Calving season 2020 for me

[Nesikep]

Kicked off the calving season yesterday afternoon, Chroma has a pretty little heifer, only about 70ish lbs, but full of energy... got 3 more (2 heifers and a cow) coming this week, then a break until Mar 1st or so when the main herd starts

This is Tina, full sister to Pookie (and yes, Pookie was very curious!)





https://youtu.be/c7MIzxE8fZE

 

[Porkchopfat]

Mine are past due this year. Need the calves on the ground. It's about all that keeps me running these bovines most days.

 

[Nesikep]

Mine are past due this year. Need the calves on the ground. It's about all that keeps me running these bovines most days.

A cow closely related to this one is holding out on me, she's at 292 days, so my hopes of a heifer from her are dwindling

 

[Porkchopfat]

Yup I figured its gonna be a lot of bulls this year. We are pretty close on days as well. 290 ish

 

[Nesikep]

The one that just calved has had 7 heifers and 1 bull.. another cow the same age has had all bulls and I've been waiting for a heifer... maybe this year?
The hold-out has gone as long as 302 days in the past.. she really cooks them a long time but they come out perfect browned! If only my toaster worked as well

 

[Porkchopfat]

That is a beautiful beast. Keep up the good work/cook times. When I ate toast it was browned in the pan. Same thing with "perfect" browning from your toaster. Maybe it was the cook?

 

[MurraysMutts]

Love that nursing picture!
U got a lil close to that left rear leg for my comfort!

 

[Nesikep]

Love that nursing picture!
U got a lil close to that left rear leg for my comfort!

Most dangerous thing of that cow is her tongue.. she's absolutely gentle, she'll lick you to death though.. She's one of my milk cows when I feel like it
https://youtu.be/0T8VkKyKLi8

 

[Nesikep]

That is a beautiful beast. Keep up the good work/cook times. When I ate toast it was browned in the pan. Same thing with "perfect" browning from your toaster. Maybe it was the cook?

The Gelbvieh tan with a bit of the dark red from the Shorthorn and Saler in the background makes for a nice rich red.

I just hope the heifers don't go too far overdue, I'd rather have them a little early and have a smaller calf.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Love it!
Beautiful animals too

 

[Nesikep]

Love it!
Beautiful animals too

thanks! That cow had a heifer last year that turned out really nice, biggest of the bunch and equally docile

3 essentially full sisters (same sire, mothers are all full sisters), she's on the far right


not the most flattering pic, but it's from today

 

[Porkchopfat]

That is a beautiful beast. Keep up the good work/cook times. When I ate toast it was browned in the pan. Same thing with "perfect" browning from your toaster. Maybe it was the cook?

The Gelbvieh tan with a bit of the dark red from the Shorthorn and Saler in the background makes for a nice rich red.

I just hope the heifers don't go too far overdue, I'd rather have them a little early and have a smaller calf.

I am with you on heifers running over about 265 to 270. Last years single heifer ran close to 288 if I remember. She had a bull calf but we chose the right bull to breed her to. Little guy born at 48 lbs. By my best guess anyhow. Some of that was due to poor nutrition as hay was crap last year.

 

[Nesikep]

That is a beautiful beast. Keep up the good work/cook times. When I ate toast it was browned in the pan. Same thing with "perfect" browning from your toaster. Maybe it was the cook?

The Gelbvieh tan with a bit of the dark red from the Shorthorn and Saler in the background makes for a nice rich red.

I just hope the heifers don't go too far overdue, I'd rather have them a little early and have a smaller calf.

I am with you on heifers running over about 265 to 270. Last years single heifer ran close to 288 if I remember. She had a bull calf but we chose the right bull to breed her to. Little guy born at 48 lbs. By my best guess anyhow. Some of that was due to poor nutrition as hay was crap last year.

I've NEVER seen one of my cows go under 275.. about 280 is the lowest I'll see with any consistency. and I catch about 90% of breedings and mark them


Here's what things look like as of today, green names are first calf heifers

 

[regolith]

Cute calves. What is your management program, it looks useful? I've got Mindapro at the moment it gives a report of which cows are due on which day but although the program has all the information it can be a bit of work to get it back out.
We run on 282 - 284 gestation for dairy breeds but two weeks late or early is perfectly normal. Which is all well and good if there's only one possible mating... sometimes the program records a different sire for the calf if it thinks it arrived too early to be the last mating.

 

[Porkchopfat]

Well I got a look at this years heifer and we have an udder starting to fill up. Should be soon now, I give her 7 to 10 days.

 

[Nesikep]

Well I got a look at this years heifer and we have an udder starting to fill up. Should be soon now, I give her 7 to 10 days.

Here are my two heifers (got a 3rd some time in march).. they're due pretty quick here

 

[Nesikep]

Purebred girl Robin just had a nice 80ish lb heifer calf... she's a good momma, did a good licking job, stood to be milked


Cenci is calving as we speak.. more pictures to come.. I'm hoping for a heifer but I kinda doubt I'll get that

 

[Porkchopfat]

Boy howdy when it rains it pours. Nice looking crop to date. And yes there is some jealous under tones hidden in there.

 

[wbvs58]

Well that is what you would be after from your gelbveigh heifer Nesi and a good mother as well. Makes you think you made a good move buying her.

Ken

 

[Nesikep]

Well that is what you would be after from your gelbveigh heifer Nesi and a good mother as well. Makes you think you made a good move buying her.

Ken

I wouldn't mind if her hind teats were a little longer, they're kinda nubbins.. maybe after a calf pulls on them for a while they'll stretch out.. she's got lots of milk. I think the bull I'm buying from the same ranch I got her from will be a good fit, he's got a bit more butt and a little less frame, she's a little big and a little thin on the hind end. This heifer (Hannah) ought to make the replacement pen though.. She probably won't be a small cow when she grows up but she may have a better butt than momma.. time will tell!

Here she is with her calf, dried off


Chroma and Tina.. she's already starting to look for trouble to get into and instigate some shennanigans... True to nature, Chroma has her spotlessly clean


Cenci with Apollo... He is still a bit in dreamland.. hasn't quite come to the realization he's been born.. not the brightest when it comes to choosing a comfy spot to lay down, etc.