Calf thread!

[Williamsv]

Very nice calf. I told my 90 year old mother about your new calf. We have a heifer that I saved that looks a lot like yours. Hope she will do that well. She is not old enough to breed yet.

 

[Rosielou]

Very nice calf. I told my 90 year old mother about your new calf. We have a heifer that I saved that looks a lot like yours. Hope she will do that well. She is not old enough to breed yet.

Thanks! I really didn't expect this heifer to be as good as she is. I bought her at my local sale 2 years ago for an alright price and, luckily, she turned out pretty good and is a really good, attentive mother. I hope your heifer turns out good too!

 

[Taurus]

I enjoy the pictures of British white calves.

 

[jltrent]

I'm very sad to say we did lose the old herf cross I posted earlier due to one of my worst fears: a really large backwards calf. Even if it wasn't backwards, it would have to have been pulled anyway. I was out of town for holiday, too, so I wasn't there for any of it. Really sucks because it's a big hit since my herd isn't that big and because she raised great calves. I think shouldn't be as attached to them as I am I also have 2 of my heifers are going to calve soon so I'm staying pretty on edge since I have already lost a cow.

On the brightside I did get reassurance that it was not the new bull's fault as I watched one calve Friday. I bought her as a 2 year old for $800, and so far, despite being my ugliest cow, she's done me well. :lol: I am pretty positive she is a longhorn cross, despite being polled. This is the first solid black calf she has dropped so far.
DOB 1/09/15

I lost a nice cow yesterday as the calf was coming backwards. The second one in probably ten years like that.

 

[Rosielou]

Thanks Taurus.
Jltrent, I'm sorry I know that really sucks. Has the rest of your calving been going alright? My grandpa said this was the first time he's had to pull a backwards calf in years as well.

 

[Nesikep]

Last I lost was 2 years ago, 1 twin came out right, the other had the legs the wrong way.. giant cow, both calves were 110 lbs.
The year before that I lost a nice heifer calf, also legs the wrong way.. I was lucky I saved the cow in both cases.. the second one adopted a twin a couple days later and was very happy about it.

 

[jltrent]

Thanks Taurus.
Jltrent, I'm sorry I know that really sucks. Has the rest of your calving been going alright? My grandpa said this was the first time he's had to pull a backwards calf in years as well.

I have had at least 25 unassisted calves come from the same bull since November and no problems until this. From what I read you stand bout a 10% chance saving the calf and not a lot better saving the cow when they come backwards. The last one I got the vet to come out and he got the calf out which was dead and thought the cow was saved. I went the next morning to check and she was dead. Also I had a pretty big vet bill to pay also.

 

[Nesikep]

On that front I've been lucky with the cows, they were all just fine after... I've lost cows to a host of other things though.
Correctly presented I've been doing OK with the backwards calves, but I'm at 0 for 2 on when they had the legs the wrong way.. the first one I got I wasn't sure if I got the umbilical cord tangled with the legs when I got them straightened out, so I was careful with the second, but it was dead before I even noticed there was a second calf in there.

 

[Rosielou]

Yesterday I saw one of my cows prolapsed, not from calving, and we could not get her up. But today she was gotten and sewed back up. I'm told it's best to cull her after she calves, so there go 2 of my grown cows in just one calving season.

 

[Nesikep]

Prices are good at least. I found once they've calves, unless they are very serious cases, will be OK at least for long enough to raise the calf.. See how she does after calving and go from there.

I took a gamble on a couple cows that had mild prolapses.. I was going to cull them 2 years ago, but they did fine last spring, and I still have them... Now that I'm at my peak stocking numbers they'll be going in the fall.. probably won't see the bull, and I'm not sure if they'll be seeing much pasture either this year.. they're just here to raise up one last calf.

Hope yours does better after calving at least.

 

[Rosielou]

Thank you Nesi. She an older cow, and as much as I hate it, I guess it is time to sell her. I have a grown cow on her 2nd calf and a heifer from her, so at least I have some daughters. She's beginning to bag up so we will see how she calves soon. She is doing really good right now and has not prolapsed again or broken her stitches. I'm pretty sure the cause of it is her being older and heavy with a calf.

 

[Rosielou]

We took the stitches out of the cow that prolapsed and she calved fine during the night. It is a heifer. We'll continue to watch her but I would like to keep this heifer, so I will try to let her raise it.

My last heifer calved a heifer calf on 1/25/15.

And an update on the oldest calf that was born on 11/06/14

 

[Williamsv]

Glad your cow did okay calving and hope she can raise that little heifer. Your calves are looking good. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

 

[Rosielou]

Thanks williams! Calf is doing really well and will come up to me and be scratched.

This calf's mother is out of the cow that prolapsed. Both this calf and the heifer calf above are sired by the same bull. White face runs in the family ;-)

 

[Williamsv]

That is so sweet. I love those little white faces. Nothing is better than having the little calves come up and let you rub their heads. I had one that would not let me rub any heads but his. He would run the others off. My little calves are just beginning to come up. Yours are so pretty. Thanks for sharing. I love the pictures.

 

[Rosielou]

Babies are doing very good. We're up to 16 total calves with only 6 heifers. Not sure if I will keep any from this crop, but time will tell. I sold 2 late calves from last year and bought a 2 yr old heifer 6 months bred since I lost a cow this year. She calmed down great and isn't high headed at all.

The momma that had the rat tail bull calf calved a perfect solid black bull calf this year.

Almost 3 month old bull calf.

Almost a month old heifer calf from a first calver. I'm impressed with how good of a momma the cow is.

This baby was a week old yesterday.

 

[Rosielou]

It was 70 degrees outside today so most of the calves were laying down sunning themselves.

2 month old bull calf stretched out.

A few laying in some old hay from where we moved the hay ring. All of them except the blazed face calf are under a month old or right around a month old.

3 month old heifer. This is a different one from the one I posted before.

 

[Muddy]

I like how the white cows stand out in the black herd! Nice calves.

 

[Rosielou]

Thanks! Wish I had more of them.

This heifer is doing a good job with her first calf- DOB 1/25
Sorry for bad angle.

 

[Rosielou]

I'm sorry to say that the brindle cow's baby died. We will the cow a little to put some weight back on her and then take her to the sale. I'm glad I've managed to get 2 daughters out of her, she's been a really good cow. Sad to see her go. I've had better calving seasons, but I'm thankful it hasn't been worse.