Earlier this week, I came across this article suggesting a correlation between feeding time and the time of day a cow is more likely to calve. You can find the article here:
Calving Tips: The secret to day time calvingHaving spent 18 years growing up on a cattle farm and a few nights on calf watch at the university farm, I know personally why calving in the day-time is more desirable.
1) Being able to avoid going out multiple times during the night to check on the cows is a big plus for the farmer.
2) During the daytime, it is much easier to spot a cow going into labor, meaning a faster response to any problems and a higher probability of a healthy cow & calf.
3) Cooler nighttime temperatures are a threat to new born calves as they try to dry off, warm up, and start nursing. It is crucial that newborn calves get to their mother’s milk as quickly as possible because for a short time, the mother’s milk contains colostrum that kick-starts the baby’s immune system.
… Seriously? Could it be that simple? According to the article, in a group of cows that were fed between 4 and 6pm, 85% of the calves were born in the daytime the next day. Researchers aren’t entirely sure why feeding influences calving time, but some of their explanations include gut fill, metabolic temperature, and frequency of rumen contractions. It doesn’t look like this method is fool-proof, though. Studies conducted in Montana and Canada showed little difference in calving time between cows fed at different times throughout the day.
Regardless of those studies that showed little difference, I’d say this method is worth a shot! Considering the fact that there are no extra costs involved and assuming it won’t throw a wrench into your normal daily routine, you have nothing to lose. Unless you enjoy going out to the barn and pulling a calf at 3am- in that case, this calving method may not be for you.
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