2016th years calving

[lithuanian farmer]

Have first calf born this year. It's a bull calf, out of Angusx 3rd calver. 292days gestation. Limousine sired calf.

I'll warn that the cow is quite a big one, ~1800-1900lbs.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Calf must be approaching 130lbs?

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Calf must be approaching 130lbs?

I think so. Might be even a little bit heavier.

 

[Muddy]

It does look big calf to me...easily 150lbs.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Diffidently a bruiser, but he's up and go so it should be a good day. :D

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Don't know the real weight, but he's a big calf for sure. Her first calf was Angusx bull, 119lbs, unfortunately dead, the 2nd Limox heifer, ~90-100lbs( 890lbs at 13 months age) and now this is her 3rd calf, over 130lbs.
Really happy that he and his dam are okay, just he don't want to nurse yet.

However, have a bigger problem now. One heifer(the last from her group) is still preparing to calve, 292days now. Hope she'll have much smaller calf.She's ~1350lbs.

 

[texast]

Did you have to assist her with the delivery? Will you make him a steer? She's doing a good job to have those size calves and live. Nice job!!

 

[Nesikep]

I found the Limo gestate a little longer.. Longest I've been certain about is 305 days, but most are about 288-294.

That is a big calf, it's kinda hard to estimate the weight in a picture though.

Keep a close eye on the heifer, and good luck with her and all the rest of them!

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Needed slight assistance at first, but when the head was out everything went smoothlie. The cow is big, but isn't very wide. She got that from her dam, which is BBxdairy. Actually all her daughters have almost the same constitution. She calves easily and never had very big calves, but two out of three her daughters, which calved so far, had big calves, over 110lbs at the 1st calving.
We won't steer the calf. We never did.

The heifer calved on the next night. Has a quite a small, lively heifer calf. Will take some photos later.

Have a problem with the big bull calf. He doesn't want to nurse his dam. Now needs to feed with the bottle. He can't manage to take dam's teat into his mouth.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Good news! The bull calf started nursing on his own.

Here's a little heifer with her young mom:

 

[texast]

Cool pictures. That little heifer is happy as can be!!

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Have weighed the bull calf. Looks that his birth weight was ~160lbs.

 

[Muddy]

If that calf was mine, I would band him almost immediately.

 

[tamarack]

No banding were allowed where these cattle are from!

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Yes, it's not allowed. But we're kinda happy with our farming system and don't plan about changing it yet.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

An update of calvings. Had one cow calved yesterday and two today. All have bull calves (very happy about that!). All calved easily, calves up and suckle quickly, one 84lbs, other two ~88lbs.
One from those cows are a dam of the huge bull calf's dam. This year she has her first bull calf ever. She had 6 heifers before, from which three are already cows, one heifer needed to be culled 'cause she didn't got incalf, one heifer will be culled tomorrow 'cause had problems with udder and one- yearling will be bred next year. This cow never had very big calves. Usually medium size. She's BBxdairy cross, but is an easy calver. Delivered a Charolais sired calf without any problems. Don't know what causes her daughters to have big calves. From three her daughters two had very big first calves and now one have the biggest we've ever had. The second her daughter, which had a big calf, will have her 2nd calf this spring. Kinda feel uneasy when think about her calving after her half sister's recent calf.
Here's a photo of the BBxdairy cow with her a couple hours old bull calf.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

An update photos with the big bull calf. 15 days old today, ~180-190lbs.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

We're in the middle of the calving now. Unfortunately have lost two calves- one four months age due to somekind of health issues, because he wasn't growing at all, the second calf was around a week old, his dam first walked him in the mood, so he got very tired, later she didn't let us to help the calf nurse even when tied in the steel pen, have fed him with the milk replacer, but he died. It looked that he also had some problems with his stomach.
Hopefully all other calves are growing well. It's a bulls year for us. From all calves 1/3 are heifers, the rest 2/3- bulls. That's good, because they'll bring us more money next year.

Three heifers enjoying a sunny day. It was the first after a very long time.

But we still have plenty of snow.
Angusxdairy cow with newborn bull calf.

Another bull calf on the same day.

Limox bull calf with 3/4Limo dam.

Very happy with this heifer calf. In photo she's 3 days old.

After 13days:

Her full sister from last year. Hope something similar from the little one too. :)

Bull calf on the left and heifer on the right.

Bull calf on the left and heifer on the right. Not twins, but just one day difference.

 

[Nesikep]

That bull calf (posted jan 30) looks really thick, and the rest of them look good too.. Sorry to hear about the loss, but good to hear the rest are doing well!

 

[lithuanian farmer]

That bull calf (posted jan 30) looks really thick, and the rest of them look good too.. Sorry to hear about the loss, but good to hear the rest are doing well!

Thanks. Yes, he's a very thick and heavy boy.. Don't have the recent photo, unfortunately, but he's a huge double muscled boy. Hasn't overgrown only october born calves. He'll be 2 months old soon, wouldn't be surprised if he's ~300lbs now. Due to his huge weight his front legs get tired quickly, but hopefully he'll train them when the weather will get better and the spring will come. Now he usually nurse and sleep, not much other activity.
Have his photo only at one month age. Maybe will take some when will come home from the vet university after two weeks.