefits outlined in the above scientific studies may not necessarily be registered label claims. *The Multimin® formulation in this study contained lower levels of minerals compared to Multimin® Evolution. Multimin® is a registered trademark of Virbac.

No one should rely upon the information contained in this article without appropriate professional advice regarding relevant factors specific to your situation such as environmental conditions. Always read and follow label directions before using any product in this article.