We don't know, til we know.
The difference some good food makes
- Thread starter Nesikep
- Start date
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Nesikep
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Saw the babies this afternoon.. Holy smokes is Audi's calf ever growing..
He's got a deep chest too.. If her next calf bred to my red bull is a bull calf, I think he'll keep his nuts
Kim's boy (Mar 14, 75 lbs) and Audi's boy (Mar 18th, 100 lbs)
I didn't get a good picture of Zima's, he's doing well, pretty social guy, I think in a week or two he'll take off, he's a similar build.. Here he is eating dirt like any toddler.. 6 days old
Poppy's is a nice one too, 7 days old
He's got a deep chest too.. If her next calf bred to my red bull is a bull calf, I think he'll keep his nuts
Kim's boy (Mar 14, 75 lbs) and Audi's boy (Mar 18th, 100 lbs)
I didn't get a good picture of Zima's, he's doing well, pretty social guy, I think in a week or two he'll take off, he's a similar build.. Here he is eating dirt like any toddler.. 6 days old
Poppy's is a nice one too, 7 days old
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Nesikep
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Good judgement comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement
Also, Experience, what you get just after you need it
MurraysMutts
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Looks like they are all doing good Nesi. But I gotta say, black calves ain't normal. Don't seem right. I miss your red calves!
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Nesikep
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Next year they'll be red... and maybe next year I'll get a heifer... All boys this year
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Nesikep
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I fear the day when some enviro-cop tells you you can't have that and you have to pay $50 a tire to get rid of them
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Nesikep
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New baby from one of the recent returns yesterday morning.. highland sired... he's got a bit of floof happening! Momma is Limo sired with some shorthorn and salers
He's a pretty good size, definitely not a mini!
He's a pretty good size, definitely not a mini!
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Nesikep
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Sure liking Audi's boy. big stretch here. Zima's is looking good for being younger as well (3 weeks)
farmerjan
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Like the butt on Zima's calf....
So glad that you are managing to get your cows back and they are looking good now.
So glad that you are managing to get your cows back and they are looking good now.
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Nesikep
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Zima.. really showing her length here.. intercepting Clint for scratches
Xena.. even with the first taste of grass for the year, scratches are worth putting eating on pause
Coda's floofy highland sired calf.
Coda got pretty licky.. yes she has salt https://photos.app.goo.gl/R8SczJefEkiBdC288
Xena.. even with the first taste of grass for the year, scratches are worth putting eating on pause
Coda's floofy highland sired calf.
Coda got pretty licky.. yes she has salt https://photos.app.goo.gl/R8SczJefEkiBdC288
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Nesikep
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I skipped a few weeks of going to see the girls, Xena especially made it very clear this was unacceptable. Here she is between a few 4 year old cows. I can't put into words how happy I am with how she's turned out, and such a sweetie, comes running up to me from way down the field and just loves hanging out. She's slicked off nicely
Zima's boy, he's looking good, Zima was very needy today too but didn't get a good pic of her, she's definitely putting a lot into milk though
Not the most flattering pic of Audi's, but he's doing well
Kim and her boy, he's the oldest of the bunch, and he's sure packing weight.. I think about 10 weeks old now
Zima's boy, he's looking good, Zima was very needy today too but didn't get a good pic of her, she's definitely putting a lot into milk though
Not the most flattering pic of Audi's, but he's doing well
Kim and her boy, he's the oldest of the bunch, and he's sure packing weight.. I think about 10 weeks old now
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Nesikep
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Oh, and here's the boys.. "Lego" is 2 now, and I'll have my group bred to him, the other one is the sire of all this years calves.
A friend of mine had a bull go lame near the end of breeding season last year and they borrowed my bull for cleanup, they got one calf from him, I'll probably see that calf tomorrow and take some pictures. They're both nice bulls with good length
A friend of mine had a bull go lame near the end of breeding season last year and they borrowed my bull for cleanup, they got one calf from him, I'll probably see that calf tomorrow and take some pictures. They're both nice bulls with good length
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Nesikep
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Here's "Lego".. aka "Sitting Bull"
And I went and saw his first calf, I think she's around 6 weeks and she's definitely got that Gelbvieh butt, She's shortlisted for the replacement pen already.
Saw the rest of them too, they're all growing like weeds. I think those 3 first-timers of mine now are going to really be something when they've matured.. I think Xena will do just fine as well, she'll be a good size for her first calf for sure
And I went and saw his first calf, I think she's around 6 weeks and she's definitely got that Gelbvieh butt, She's shortlisted for the replacement pen already.
