Another..."last" update.

[Warren Allison]

I was just thinking.....

My gawd, what a lot of mess to do for some Corrientes that were easy keepers!!
Sounds like you got a plan tho.

You should buy some more nurse cows

No, the Corrientes were no problem. Just had a situation Saturday with having the 2 bulls come at the same time the dude who bought the Plummers was picking up his MFB. I needed to put the Brangus and 2 Corr heifers in the pasture where the MFB and Plummers were. 1st thing Saturday morning, Scott, Joe and Lisa, herded the Plummers and that bull into the portable corral Pedro had set up in our dove field pasture, while Clay and I rounded up the Corrs and the Brangus bull into our arena. We cut the Brangus and the 2 heifers out and put them in the return pen, the we started cutting out and turning back into the pasture, all the Corr cows except those with March babies. They were all still hanging out around the pond when Scott's brother got there with the 2 bulls we are gonna use, so he just opened the trailer and they jumped right out and went over to the cows. About that time, Joe and Lisa rode up...the Plummers and the MFB were gone. We had 43 calves to tag, and 25 of them to band, and the five of us got it done in less than an hour. Then we turned them out and they went to the back with the other cows. We decided with 5 of us there, we'd just drive the Brangus and the 2 heifers down the road to the dove field, rather than loading them on a trailer. When Joe and Lisa first got there, they had opened the gate between the corn field where their calves were, to the other 200 acres we wanted to put them in. When we rode down there with the Brangus and heifers, all their claves were already in the new pastures we wanted them in, so we just closed the gate back. After lunch, Scott went ahead and started discing that 100 acres, that he will plant in corn in a couple of weeks. Me and Clay loaded up to come back after lunch, and we met Joe, Lisa, and Zeke (on Scott's horse) bringing Gail and her calves to the Kudzu place. We decided to do that, since Gail was bred, in stead of putting them in the dove field. When it is time to wean her calves in June, we will just take Gail back out and leave the calves on that 26% protein Kudzu. And we will put the others there too, at weaning.

No, I don't want no part of anymore nurse cows. We just want the 1/2 Brahma heifers each year. We won't have any need of a nurse cow with just the Corriente cows. The 4 people we have the other 4 farmed out to may fool with grafting, but we won't fool with Gail doing it again, except might have to graft one when she calves Oct-Nov.

It wasn't a mess at all. It was the most fun I have had in a while...working with 3 great horsemen (and horsewoman) with superb cow horses. I took 2 of my horses down there for me and Clay to ride. I also took Smoke, in case we did wind up with a mess (I was worried we might have a problem catching and loading that MFB, and I knew Smoke could catch him and drag him on the trailer) but they said he just went right on the trailer with the Plummer cows and calves as easy as you could ask for. I only used him when we initially got there and me and Clay gathered the cows in the Kudzu place and drove them to the arena.

Heeling 43 calves, my fingers gave out on me pretty quick (they start cramping and turn into claw sometimes) and the arthritis in my wrists was bad Saturday. And since Sunday I can not lift my right arm higher than my shirt pocket, without my shoulder killing me. I need to go to the doctor and see about it, I guess. I have just had my fill of doctors and hospitals these past 2 years. I am so glad this Corr herd we have now has about a 5 or 6 month calving period, instead of February like we used to do it. No way could I have roped 120 calves Saturday.

 

[MurraysMutts]

