Reducing Calf Losses in Beef Herds

Comprehensive neonatal disease control programs use estrous synchronization and artificial insemination to breed a high percentage of replacement heifers to bulls with high-accuracy expected progeny differences (EPD) for acceptable birth weight. Reducing the incidence of dystocia improves passive transfer of antibodies to calves and reduces likelihood of a prolonged postpartum interval to cycling resumption, allowing breeding of first-calf heifers early in the subsequent season. Use of mature cow-herd estrous synchronization systems, nutritional management for optimum body condition, heifer development plans assuring that heifers are cycling before breeding, and breeding soundness examination (BSE) of bulls ensures that a high percentage of cows conceive early, thereby reducing calves exposed to significantly older calves and amplified pathogen loads during the neonatal period.