lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
As every year, here is a new thread about our farm's calving season.
We did start calving in December for the new season, but it was just one calf and kinda an ooops calf- weanling bull bred one cow. An official start was yesterday.
So first, here is December born heifer. 116lbs, born unassisted, 287 days gestation. 61,5% limousine. Second pic done at 19days age. The last pic is the sire.
And here is yesterday born bull calf. 285 days gestation, 103lbs, unassisted. Actually, his dam was my first AI work and she thankfully held. The calf's sire is Dutch improved red beef bull. The calf probably is the first calf sired by this breed born in my country. Very strong and lively calf. He was still wet when had to walk from the feeding area to the shed and he walked all the distance on his own legs almost without any falling.
His dam is 9 years old sired by our angusxcharx crossbred bull, out of limxdairy cow. She is one of the most fertile and gentle cows we have. I've missed her one heat last year, when I still didn't had my AI equipment, but she held on the first try on the next heat. She had a calf on the 30th of January last year. Two years ago she calved on the 8th of March. I've a feeling, that she might be able to be fast and have another calf by the end of this year.
Actually, to this day can't find a bull, which would leave better daughters than that crossbred bull. Almost all his calves were like puppies since little. Have halter trained calves in the field, all were walking to me to get some scratches and snacks. His daughters in general are all fertile, milky, with great calving abilities, nice tempered at the calving, can help their calves to nurse while moms are just standing, some can be milked if needed, raises good calves, which also have their moms traits. If only knew that that bull will leave such great daughters. Unfortunately, have sold him after he did his job in the herd.
And here is a pic of the newborn calf's sire.
Going to have two more calves from the same bull this year and three more from another bull, but of the same breed.
The next cow is due on the 27th of this month. Going to be a limousine sired calf.
We did start calving in December for the new season, but it was just one calf and kinda an ooops calf- weanling bull bred one cow. An official start was yesterday.
So first, here is December born heifer. 116lbs, born unassisted, 287 days gestation. 61,5% limousine. Second pic done at 19days age. The last pic is the sire.
And here is yesterday born bull calf. 285 days gestation, 103lbs, unassisted. Actually, his dam was my first AI work and she thankfully held. The calf's sire is Dutch improved red beef bull. The calf probably is the first calf sired by this breed born in my country. Very strong and lively calf. He was still wet when had to walk from the feeding area to the shed and he walked all the distance on his own legs almost without any falling.
His dam is 9 years old sired by our angusxcharx crossbred bull, out of limxdairy cow. She is one of the most fertile and gentle cows we have. I've missed her one heat last year, when I still didn't had my AI equipment, but she held on the first try on the next heat. She had a calf on the 30th of January last year. Two years ago she calved on the 8th of March. I've a feeling, that she might be able to be fast and have another calf by the end of this year.
Actually, to this day can't find a bull, which would leave better daughters than that crossbred bull. Almost all his calves were like puppies since little. Have halter trained calves in the field, all were walking to me to get some scratches and snacks. His daughters in general are all fertile, milky, with great calving abilities, nice tempered at the calving, can help their calves to nurse while moms are just standing, some can be milked if needed, raises good calves, which also have their moms traits. If only knew that that bull will leave such great daughters. Unfortunately, have sold him after he did his job in the herd.
And here is a pic of the newborn calf's sire.
Going to have two more calves from the same bull this year and three more from another bull, but of the same breed.
The next cow is due on the 27th of this month. Going to be a limousine sired calf.
Our average is somewhere in 100-110lbs, depending from the year. Never chased after low birth weights and easy calving bulls, so maybe that's what actually build a herd with pretty good calving abilities. Plus culled some females, which showed that they will have calving difficulties in the future, and most of the time trying to keep heifers, from dams with good calving history. There are a couple cows and heifers, which can have a difficulty with a wrong bull, but with a properly selected bulls they do just fine. I do have a couple easier calving bulls in the tank, but use those only on some more risky heifers and cows. All other get normal ease calving bulls, with some exceptional cows getting harder calving bulls. 