No, the Corrientes were no problem. Just had a situation Saturday with having the 2 bulls come at the same time the dude who bought the Plummers was picking up his MFB. I needed to put the Brangus and 2 Corr heifers in the pasture where the MFB and Plummers were. 1st thing Saturday morning, Scott, Joe and Lisa, herded the Plummers and that bull into the portable corral Pedro had set up in our dove field pasture, while Clay and I rounded up the Corrs and the Brangus bull into our arena. We cut the Brangus and the 2 heifers out and put them in the return pen, the we started cutting out and turning back into the pasture, all the Corr cows except those with March babies. They were all still hanging out around the pond when Scott's brother got there with the 2 bulls we are gonna use, so he just opened the trailer and they jumped right out and went over to the cows. About that time, Joe and Lisa rode up...the Plummers and the MFB were gone. We had 43 calves to tag, and 25 of them to band, and the five of us got it done in less than an hour. Then we turned them out and they went to the back with the other cows. We decided with 5 of us there, we'd just drive the Brangus and the 2 heifers down the road to the dove field, rather than loading them on a trailer. When Joe and Lisa first got there, they had opened the gate between the corn field where their calves were, to the other 200 acres we wanted to put them in. When we rode down there with the Brangus and heifers, all their claves were already in the new pastures we wanted them in, so we just closed the gate back. After lunch, Scott went ahead and started discing that 100 acres, that he will plant in corn in a couple of weeks. Me and Clay loaded up to come back after lunch, and we met Joe, Lisa, and Zeke (on Scott's horse) bringing Gail and her calves to the Kudzu place. We decided to do that, since Gail was bred, in stead of putting them in the dove field. When it is time to wean her calves in June, we will just take Gail back out and leave the calves on that 26% protein Kudzu. And we will put the others there too, at weaning.

No, I don't want no part of anymore nurse cows. We just want the 1/2 Brahma heifers each year. We won't have any need of a nurse cow with just the Corriente cows. The 4 people we have the other 4 farmed out to may fool with grafting, but we won't fool with Gail doing it again, except might have to graft one when she calves Oct-Nov.

It wasn't a mess at all. It was the most fun I have had in a while...working with 3 great horsemen (and horsewoman) with superb cow horses. I took 2 of my horses down there for me and Clay to ride. I also took Smoke, in case we did wind up with a mess (I was worried we might have a problem catching and loading that MFB, and I knew Smoke could catch him and drag him on the trailer) but they said he just went right on the trailer with the Plummer cows and calves as easy as you could ask for. I only used him when we initially got there and me and Clay gathered the cows in the Kudzu place and drove them to the arena.

Heeling 43 calves, my fingers gave out on me pretty quick (they start cramping and turn into claw sometimes) and the arthritis in my wrists was bad Saturday. And since Sunday I can not lift my right arm higher than my shirt pocket, without my shoulder killing me. I need to go to the doctor and see about it, I guess. I have just had my fill of doctors and hospitals these past 2 years. I am so glad this Corr herd we have now has about a 5 or 6 month calving period, instead of February like we used to do it. No way could I have roped 120 calves Saturday.

Now all ya gotta do is sit back relax!

Unless, like me, something else just happens to come along about a week after I get everything set to put on cruise control.

I've a total of 6 cows and 8 calves right now. This is the longest I've went without buying or selling or trading into something stupid. I'm sure something is coming tho.....

Enjoy a bit of downtime!

 

[Warren Allison]

Now all ya gotta do is sit back relax!

Unless, like me, something else just happens to come along about a week after I get everything set to put on cruise control.

I've a total of 6 cows and 8 calves right now. This is the longest I've went without buying or selling or trading into something stupid. I'm sure something is coming tho.....

Enjoy a bit of downtime!

Yep. Now, I will just have to (or get to...depending on how I am hurting that day) go down once a month to tag and band the previous month's calve , and starting in July take the steers to the sale. And pen the dude's heifers for him that he bought. I was looking forward to getting those Black Simm x ChiAngus heifers with Clay, But on the way home, he asked me if I would mind if he just got them himself. He sold 13 pairs this week...all of his Gerts, Braford, Red Brangus and Beefmaster cows, They all had Black Simm calves, abouyt 4 months old and are bred back to the Brangus bull he got from me. He kept 2 Brangus cows, a black polled Beefmaster cow, the Red Angus x Simbrah and the Red Brangus x Charolais heifers he got from Dan last summer. and the Brangus bull. He still wants our Fleckveih/Braunveih bottle calf when it is weaned in June, too. He got $4500 a pair for his cows, so that is enough for him to buy those heifers, and to order 5 more of next year's crop. He is going to carry them to his boss's place where they feed them on that high-protein growth mix, and leave them there til next spring. No, I don't mind NOT having to tie up $40k for 30 months before he started paying me back!

