The effects of spring versus summer calving on beef cattle economic performance in western Canada

Abstract

. 2015. The effects of spring versus summer calving on beef cattle economic performance in western Canada. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 95: 475Á486. The choice of calving date influences the net revenue of a calving operation as it affects the number of days that calves spend in each feeding phase and when they are subsequently marketed. These two factors determine the costs, revenue, and risk (variance) of each calving system for the calving phase of a beef system. The majority of cowÁcalf producers in western Canada have adopted early calving (EC) in spring due to management factors. However, late calving (LC) in the summer is an alternative beef calving system associated with higher returns due to lower system costs and higher beef prices. It may offer a better match between cow nutritional requirements and pasture availability. The objective of this study was to compare the revenues and risks for a traditional EC system and an alternative LC system at three sites in western Canada. Biological and economic data from three field experimental sites in western Canada (Brandon Research Centre in Manitoba, Western Beef Development Centre in Lanigan, Saskatchewan and Semi-Arid Prairie Agriculture Research Centre in Swift Current, Saskatchewan) were used to determine the costs and benefits of the alternative beef calving system. The results showed that even though the EC has higher cost than the LC, the EC is slightly better than LC in terms of higher net revenue potential, but it comes at a greater risk due to higher revenue variances. The EC system is usually more preferable for risk-neutral producers, whereas the LC system is more preferable for risk-averse producers. Les effets du veˆlage au printemps par rapport au veˆlage a`l'e´te´sur la performance e´conomique des bovins de boucherie dans l'ouest du Canada. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 95: 475Á486. Le choix de la date de veˆlage influence le revenu net d'un e´tablissement de veˆlage puisqu'il a un effet sur le nombre de jours que les veaux passent dans chaque phase d'alimentation ainsi que leur mise en marche´par la suite. Ces deux facteurs de´terminent les couˆts, le revenu et le risque (variance) de chaque syste`me pour la phase de veˆlage chez les bovins de boucherie. La majorite´des producteurs de vaches-veaux de l'ouest du Canada ont adopte´le veˆlage pre´coce (EC Á « early calving ») au printemps pour accommoder des facteurs de gestion. Par contre, le veˆlage tardif (LC Á « late calving ») a`l'e´te´est un syste`me alternatif de veˆlage des bovins associe´s a`des rendements plus e´leve´s imputable aux couˆts plus faibles et une hausse des prix du baeuf. Il pourrait offrir un meilleur accommodement entre les besoins nutritionnels des bovins et la disponibilite´des paˆturages. L'objectif de cette e´tude e´tait de comparer les revenus et les risques des syste`mes traditionnels EC et syste`mes alternatifs LC a`trois sites dans l'ouest du Canada. Les donne´es biologiques et e´conomiques de trois sites d'expe´riences sur le terrain dans l'ouest du Canada (le Centre de Recherche d...

Effects of barley and triticale silage based diets and residual feed intake on performance, profitability, and predicted CO2e emission of backgrounding steers

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The effect of maternal nutritional restriction on fetal development and performance of offspring in beef cattle

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