2021 calving!

[Nesikep]

Thank you. Every year I try to do a few improvements. Most of the facilities are freestanding panels so I can change things up as needed. This year I added a few 30 foot windbreak panels, made a 30'x15' pen that joins the maternity pen, insulated a calf box and added a camera.

Do you have any calf blankets? I really liked the ones I got, makes all the difference if you can't get them in a barn.

We had that same storm come through here sunday afternoon and into the night, I had to go down to the coast, there was a 50mph headwind the whole way that sure killed fuel mileage, then rain, slush, hail, and sun.. really had every season that day.. Monday morning up here some places got 4" of snow, was mostly gone by the time I got back


2 left to calf, 8 heifers in a row now This one is from Zeus and looks pretty good

All my lazybones


Then they saw me and they all come to say hi... I got a couple real thumpers out there, guy in the lead is the oldest (Tommy) from Prada, Darker one is one of Zeus's steers, he was big at birth and is really thick, he's going to be a beauty by fall, 4th one from the left is Dolos from Dusty


Dolos and Dusty

 

[Rydero]

Do you have any calf blankets? I really liked the ones I got, makes all the difference if you can't get them in a barn.

We had that same storm come through here sunday afternoon and into the night, I had to go down to the coast, there was a 50mph headwind the whole way that sure killed fuel mileage, then rain, slush, hail, and sun.. really had every season that day.. Monday morning up here some places got 4" of snow, was mostly gone by the time I got back


2 left to calf, 8 heifers in a row now This one is from Zeus and looks pretty goodView attachment 3484

All my lazybones
View attachment 3485

Then they saw me and they all come to say hi... I got a couple real thumpers out there, guy in the lead is the oldest (Tommy) from Prada, Darker one is one of Zeus's steers, he was big at birth and is really thick, he's going to be a beauty by fall, 4th one from the left is Dolos from Dusty
View attachment 3486

Dolos and Dusty
View attachment 3487

Very nice consistent calf crop Nesi!

I don't have any blankets. Before I saw yours I'd never really heard of them. May have to consider it. We generally only have issues with ears and calving mid March on it's usually only for a few nights here and there.

We did have a -30c snap in April a couple years back and in that case we just took the calves to a pen in the garage and put a fire on till they were dry. Fed colostrum if we thought it was too cold to let them try to nurse. There's always plan A,B,C, and D.

The one that got chilled was old enough to deal with the temp but momma led him off and and he layed in a low run that had been water that froze over. There were indents in the ice when I got him up and water dripping off. He seems good now but we're keeping him in the calving pen a few days to make sure. Momma is a cull for bag anyways so I don't have to weigh her brainless wondering vs the fact she once weaned an April calf in January that went 980lbs on the scale at the Auction Mart, lol.

 

[Nesikep]

Very nice consistent calf crop Nesi!

I don't have any blankets. Before I saw yours I'd never really heard of them. May have to consider it. We generally only have issues with ears and calving mid March on it's usually only for a few nights here and there.

We did have a -30c snap in April a couple years back and in that case we just took the calves to a pen in the garage and put a fire on till they were dry. Fed colostrum if we thought it was too cold to let them try to nurse. There's always plan A,B,C, and D.

The one that got chilled was old enough to deal with the temp but momma led him off and and he layed in a low run that had been water that froze over. There were indents in the ice when I got him up and water dripping off. He seems good now but we're keeping him in the calving pen a few days to make sure. Momma is a cull for bag anyways so I don't have to weigh her brainless wondering vs the fact she once weaned an April calf in January that went 980lbs on the scale at the Auction Mart, lol.

Ethel Samis, 780 942 2157 is who I got mine from, they have a hood for them as well to protect the ears, I didn't get any of those, I should have gotten at least one.

 

[Rydero]

Ethel Samis, 780 942 2157 is who I got mine from, they have a hood for them as well to protect the ears, I didn't get any of those, I should have gotten at least one.

Thanks.

Just go with the tape. There's issues with the hoods. Different sized calves, sometimes they twist and the calf can't see etc.

 

[Nesikep]

Thanks.

Just go with the tape. There's issues with the hoods. Different sized calves, sometimes they twist and the calf can't see etc.

first one i had this year I just put a t shirt around his head

 

[Rydero]

 

[Rydero]

3 weeks in and we're 66% calved out. I guess a little less than 66 because the heifers were bred 5 days earlier. I didn't expect to be this far along at this point , the cows seemed to start a little slow. Heifers sitting at over 85% in 26 days.12 of the 14 heifers to calve so far did so in the first 12 days. Not bad... Happy day yesterday because we were able to bring everything that hasn't calved into the close pen. One less place to feed.

 

[Nesikep]

Well, that's 9 heifers in a row now!




One left to go, and either way it's going to be a record, the one cow left to calf has only ever had bull calves.. 9 of them in a row so far, so she's either going to continue this year's heifer streak for 10 heifers, or her own bull streak for 10 bulls

 

[Rydero]

Wow. Quite an expensive run. Hopefully you're wanting some replacements.

 

[Nesikep]

I can always use good replacements! So far I think 2 of them will be from Zeus.. I think about 5 of them are going to make the cut

 

[Rydero]

Was treated to a light show on my last check of the night. They have to be bright to get a pic with a phone. Calves are coming at a trickle now, a few problems in the last week hopefully that's behind us and the cows power up for a final surge to the finish line.

 

[Rydero]

 

[Rydero]

 

[Rydero]

 

[TCRanch]

@Rydero #29!!! Please tell me it's a heifer.

 

[Rydero]

@Rydero #29!!! Please tell me it's a heifer.

Yup. Red tags are heifers, green are steers. I rarely keep any though. I have one silver - little darker that got kept for 4H last year (never happened), she did great. Best momma of the group.

 

[350farms]

 

[Nesikep]

Dusty and Dolos, he's a nice boy and doing good








Robin and Java, the first purebred calf born here.. she's looking alright


Chroma licking her bull calf


Chroma licking her sister's bull calf.. if there's a calf in front of her, it's getting washed!




Here's one of Zeus's heifer calves that's probably going to be in the replacement pen, she's very excitable and loves attention

New video by Efrem Hug

photos.app.goo.gl

 

[Rydero]

Picked up the heifer my boss gave me on Friday because I was coming back home with an empty trailer anyway and she calved last night. Calf was a little hefty, she let me hand pull it in the pen which I appreciated because it was 1 am, starting to snow again and she was right in front of the barn where she needed to go to get the calf out of the weather (mat pen is on the other side of the pen). I know for some of you she'd be a cull now but we've given lots of heifers some assistance and never needed to pull a calf again. She isn't full grown and she's a total sweetheart, she'll be here next spring bred Charolais if she's in calf.

 

[TCRanch]

Picked up the heifer my boss gave me on Friday because I was coming back home with an empty trailer anyway and she calved last night. Calf was a little hefty, she let me hand pull it in the pen which I appreciated because it was 1 am, starting to snow again and she was right in front of the barn where she needed to go to get the calf out of the weather (mat pen is on the other side of the pen). I know for some of you she'd be a cull now but we've given lots of heifers some assistance and never needed to pull a calf again. She isn't full grown and she's a total sweetheart, she'll be here next spring bred Charolais if she's in calf. View attachment 3899

Nice size calf and I like the heifer! Pulling a calf is not a cull-able offense in my world.