BW

[TSR]

Rod you might be the exception to the rule for a seed stock producer but I doubt it. Most have a line better than a used car salesman. Everyone of them have the best breed and best line. Watch them on this board proves it everyday.

I don't have the best lines around, but I'm certainly trying to get there. And I won't bother debating the whole breed issue. But I also don't BS. I certainly don't have any reason to on this forum, since, as far as I know, I have no customers on here and I'm still mostly just a commercial cattleman trying to make a few bucks. Having said that, I, and thousands of other Saskatchewan cattle producers, prove year after year that its possible to have 100lb calves without having to "chase them around with calving chains".

I believe what you are saying Rod. Here's a question for you. I take your cows and bulls and put them in my environment (TN) and in my opinion birthweights will drop. Now I am not saying how much but I believe they will drop 10% or better. Ehst do you think???

Rod

 

[gberry]

Just asking a question here, but why would you calve when it is -40? I doubt you have any grass to graze at that time and it seems like it would be a lot less headache to wait 2 months and calve when it is warmer. I know this is off topic, but I'm just curious.

 

[S.R.R.]

Just asking a question here, but why would you calve when it is -40? I doubt you have any grass to graze at that time and it seems like it would be a lot less headache to wait 2 months and calve when it is warmer. I know this is off topic, but I'm just curious.

That is a good question and here is the answer.

The sooner you calve the more weight on your calves come sale day! Which = more $$.

 

[randiliana]

Just asking a question here, but why would you calve when it is -40? I doubt you have any grass to graze at that time and it seems like it would be a lot less headache to wait 2 months and calve when it is warmer. I know this is off topic, but I'm just curious.

There are a number of reasons. Bigger calves, have the calving done by the time seeding starts, colder weather=less health problems, if you have the time and dedication to check on them and get them inside before they freeze.

We calve our cows out starting Mar 1 mostly because we prefer to sell in October, and the calves hit the weight that we want them to by then. Plus, we are done calving (more or less) by the time we want to send them off to our pasture which is 110 miles away.

March is usually a decent month for calving, but we always seem to have a cold spell (-20) around the 20th of the month. That is why we have a barn. When it is cold we keep them in the barn until they are up/sucked/dried off, and then they go outside. Outside they have calf shelters and lots of bedding in and around the shelters to keep them warm. We check the newborns at least once a day (more if we have problems). We check the calving cows every 4 hours at night and 3 or so in the day. And if we have a cow calving we check every 30 min or so depending on what stage she is in.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

I believe what you are saying Rod. Here's a question for you. I take your cows and bulls and put them in my environment (TN) and in my opinion birthweights will drop. Now I am not saying how much but I believe they will drop 10% or better. Ehst do you think???

I'm not sure what you boys in TN have for feed, but it wouldn't surprise me at all. My cows spend the last trimester on a blend of lower quality alfalfa and straw (to drop protein content down). If the cows spent alot of their last trimester on grass, I suspect it would drop birthweights further, although I really don't know by how much since grass doesn't grow all that well up here from December to March :lol: I'd hazard that your 10% wouldn't be far off though, but I also don't know how much protein you guys are feeding.

As far as the question about calving in -40, Randiliana pretty much nailed it. I don't grain farm, but I still help my father with his grain operation. So that means May is taken. We get alot of cold, wet rain in April and there is nothing I hate more than pneumonia or treating scours. Even if herd health is at a peak, you'll still get the occasional case that needs treating, and stuffing a scours bolus down a calve's throat while its momma is busy trying to eat you doesn't rate high on my list of favorite things to do. June is haying season, and I won't consider July or later calves due to heat and insects. So that pretty leaves March. As Randiliana also mentioned, we historically get a cold snap in March somewhere, and if you have to pull night shift anyway, you might just as well calve in February and have that much more weight on. The markets historically have a high spot somewhere in late Feb to early March, and I sell backgrounded calves, so that extra weight on comes in handy. When I get a little better setup, I'll be pushing back to Jan calving to have some extra growth on my market bulls.

Rod