Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
That's not FAT on those calves. Sheer muscle!I think you should test the fat content of your cows milk and report back .
Belgian blue cattle
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puzzled in oregon
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I know, but it would still be interesting to know how much fat, protein etc. content of milk may or may not contribute
to the development of the muscle. The genetics are there, but seems they may require higher levels of some nutrients
to help with that muscle development.
Some craigslist cattle carry better genetics than they display, because they lack in
proper feed.
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
From the experience, milk (quality and quantity) helps to show the potential of the calf from the start. If there is some lack of it the calf won't show it's potential until proper nutrition will be given. The same thing works the opposite way. If there are no good genetics, but cow provides good nutrition, the calf might grow well and be in good condition, but the muscle definition is genetical thing. Nutrition just helps it be more or less well developed.
This cow has plenty of milk, but the quality also should be great. Her whole family females raise great calves.
This cow has plenty of milk, but the quality also should be great. Her whole family females raise great calves.
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Well, finally another blue sired calf hit the ground. Bull calf this time,281days gestation, unassisted, out of 13 years old limxcharx cow. Maybe 90lbs or so.
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Here's the little guy. The same sire as the black heifer's. Will weigh him tomorrow. There are two more cows near calving, but I really hope that both will hold their legs crossed for a couple more days as we got snow today... That's why the newborn is in the shed.
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Almost two months old already.
Calf from the same sire is due on the 13th of June, so there should be one more white backed calf walking soon.
Calf from the same sire is due on the 13th of June, so there should be one more white backed calf walking soon.
What a chunk!
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Sassy little bugger!!
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Waiting for this girl to calve soon. Due on the 19th, will be 75% blue calf, the third calf for her.
Her dam currently is 13 years old and raising her last calf- blue sired.
Her dam currently is 13 years old and raising her last calf- blue sired.
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
And this one is incalf to the white backed blue, due on the 13th. 12 years old herself.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Tough udder on this one. Good deep solid cow, otherwise.
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Might give her one more year to raise one more calf next year. She is good natured cow, so even if calf needs some help to nurse at first she is cooperative enough. A possibility to get one more heifer is really tempting
so far only two from the past two years.
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Abit of trouble with the old lady this evening. That's gonna be her last calf as she had calved with similar size calves herself before, but this time she hasn't made any effort even to get the calf in her pelvic area, plus abit unusual calving behaviour for her. For the cherry on the cake the prolapse followed after the calf. Everything is fixed now, thankfully.
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Glad you were there when she needed you!
Also glad everything is well.
Is it a heifer??
It is a heifer! Isn't it?
So, hard pull? And then she prolapsed? Double whammy. Glad you were there to help her out, get her put back in place.
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Unfortunatelly.. a bull calf
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Placenta was detaching already before the calf's bag was even broken, so there was no time on waiting for her to do anything at that point. Just glad that both are fine now. Not too bad of a pull, had harder ones, but really a needed one. I just had a bad feeling for the past couple days about her for somekind of reason. She has been quite stressed out and her cervix was really slow to open up. Just not her usual self. Even at the calving she was staying with the herd, which was odd for her usual calving behaviour and if I hadn't checked her with the hand probably wouldn't have noticed that she was in labor, as there were no signs of contractions or something like that.
coachg
Well-known member
Just thinking out loud ; not criticizing in any way . Do you think the really big calves are harder on the reproductive system of your cows ?
Travlr
Well-known member
That cow is 12 years old and at the point her udder is showing signs of age. I know not many people question this, but I question the idea that you can have decades and multiple generations of -60 pound calves because people are worried about size, and still have cows capable of having normal size calves.
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Alot depends from how overall calvings goes and if there are no complications.
Also what is considered big calf. For european standart an average bw for pure lim bull calf is around 100lbs, an average for pure char bull calf is around 110lbs. Those would be considered normal calvings.
But if everything went fine, no retained placenta, etc, cows are coming back into heat and getting incalf on time even after 130+lbs calves.