No dove shoot this year, so no 3 days and nights of cooking and feeding people Labor Day. My other horse is finished, and I probably will just keep the one I am training another 60 days. I just lack a few more cows filling the last order I have. I am about out of anything to do! So maybe, I can go fishing some. I am going to Calhoun tomorrow, but I am going to sit on my hands and just watch. Unless they have some Corriente cows or heifers there !

 

[Warren Allison]

Whitey's calves are 6 months old now, so Lisa and Joe brought the Angus steer over Saturday, when they came to move their 220 + calves over to what will be Scott's cotton field, He won't plant that til mid-May, but will plow it under this week. That steer ought to weigh 500 lbs, or damned close to it. Lisa already has it and the Ayshire heifer eating feed some. My plan was to turn it out in the Kudzu pasture, and let it eat that 26% Kudzu til we took the first load of the Ang x Corr steers to the sale in July. But, that lasted all of about maybe 30-45 minutes,. We had Gail and her calves on that Kudzu pasture, and when she heard that calf bawling, here she came from the back of the place, and took it! And it went right to nursing her. So, Gail the Angus steer, and Gail's 3 calves are in the arena, I am headed down there at 6AM in the morning to get it. Clay's boss said he'd give me $2.50/lb for it. I am picking it up, and we gonna go ahead and wean Gail's grafted Fleckveih/Braunveih heifer that Clay wanted...so I am bringing it too. She is 5 months old now, and Clay is just gonna keep her at his boss's place on that mega-growth mix he feeds his Brangus x Fla Scrub calves on. No one has seen Gail nursing any of the Corr cows' calves, or seen her even try to take one. I guess that weaned calf bawling for momma was a different story. She had to feed 4 Saturday and today, but in the morning she will just have the two 1/2 Brahmas to finish raising, They get weaned in June. The Gyrr calf from our Guers- Hereford cow up at Scott's brother's place will get weaned and come home in July. She, Gail and Whitey will all calve again between Oct and Dec. The Jers/Guernsey and Jeresy/Brown Swiss heifers just calved in March, and Lisa will AI them end of May. The lady decided not to graft calves on them. She is just letting them raise our 2 calves, but she is milking them and feeding 2 bottle calves with them. And has some left over to churn butter. They look great! They are in good flesh, fat even for a dairy cow, and they are really making the milk. Scott's custom feed mix is doing its job. Question for @farmerjan and @MurraysMutts : Is that a good idea for her to not graft those bottle calves, since we intend for them to be nurse cows, too, if needed? Dunno why the lady didn't want to graft them...those are the 2 gentlest cows I have ever seen. Maybe let her do what she's doing this year, but start grafting with their next calves in February? Or just let her keep on doing it like she is now?

End of the month, Clay and I will go down there and steer the April bull calves, ear tag them all, and gonna move my Brangus bull and those Corr heifers back to the Kudzu place. They should all be bred now, between that MFB and the Brangus, so won't have to worry about them getting bred to those two big bulls we got from Scott's brother. They are going home by June. We are not gonna graze that old dove field anymore this year. We are gonna sow some rabbit food plots on it, and turn the hatched pheasants out on it. It already has couple of coveys of wild quail, and plenty of rabbits on it.

So right now, we have five 1/2 Brah heifers on the ground for Zeke's herd. And 5 more coming between October and February. Gail will be the only one Scott and I will have to fool with as far as grafting calves. It will be up to Lisa, Scott's brother, and the lady raising those two 1/2 Jerseys as to what they do with them. If that dairy has bred some more of its heifers to that Brahma, and if they end up with another orphan heifer, we will buy it to graft onto Gail. If not, we will buy beef steers or Holstein steers to put on her. and sell them at weaning!

