04/13/06 Calf insurance

Calf Crop Insurance Yesterday I talked about bull fertility tests. Today I'll tell you what I think is one more option to increase calf crop percentage. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back. Bull fertility testing is a good management decision to help insure a larger number of cows will have calves next year. Well, while there is no actual insurance policy that I know of a producer can buy to guarantee a certain percentage calf crop, there is a choice that can be made that I think pays real dividends. That choice is to simply put more bulls out with the cows. Now, I know that might sound simple to say, and I know it can add costs to the bull herd purchase expenses. Usually, though, it only takes about three or four more calves that might not have been born without that extra bull to pay for him. A lot of publications and experts will tell producers how many cows they should figure for each bull, but this always seems to me to be calculated using perfect conditions, perfect pastures, and perfect gentlemen bulls. Bulls aren't perfect gentlemen. The truth is the male bovine just can't seem to get by without fighting. Now, bullfights that don't get too violent can be a good thing since they can spread bulls around the pasture. But, fights can also cripple bulls or temporarily take them out of service because of soreness or small injuries. This is when those extra bulls in the breeding pasture really payoff with more bred cows and make producers glad they bought that live insurance policy. I'm Jeff Keane.