Another calving season is here, and many ranchers are already welcoming newborn calves to the ranch, or they will be soon. Calving season is a time for renewed growth and is a product of planning and ensuring the continued growth of the ranch and the cattle industry. You know keeping records is important, but what does that look like at calving time? There is so much going on, so planning ahead helps you and your ranch be ready for the calving season. This helps ensure you are tracking the correct records for the cow and calf, which helps make decisions about individual animals and the herd.
The method you use for keeping records has a major impact on the efficiency of your record-keeping processes. Whether you use notebooks, spreadsheets or cattle software, be sure the system is current, up to date and ready for the upcoming tasks and activities. While notebooks can be handy, it is hard to use them to record notes to share with others. Spreadsheets can be good for collecting details, but it’s hard to use them when you have many animals. It can also be tough when it comes time to analyze calving records and generate reports. Software is handy in that it can be used by others to help with the data collection, more easily locate specific animal details, or analyze data by criteria, such as animals in a certain pasture, breed or sire group. Using software takes some planning ahead, but that prep time pays off with easier data collection methods and easier access to details as needed.
Speaking of planning, it is vital that record-keeping processes are in place for the calving season. If you have others helping, they need to be familiar with the procedures and know what data needs to be captured and recorded. You may want certain team members to record details out in the pastures as they are checking on the calves, while others review the information to ensure everything is complete. Electronic or printed worksheets can be handy for noting details. Most current software programs have mobile-friendly versions, which means the screens are optimized for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
Calving time is a critical period for collecting and recording details that matter both immediately and later when generating lists and reports.
The specific details you should collect and track differ greatly by factors such as herd size, the conditions of your area or region, the composition of your herd (commercial cattle versus registered with a breed association) and more.
Generally, the following details are usually collected for cattle herds:
- Calf ID – such as an eartag number or tattoo number
- Dam of the calf
- Date of birth
- Physical characteristics – such as sex and color markings
- Comments or observations
For calves that will be registered with a seedstock breed association, additional details are usually needed. Birthweights help the associations generate EPDs (expected progeny differences) and are also a good way to measure and track gain throughout a calf’s growth. In addition, many associations need various codes and scores, such as Calving Ease and a color code. The association will provide a specific list of codes so that entries are consistent among cattle and can more easily be analyzed as a group.
Ensure everyone involved in the calving process is familiar with the record-keeping system and feels comfortable with the methods that have been set up for the ranch. With so much going on during the calving season, all team members need to be collecting the same details and recording them in the same way. This helps ensure consistency across the herd and that the needed details will be recorded and ready to use.
While the level of detail you record may differ each season or year, the importance of recordkeeping during the calving season remains the same. As with most events, thoughtful and intentional planning really does pay off in efficiency and complete details for the short and long term.
