Calving 2023

[Ebenezer]

First of the year

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

First of the yearView attachment 25551

Has lots of Aunties making sure it's ok.

 

[Ebenezer]

Has lots of Aunties making sure it's ok.

They are in strip grazing and all are in less than 1/2 acre.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Finally new calf. Limousine sired bull calf from mainly Angus cow. 294 days gestation. Will weigh him tomorrow. From easier calving bull.



The sire:


Have two heifers and one cow incalf to him. Had synchronized a group of angus and angusx heifers for one farmer and have three incalf to the same bull aswell.
One cow is on 293rd day and another on 283rd day. Seems to be bulls year so far.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Calf weighed this morning. 110lbs. Abit bigger than I expected.

 

[Travlr]

Calf weighed this morning. 110lbs. Abit bigger than I expected.
View attachment 25759

Full belly. Colostrum weighs a lot.

I love your cattle. You and I have similar tastes... except for the horns, lol.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Today's newborn. Sired by hard calving Parthenaise bull ( really hoped for a heifer), bull calf, 286days gestation. Will weigh him abit later, but he doesn't seem to go over 110lbs. Dam is 3/4 lim, 1/4 dairy.
However, he sure had a stresfull first day. Crows decided that his leg was a good snack... thankfully just his leg...


His sire:

That's the only his calf here for now. Wanted to try him on a proven cow to test his real calving difficulty. His calving ease index is 86, while 100 is average with everything going up being easier calved and going down being harder calved. This calf is far from being what I expected him to look like, but another cow could produce a huge one. That's just how genetics work.
Another cow is on 298th day with blonde. Looks like bulls year! 6:1 now

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Bulls here. 2 to 1

 

[Travlr]

Bulls here. 2 to 1

If you want more heifers you need to cut back on the minerals and high protein feeds before breeding, and push carbs.

How was the storm last night? This morning? Temps?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

No storm here. Just super high winds and low Temps. We got major lake effect snow. But we don't get much snow on the ground. It blows into all the ditches and woods. Get some pretty good drifts. -13F + wind.
It was brutal yesterday, but we knew it was coming, so had very little to do outside. Did not start tractor.
Same feed and mineral program for many, many years.
Some years more heifers, some even. Toss up.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

travlr>
So are you implying one can choose the family line of cows one wishes to propagate by separation and controlling the feed
and mineral intake of the desired group? I am for what works!

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I have never heard of protein vs carbs affecting sex. PH of the uterus may affect the sex.
Always interesting to hear new ideas.

 

[Travlr]

travlr>
So are you implying one can choose the family line of cows one wishes to propagate by separation and controlling the feed
and mineral intake of the desired group? I am for what works!

Yeah, feeds affect the PH in the uterus (@Jeanne - Simme Valley mentions this), which affects the environment the sperm need to swim through. Male sperm and female sperm have different rates if survival over time as well as differing motility. Male sperm swim faster but play out faster, and female swim slower and go for longer. Different PH affects how thin or thick the uterine medium is. High mineral and protein favors male sperm and higher carbs favors female. This also influences the bull, so both cows and bulls benefit from focused feed management in gender results.

There are other things you can do too. For females you can AI in the uterine horn that is NOT ovulating. Body temps can be monitored, which I've never done so don't know enough to advise you. Early breeding just before ovulation favors females.

None of these things are 100%. They only increase the percentages. It's been a while but if I remember right one gender averages 67% and the other 72%... so not a lot but worth it if you specialize in selling bulls or replacement heifers.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Last year way more calves from AI were heifers. Bull produced more bulls. This year so far only AI calves, but bulls are in the lead.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Rough start got ever rougher... Lost alot of blood it appears and body temperature dropped very low. My thermometer shows temperature from 89,6°F, but it didn't show even that. Currently managed to increase it up to 93,4°F. It's gonna be a stressfull night...
The worst part that he even had nursed by himself and walked with dam abit before he was attacked and we found him bleeding.

 

[Travlr]

View attachment 25827

Rough start got ever rougher... Lost alot of blood it appears and body temperature dropped very low. My thermometer shows temperature from 89,6°F, but it didn't show even that. Currently managed to increase it up to 93,4°F. It's gonna be a stressfull night...
The worst part that he even had nursed by himself and walked with dam abit before he was attacked and we found him bleeding.

I've had some luck warming calves using warmed coffee and hot chocolate. Sugar and caffeine help the energy levels.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

97,9°F getting close to the normal. Already nursing from the bottle and trying to move more.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Made a short visit with his dam. Nursed abit, but still very weak on his legs and gets tired quickly. Homemade calf jacket on Hopefully he will get stonger fast. Will give him some more milk with a bottle too.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Poor lil fella.
Sounds like ya got him going tho!

Are u guys allowed shotguns over there? I'd be thinning out the bird population! Black birds are the devil!

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Poor lil fella.
Sounds like ya got him going tho!

Are u guys allowed shotguns over there? I'd be thinning out the bird population! Black birds are the devil!

My dad is a hunter, so he has a couple guns. He's going to prepare a bait and try to take a couple crows down from the sky forever.

Calf is doing real well. Today decided to bring him to the shed to be with his dam in the pen and left him there. It's not cold today and with calf jacket he's feeling real good.