What I had rather do with those five 1/2 Br 1/2 Dairy heifers each year, is sell them at about 14-15 months old as opens. And put the money into Zeke's trust fund. Zeke seems to lose interest in them now that they are bigger. He goes to see Gail about every day and will play with her calves some, but right now he is into the puppies and the chicks hatching out. Me and Scott are keeping our fingers crossed. He or I neither one gives a tinker's damn about calving out heifers!

 

[MurraysMutts]

So she's bottling the jersey heifers rather than letting them nurse the cow?

Thay actually sounds like a good plan to me. The heifers will be puppy dog gentle and easy to work with later as cows.

I'm sure she has her plans in that regard. Most likely she can keep up with milk production and divvy it up as needed. The calves are more likely to be eating feed and hay and developing their rumens sooner as well.


Don't forget to stop at a sale on the way and pick up ONE MORE BABY for Zeke to put on Gail for 4 months. You'll thank me later. Life's too short...

 

[farmerjan]

If the lady with the 2 dairy cows is letting them raise their own calf and milking, there isn't any real reason to worry about them taking graft calves next time... they are tame and should be okay for her to graft calves next time... or if she keeps milking them let her feed the calves on bottles or whatever she wants to do... you are not dealing with them... and I have a feeling that you will never have them back... this is a good situation for both of you... you get the heifer x calves back... she gets milk, raises some calves for herself for sale, does the work, makes butter... and did not have to buy the cow...
Best let the situation alone... it is working.
If Zeke has lost some interest in them, probably even better... let him devote himself to Gail...and whatever calves she gets... she will obviously raise anything you give her... so grafting a calf on her is not an issue... if it hollers, she will mother it... can't ask for more than that..

I think selling these crossed heifers is the best thing... bank the money for Zeke... they are never as much "fun" as babies... Zeke losing interest in them as they get older is actually good for you... sell them without any real deep attachment to them at that point... let the other ones raise up calves whether grafted on or bottle fed... and get the heifers you want and sell them since they are not right there for Zeke to make into "super pets"....
Let him get more attached and interested in the chicks and puppies...

I think that Gail is due in Oct? I probably would put one more calf on her when you wean the bigger ones off... let her finish up her lactation with one calf...it's not like she isn't going to take it since will take anything that hollers..... older ones weaned and gone from Zeke's intense daily interest... and then dry her up 60 days before her due date and that calf will be 5 months or so....get another calf started on her BEFORE you wean the bigger ones so it is used to the milk for a week or 2 at least... or it will scour... I would get one now and then the transition to when you wean the last 2 will be easy on the newest calf and the amount of milk available to it.
Yes, it is a multiple musical chair game when raising calves on cows...

 

[Warren Allison]

So she's bottling the jersey heifers rather than letting them nurse the cow?

Thay actually sounds like a good plan to me. The heifers will be puppy dog gentle and easy to work with later as cows.

I'm sure she has her plans in that regard. Most likely she can keep up with milk production and divvy it up as needed. The calves are more likely to be eating feed and hay and developing their rumens sooner as well.


Don't forget to stop at a sale on the way and pick up ONE MORE BABY for Zeke to put on Gail for 4 months. You'll thank me later. Life's too short...

No, she is letting the natural born calves nurse and milking the heifers and bottle feeding 2 calves she bought.

 

[Warren Allison]

If the lady with the 2 dairy cows is letting them raise their own calf and milking, there isn't any real reason to worry about them taking graft calves next time... they are tame and should be okay for her to graft calves next time... or if she keeps milking them let her feed the calves on bottles or whatever she wants to do... you are not dealing with them... and I have a feeling that you will never have them back... this is a good situation for both of you... you get the heifer x calves back... she gets milk, raises some calves for herself for sale, does the work, makes butter... and did not have to buy the cow...
Best let the situation alone... it is working.
If Zeke has lost some interest in them, probably even better... let him devote himself to Gail...and whatever calves she gets... she will obviously raise anything you give her... so grafting a calf on her is not an issue... if it hollers, she will mother it... can't ask for more than that..