Saw the rest of them too, they're all growing like weeds. I think those 3 first-timers of mine now are going to really be something when they've matured.. I think Xena will do just fine as well, she'll be a good size for her first calf for sure
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Nesikep
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Just by chance I decided to go see the girls last night.. Got there just at the end of Xena's date with the bull (nice to know a breeding date)
She'd had enough of him and wanted my attention.. BADLY.. there was no getting away from her, unless there was a bossier cow wanting scritches. The bull seems to have settled down a bit, I didn't really like his body language when he was with the other bull away from the cows, he seemed calmer, I swatted 10,000 flies off his back and he got tail scritches and he seemed to like that
Audi wants NOTHING but tail scritches or belly rubs, doesn't care much for attention to her front side, but she'll make it clear I need to scratch the butt, or I'm getting bowled over. Her mother was the same.. just wanted butt scratches... Xena, Zima and Poppy like any attention, and Kim loves to lick (like her mother)... Apples don't fall far from the tree!
She'd had enough of him and wanted my attention.. BADLY.. there was no getting away from her, unless there was a bossier cow wanting scritches. The bull seems to have settled down a bit, I didn't really like his body language when he was with the other bull away from the cows, he seemed calmer, I swatted 10,000 flies off his back and he got tail scritches and he seemed to like that
Audi wants NOTHING but tail scritches or belly rubs, doesn't care much for attention to her front side, but she'll make it clear I need to scratch the butt, or I'm getting bowled over. Her mother was the same.. just wanted butt scratches... Xena, Zima and Poppy like any attention, and Kim loves to lick (like her mother)... Apples don't fall far from the tree!
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Nesikep
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If she just had her hind legs placed a little better this would have been a great shot
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Nesikep
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She's looking good.. a few more months til baby time.. She was happy to see me again, wanted all the scritches
I think for the complete package I could hardly wish for a better cow, she'll have the mature size I like.
Zima her auntie knocked it out of the park with her calf last year
Zima, her boy is only 4 months old here, he was close to 700 at weaning, 2nd biggest calf of the whole herd.. not bad for a first try.. Audi and Kim both did really well too, their boys weaned in the lower 600's.
I think for the complete package I could hardly wish for a better cow, she'll have the mature size I like.
Zima her auntie knocked it out of the park with her calf last year
Zima, her boy is only 4 months old here, he was close to 700 at weaning, 2nd biggest calf of the whole herd.. not bad for a first try.. Audi and Kim both did really well too, their boys weaned in the lower 600's.
farmerjan
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They look like they did real good... Bet they miss your more frequent attentions..
How is the job going? Been fixing any major "torn up " stuff lately????
How is the job going? Been fixing any major "torn up " stuff lately????
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Nesikep
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Clint their caretaker says he got sandwiched between two of them.. I took a guess, Poppy and Zima, and I was right! He gives them lots of attention, but maybe not as much as they'd like.
Everyone's enjoying supper here
Yeah, lots of broken stuff at work.. They bought a dump trailer, it's destroyed and should have been condemned for how unsafe it is
Got some nice scenery for work sometimes.. I went and played with my tonka toys after i fixed them
regolith
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just incredible turn around. A fair dose of luck too, that they were still capable of it after a hard start.
I thought I'd seen a few bad cases; but my memory fails me. I did work for one bloke who underfed calves - both from his own dairy herd and purchased - in an atrocious situation, weaned them far too young and sent them off to his other farm where his manager took care of them. He had a good manager, and they turned into 2 yr Holstein bulls just fine. The ones that lived that is; no idea on the losses on the other farm I know he was regularly losing calves in those sheds.
I asked his dairy manager (I myself left the calf rearing to him past 4 days old and didn't interfere) and she told me she'd reared his dairy replacements outdoors, away from his calf rearing enterprise, while she was working for him.
And today, your cattle are looking good.
I've learned a lot on my current farm there are some farms that you can't just walk into and manage them in the same way every other farm is managed, and expect success. It *is* possible; but it may not be economic, or environmentally justifiable, or... it's an eye-opener certainly.+
I think it took about 4 years to get my calves back up to the standard of growth I expected; after moving here. I learned the first year that nutrition was the key, it took a lot longer than that to start identifying the problems and finding solutions for why they needed such a high level of nutrition to overcome the environment.
