Calving 2016 - pictures

[creekdrive]

Off to a good start so far! First official due date was yesterday, and already have 20 calves. Had a funeral last year right at the time we usually turn out bulls, so rather than getting them all out the same day we did a couple pastures here & there over a stretch of 5 days. Already have calves from all but 1 pasture (out of 9). And knock on wood, no problems so far.

Took a few pictures yesterday, thought I would share some.

RA bull calf born Thursday morning

his dam - 6 yr old cow.

January 22 born calf. Turned them out of the corral into the herd yesterday. Were they ever happy to get out and stretch their legs and kick their heels up!

Gelbvieh sired heifer calf born Thursday evening.

We always like to make little bets about who is going to calve first...this girl was my prediction for the reds this year. Looks like I was wrong :lol: no calf yet

Gelbvieh x RA cow with a SimAngus heifer calf.

the above cows daughter - 2nd calver I wish she was carrying a bit more weight, but she's doing her job well so far! 630 lb steer last year and calved early first cycle this year.

BA heifer calf born Thursday evening

the most recent pair

I think this calf looks a lot smaller than he is next to his dam. 102 lb RA bull calf.

seems like there always has to be an evening spat...

hanging out at the watering hole.

I'll try to update this thread as we go along - looks like the next couple weeks should be pretty busy. Fingers crossed the weather stays as nice as it has been!

 

[Nesikep]

That black cow in the last picture look like a barrel on a few toothpicks! I like those GV influenced cows

They're looking good.. hope it all goes smoothly for you

 

[mncowboy]

That close up photo of the black calf without an ear tag is a sharp picture.

 

[creekdrive]

That black cow in the last picture look like a barrel on a few toothpicks! I like those GV influenced cows

They're looking good.. hope it all goes smoothly for you

Thanks Nesi - that last picture made me laugh when I saw how round that black girl looked. It's too far away to make out in the picture but her tag reads Bulldog. She came from my husbands grandparents herd. Her dam died a couple years ago. She must have been pushing 20 years old or maybe even older. I don't remember the whole story behind her but I know they called her Bulldog because somehow they had bought her and didn't notice till they got her home that her front legs were bowed out, just like a Bulldog. They were so embarrassed that they had brought home something like that. For whatever reason she got to stick around, she never passed the bowed legs to any of her calves. There's two daughters that we have here - this girl who is 6 and another who is 5. Both pretty good commercial cows.

That close up photo of the black calf without an ear tag is a sharp picture.

Thanks - have to tried to tag that little bugger a few times but he is just too quick to catch!

Went out and checked a little while ago and had 2 more new ones. At least one calf from all 9 pastures now.

 

[Randi]

Looking good!

 

[Ky hills]

Nice cows and calves.

 

[creekdrive]

Nice sunrise this morning and a nice new baby. Calves are coming pretty steady (will most likely hit 50 today or real close to it). Had to help a first calver the other day but so far no other problems. Weather has been fantastic! Sure makes it nice for the new calves.

 

[creekdrive]

Well it's 12 days since our first due date and we are at 108 calves. So far we've had pretty good luck and everything is living. Have had to help a few more than we usually do at this point. A couple had legs back, a couple probably would've done it on their own but we got tired of waiting, and a couple really did need a hand. Overall I would say our birthweights have been a little higher on average than most years. One bull didn't sire anything over 85 lbs last year and this year has had 3 over 100 lbs & a couple more in the 90's. Not sure if it's just the year or just the way the genes lined up with the cows this time around.

Kinda yucky weather out today (some real wet snow overnight & now its kind of misting) so thought I would share some pictures from the other day while I'm in the house between cow checks.

BWF cow - out with 2 black angus bulls gives you a solid light red calf.

mostly Angus cow with a touch of Shorthorn back there - 6 yrs old

side view

her calf - marked just like momma only red

cute brockle face heifer - sire is SimXAngus, dam is Hereford x Sim

a fresh one - purebred RA

another purebred RA out of a heifer

the 'don't touch my baby' stare

just soaking up the sun

January 28th born BA heifer calf

not sure how that can be comfy!