I think selling these crossed heifers is the best thing... bank the money for Zeke... they are never as much "fun" as babies... Zeke losing interest in them as they get older is actually good for you... sell them without any real deep attachment to them at that point... let the other ones raise up calves whether grafted on or bottle fed... and get the heifers you want and sell them since they are not right there for Zeke to make into "super pets"....
Let him get more attached and interested in the chicks and puppies...

I think that Gail is due in Oct? I probably would put one more calf on her when you wean the bigger ones off... let her finish up her lactation with one calf...it's not like she isn't going to take it since will take anything that hollers..... older ones weaned and gone from Zeke's intense daily interest... and then dry her up 60 days before her due date and that calf will be 5 months or so....get another calf started on her BEFORE you wean the bigger ones so it is used to the milk for a week or 2 at least... or it will scour... I would get one now and then the transition to when you wean the last 2 will be easy on the newest calf and the amount of milk available to it.
Yes, it is a multiple musical chair game when raising calves on cows...

Her two youngest calves will wean end of June, 1st of July. Would that be too long to let her dry up before she calves in October? If I got one today, and pulled it off of her 60- days before August, the calf would be 3 and 1/2 months old when it got weaned. I guess I could take it off Gail and carry her over where the 1/2 Jersey heifers are, and let that lady finish it on a bottle?

 

[MurraysMutts]

Get a calf bought right and it'll still make you money at 3 and ½ or 4 months old!

Like Jan said, stick it on her and THEN pull the others off. Or leave her with one 6 month old calf and the new one for a week or so.

 

[farmerjan]

When you pull the calf off Gail this weekend, get another started on her right now... it won't get too much to eat and scour, and then you can wean the 2 bigger ones whenever you are ready and leave the last one on her until Aug 15th.... wean and dry her up... but you will have to make sure that a new small baby gets enough to eat for a few days before she can just take it out on the Kudzu place... it won't be able to keep up with the 2 bigger calves still on her and could get left behind...

Or, just let her finish out the last 2 on her until you wean them and let her dry up and get a rest. She is getting some age on her now right??? Wait and wean them in late July or early August and let her dry up and get a break until she calves again...

 

[Warren Allison]

When you pull the calf off Gail this weekend, get another started on her right now... it won't get too much to eat and scour, and then you can wean the 2 bigger ones whenever you are ready and leave the last one on her until Aug 15th.... wean and dry her up... but you will have to make sure that a new small baby gets enough to eat for a few days before she can just take it out on the Kudzu place... it won't be able to keep up with the 2 bigger calves still on her and could get left behind...

Or, just let her finish out the last 2 on her until you wean them and let her dry up and get a rest. She is getting some age on her now right??? Wait and wean them in late July or early August and let her dry up and get a break until she calves again...

I dunno where I got October from...Gail will calve between Thanksgiving and 1st of December. I pulled that Fleck/Braun calf off of her yesterday morning. Called the lady that has our two Jersey heifers, and asked her if she'd like for us to feed one of those two bottle calves she bought. She said that would be great...she is getting 2 more this week from the dairy, so that helps her too. So Scott and Zeke went and got one yesterday, and took it over to the Kudzu place to try and find Gail. She was still hanging around inside the arena finishing up the peanut hay we put in there Saturday. Scott said when they set the calf down, Gail just came over to it, sniffed it, then nudged it toward her back end, and it started nursing. If it was always this easy, I wouldn't mind so much being in the business of raising these bottle calves. We will wean this one off her in September.

Gail is 6, maybe closer to 7 now. Whitey is 8, the Guerns x Herford is 5, and those two 1/2 Jerseys are 30-36 mos old. I will have to look back to see for sure. Reckon how long Gail will be able to keep doing this?

