Fire Sweep Ranch
Well-known member
Calving has been an interesting year for us this time. So far, calved out 29 cows and had 6 sets of twins (well, 5 and a half, but that is a long story!). We have been breeding cattle since 07, so 13 years now. In those 13 years, best I can remember is 7 sets TOTAL in all that time, with one cow giving us 3 sets alone. Fast forward to this year... ugh! Of the 6 sets, 3 were born with no problems and are nursing their dam without problems. 2 sets we lost one (well, one and a half), and one set we lost both (they were tangled up and had to go to vet to get them out - first calf heifer of course!). So, here is the run down:
2 sets were the result of an embryo that split after implantation. In one set, we only got one out - a Wheelman x HPF Crocus pregnancy. Heifer, the one we lost had the head twisted behind the pelvis for gosh knows how long, since the live twin was already dry and had sucked the cow down. The second set is a Bankroll x Caliente, bulls. They in themselves have a fun story attached. Cow was laborish at 4, so I put her in the barn to watch her (lights, and it was Superbowl Sunday so I wanted it easy to check and not chasing around pasture to try to find her). I went to check her during halftime, and found one foot and a head presented. Went in to find the other foot, kept finding a hock. I was confused as to why a hock would be by the head and single foot. Cow got up, which allowed me to push calf back a bit and find the other front leg behind the pelvis. Since I was in a hurry, and did not want to miss the game, I hooked up a chain and lightly pulled while the cow was standing. Calf came right out. I cleaned myself up, looked at the pair, thought about getting back to the game but that hock kept bugging me. I never thought twins since it was an embryo pregnancy. Decided I could not rest unless I checked the cow, so I went back in and found more feet! A quick adjustment, hook chain up, and an easy pull and a second calf that looked JUST like the first came flying out. They weighed 67 and 67.5 pounds. So, kids named them Mahomes and Kelce. :lol:
We have a cow I have mentioned on here before, she is a Summer Sister 11 year old. She had had 3 sets of twins in the past, always same sex and always raised them. She had two sets two years in a row, so we put an embryo in her for two years. She has raised 3 singles, 3 sets of twins, and 2 embryo calves. She just dropped me another set of twins, heifers by TKCC Classified. Obviously, not identical, but same sex.
The third set is a bull set sired by Dew North, out of my Cowboy Cut x Swain Velvet first calf heifer, born 10/1. She is doing a great job raising them, and is bred back to Milestone for a 10/4 calf. Hoping for a heifer in that mating.
So, the story on the one and a half. That is a story that is still unfolding. We had a heifer we put a embryo in (Cowboy Cut x Swain Velvet), and she came in 45 days later so we AI'd her. Figured she stuck to AI date since no other heat was observed. She calved 30 days early to her AI day, and had a second partial calf at the same time. Vet thinks the resulting calf is the embryo we put in, and the second partial calf is one that did not form properly after splitting or a twin from the second breeding. We are sending in DNA to verify the live calf, but vet is calling it a twin pregnancy that went awry.
We have three left to finish, one this month (with a Milestone calf, excited about that one!) and two in April. Hope for no more twins!
2 sets were the result of an embryo that split after implantation. In one set, we only got one out - a Wheelman x HPF Crocus pregnancy. Heifer, the one we lost had the head twisted behind the pelvis for gosh knows how long, since the live twin was already dry and had sucked the cow down. The second set is a Bankroll x Caliente, bulls. They in themselves have a fun story attached. Cow was laborish at 4, so I put her in the barn to watch her (lights, and it was Superbowl Sunday so I wanted it easy to check and not chasing around pasture to try to find her). I went to check her during halftime, and found one foot and a head presented. Went in to find the other foot, kept finding a hock. I was confused as to why a hock would be by the head and single foot. Cow got up, which allowed me to push calf back a bit and find the other front leg behind the pelvis. Since I was in a hurry, and did not want to miss the game, I hooked up a chain and lightly pulled while the cow was standing. Calf came right out. I cleaned myself up, looked at the pair, thought about getting back to the game but that hock kept bugging me. I never thought twins since it was an embryo pregnancy. Decided I could not rest unless I checked the cow, so I went back in and found more feet! A quick adjustment, hook chain up, and an easy pull and a second calf that looked JUST like the first came flying out. They weighed 67 and 67.5 pounds. So, kids named them Mahomes and Kelce. :lol:
We have a cow I have mentioned on here before, she is a Summer Sister 11 year old. She had had 3 sets of twins in the past, always same sex and always raised them. She had two sets two years in a row, so we put an embryo in her for two years. She has raised 3 singles, 3 sets of twins, and 2 embryo calves. She just dropped me another set of twins, heifers by TKCC Classified. Obviously, not identical, but same sex.
The third set is a bull set sired by Dew North, out of my Cowboy Cut x Swain Velvet first calf heifer, born 10/1. She is doing a great job raising them, and is bred back to Milestone for a 10/4 calf. Hoping for a heifer in that mating.
So, the story on the one and a half. That is a story that is still unfolding. We had a heifer we put a embryo in (Cowboy Cut x Swain Velvet), and she came in 45 days later so we AI'd her. Figured she stuck to AI date since no other heat was observed. She calved 30 days early to her AI day, and had a second partial calf at the same time. Vet thinks the resulting calf is the embryo we put in, and the second partial calf is one that did not form properly after splitting or a twin from the second breeding. We are sending in DNA to verify the live calf, but vet is calling it a twin pregnancy that went awry.
We have three left to finish, one this month (with a Milestone calf, excited about that one!) and two in April. Hope for no more twins!
