Cold’s impact on calving

It seems that March 1 officially starts the calving season for many herds, and I’ve heard from several producers that some are seeing calves earlier than anticipated.  That may be a good thing considering what impact cold weather has on calf birth weights.  UNL researched this in the 1990′s and showed that for every one degree below normal average temperatures we see about a 1 pound increase in calf birth weights.  Be prepared to assist cows and especially heifers that appear to be  slow in delivery this year.  Check this article for reminders about the details and a link to the original research work.