Successful post-partum interval (PPI) management and body condition maintenance are issues that  ask difficult questions to both farmers and breeding stock as holdings aim to meet the one calf per year production standard.

Kalyn Walters, cow/calf field specialist at South Dakota State University stresses the importance of appropriate planning measures in maintaining the calf production cycle so animals don't get left behind. 

Through basing stock management on a four phase plan, Mrs Walters says the needs of beef cows can be met as the stresses placed on them alter through the year.

Starting at parturition, phase one represents the most important stage- post-partum anoestrus, running from day one to 82.

It entails cows receiving nutritional stress through lactation, which in turn causes reproduction inhibitions as the calf suckles. Care needs to be taken at this stage to ensure cows recommence fertility cycles in keeping with the 365 time scale.

Most of the preparatory work needs to be carried out before calving and Mrs Walters references the University of Florida Extension guidelines as a source of information on why pre-partum nutrition is more important in determining the post-partum interval than nutrition after calving.

Phase two then follows 18 days after conception due to a lag in the maternal pregnancy recognition. This is another key time as the cow is supporting a developing embryo and a young calf.

Mrs Walters recommends carrying over increased rations from phase one to meet the stress put on the animal during this important stage. The phase runs from day 83-199.

Around 200 days into the cycle, phase three is initiated. This is when the calf is weaned and the animal’s nutritional requirements drop substantially.

Gestation at this point does not counter the decrease in dietary requirements and Mrs Walters urges stockmen to increase cow body condition during this time.

Using the Basics of Body Condition Scoring guide is a useful way of benchmarking animal health,  adds Mrs Walters.

Phase four runs from day 275-365 and is the period when the animal is solely focused on foetal growth. Mrs Walters says 75 per cent of foetal growth is takes place now.

It is, therefore, important to increase feed levels temporarily until the calf size within the cow limits feed intake during the closing stages of phase four.

To read more about the four phase plan click here