2021 calving!

Help Support CattleToday:

Cow had a calf yesterday at 10:00 am. Mothered up nicely, nothing unusual. 4:00 pm she was laying with her calf and I saw her strain. Seemed odd, I watched her for awhile, I dismissed my internal alarm bells and convinced myself she was just trying to clean. 2 hours later she had a back foot poking out. Brought her in and gave her a hand to deliver a dead backwards twin.
This was our 16 set of twins, and the first one I helped. Although I know she would have had it without my help, I pulled it out with one hand.
 
Nice size calf and I like the heifer! Pulling a calf is not a cull-able offense in my world.
Here too. Not a problem to give a hand for a heifer. Even for a cow if there is a good excuse, but prefer that cows needed no assistance, except if the calf's position is wrong or it's a serious size or shape calf.
 
Well, calving season officially ended this morning, Ceres broke the 9 heifer streaks to have her 9th bull calf. not sure who the sire is, but gestation was fairly long so I'm going to call it as being from Zeus
 
Well, calving season officially ended this morning, Ceres broke the 9 heifer streaks to have her 9th bull calf. not sure who the sire is, but gestation was fairly long so I'm going to call it as being from Zeus
Nice. I'm currently suffering the consequences of failing to go to a 45 day calving season..... the 5% that are left to calve after 45 days seem to take forever.
 
I should add that my "official" calving season was 46 days.. I had a few cows I deliberately bred early that extended it and made it feel longer, they're the cows that are easy to handle and milk, could take an orphan, and have calves that are probably in the replacement pen
The 3 bulls I kept intact were all born in February, I'm liking all 3 of them, though they all have their own strong points (wish I could take the best traits of each and roll them into one!)

Here's a funny vid, Hannah trying to sleep and a calf is bugging her https://photos.app.goo.gl/uttCy1hJRwUV9XNX8
 
Here's my real straggler... she was in rough shape last fall and didn't breed back, but raise 2 really good calves.. I had culled plenty so I kept her around... Momma gained like 400 lbs over the summer, she looks like a whole new cow
Calf is a REALLY nice looking heifer, really stout and wide, full of spunk, I think she'll grow well


20211202_090411.jpg20211202_090203.jpg20211202_090058.jpg
Momma last fall with daughter on the right
20210121_110520.jpg

Momma last week.. fat and sassy, ready to make some rich milk
20211122_104029 (1).jpg
 
Here's a couple pics of the older calves.. The bull I decided to keep is looking pretty good, he's a big sucker for attention

20211208_104756.jpg

20211208_104741.jpg

On the left is Java, the purebred heifer.. she's nice, but could use a little more thickness, on the right is Poppy, 3/4 Gelbvieh and is the ultimate brat.. she knows how to sneak between you and whomever you're paying attention to to steal the scratchings.. she's like the cat between your legs
20211208_105348.jpg
 

Latest posts

Top