 

[farmerjan]

If Gail continues to breed back, she ought to be good for 4-6 more years anyway... Everyone is different... she might not be able to raise as many as she gets older... it might drag her down more as her teeth get shorter and she just ages... she will not produce as much milk as she gets older either... so you will have to adjust to fewer calves... Gail is going to die on the place, we all know that... and having calves makes her happy, so no reason to stop breeding her unless she just gets too " old and thin" and doesn't bounce back or doesn't breed back. Jerseys and dairy cattle in general do not have the life span of the longhorns and brahma's etc... but if kept in good shape, and if their systems are kept in shape with regular breedings and calvings, they can do good for 6-12 years of calves... Her condition will dictate that...
Getting that calf started on her now is good... it won't get too much milk with the others still on her and when they are taken off, it will be plenty big enough to handle her milk until she gets dried off..

 

[farmerjan]

You are constantly reminded with Gail's behavior that she is a GEM of a nurse cow....

 

[Warren Allison]

You are constantly reminded with Gail's behavior that she is a GEM of a nurse cow....

Yep. Scott said the other day someone was over, and they offered $3500 for her, and give us back those 2 heifers! He didn't even call me. He told the man that would be a good price if she was for sale, but right now she is not. She won't be sold and she won't be eaten...she will be buried in Scott's horse and dog graveyard. She earned that the day she helped me fight that hog off of Zeke.

 

[Warren Allison]

Oh yeah, the Angus steer was nearly 500 lbs....494. I can see now why people have been paying $600-$800 for those 4 day old black bull calves. If they have a nurse cow, then they can double their money in 6 months.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Oh yeah, the Angus steer was nearly 500 lbs....494. I can see now why people have been paying $600-$800 for those 4 day old black bull calves. If they have a nurse cow, then they can double their money in 6 months.

I think I said that a while back....

Dang things are still too high! Market drops and it'll all fall apart. But! This may be the new "normal"

 

[Warren Allison]

I think I said that a while back....

Dang things are still too high! Market drops and it'll all fall apart. But! This may be the new "normal"

I almost bought one yesterday...3 day old black bull calf.... but it would have been 3 hours (about 4:30 PM) before I could pay for it and take it out of there. And it had been there since that morning, Plus, I would have a 6 hour round trip, that I had just made Monday, to carry it down there to Gail. It sold for $630.

 

[MurraysMutts]

I almost bought one yesterday...3 day old black bull calf.... but it would have been 3 hours (about 4:30 PM) before I could pay for it and take it out of there. And it had been there since that morning, Plus, I would have a 6 hour round trip, that I had just made Monday, to carry it down there to Gail. It sold for $630.

Way too high!

I used to buy em at 50 to 200 bucks.
At 3 months they'd bring 600 plus.
Those 50 dollar calves I'd craigslist while the cow was helping them along for 300. They made the money for sure!

Now it seems ya gotta get em over 300lbs to make dough. So I've gone to keeping these two sets (Bessie and Dapples) on the cow. These two sets of two may be all they raise for me this year. We will see. They are doing it on the spring flush of grass and making plenty milk for the calves and holding decent condition.

 

[kenny thomas]

I almost bought one yesterday...3 day old black bull calf.... but it would have been 3 hours (about 4:30 PM) before I could pay for it and take it out of there. And it had been there since that morning, Plus, I would have a 6 hour round trip, that I had just made Monday, to carry it down there to Gail. It sold for $630.

Its hard to know what things are worth even if you were there. I definitely am not doubting what you said. Their market report shows only 1 bottle calf and it sold for $280. People call and ask me what something is worth and i say whatever the market will stand this week. If 1 person wants a baby it might be cheap. If 4 want one who knows what it will bring.

 

[Warren Allison]

Its hard to know what things are worth even if you were there. I definitely am not doubting what you said. Their market report shows only 1 bottle calf and it sold for $280. People call and ask me what something is worth and i say whatever the market will stand this week. If 1 person wants a baby it might be cheap. If 4 want one who knows what it will bring.

There were 4 or 5 in the calf pen. Every week there are some that were at the sale but not on that report, and some that were on the report that I don't remember seeing. They are like Ft Payne....they make their own , not USDA. Or if they do use USDA, they never post that report.