Late calving cows are hard to get in calf because they have very little recovery time until mating starts. Excessive numbers of late-calving cows will reduce herd reproductive performance substantially.
The table below outlines the probable chance a cow has in getting in calf in the first six weeks or her chance of being empty based on the amount of recovery time she has between calving and mating.
Calving to mating start date interval |
6-week in-calf rate |
Not-in-calf rate |
More than 12 weeks |
77% |
7% |
9-12 weeks |
75% |
8% |
6-9 weeks |
66% |
11% |
3-6 weeks |
54% |
16% |
Less than 3 weeks |
<40% |
>20% |
Calving pattern targets – whole herd and first calvers
What should we be aiming for?
Cows need to calve at least 6 weeks, and heifers up to 9 weeks before mating start date.
- A good calving pattern has 88% of the whole herd calved by week 6.
- A good calving pattern for first calvers has 75% calved by week 3, and 92% calved by week 6.
A targeted plan is required to take an extended calving pattern and make it more compact. Mating start and finish dates are the first place to start with addressing a calving pattern.
How does your calving pattern stack up?
Use the Fertility Focus Report to review how the calving pattern of first calvers influence the calving pattern of the whole herd, and then the percentage of all cows cycling naturally pre-mating.


If possible, review multiple Fertility Focus Reports side-by-side comparing seasons over time.
- Within the same season, does a 5-star whole herd calving pattern lead to a 1-star or 3-star 6-week in-calf rate? Why might this deterioration be happening?
- Between multiple seasons does a 1-star 6-week in-calf rate lead to a 5-star whole herd calving pattern? How might that calving pattern have come about?
You may need to seek the support of a trained InCalf advisor to help answer some of the farm system questions or develop a strategy to address issues.

