Calving 2024

[lithuanian farmer]

Is she the one that was looking like twins??

D'oh! Just looked. That's the blue one. When she coming along?

Edit again
January 25th
Will she hold that long?

Who knows. She is preparing abit. Hoping that blue will shorten her gestation.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Big fella back to bigger calves it seems. No wonder with such gestation though.
298 days, 122lbs, pure lim bull calf.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Cold, but lovely day today

 

[Travlr]

View attachment 39213View attachment 39212
Big fella back to bigger calves it seems. No wonder with such gestation though.
298 days, 122lbs, pure lim bull calf.

Looks like he's going to be a chunk. Is he going to be a bull or a steer? Or will you wait and see?

 

[kenny thomas]

Looks like he's going to be a chunk. Is he going to be a bull or a steer? Or will you wait and see?

I don't think they steer anything there. They want them to have more muscle not fat.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Looks like he's going to be a chunk. Is he going to be a bull or a steer? Or will you wait and see?

Yes, no steers here. To be fair, if he grows into a fine weanling we might keep him for coverring cows for the next year.

 

[branxchar&charx]

Yes, no steers here.

I remember researching way back when that no castrating in the EU due to animal welfare purposes?
Great looking calves by the way. Its always fun to see your calves as color is not a primary factor in marketing there.

 

[Chapin81]

Once again a new thread No newborns at the moment. At least I think, as will need to do an evening check soon. It's going to be an interesting season. Some new bulls used, some new crosses tried.
Currently have three cows ready to pop any time. Limx in calf to lim at 286th day, pure lim incalf to lim at 284th day and limx incalf to charolais at 283rd day. All seem very close and not sure, which will pop first. Gonna to know real soon. Then will have five due around the first week of January.

One will be a very interesting case. She is due on 25th of January. She is a fairly big cow. And she looks huge So there are a couple options: twins ( or a whole litter), lots of fluids, or a half weaned calf.
View attachment 38541

Holy cannoli I've never seen them that wide before.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Another HEIFER landed last night

295 days gestation, sired by charolais, out of 13 years old angusxsalersx cow. Would guess around 110lbs.
Noticed an increase of gestation length. It might be due to cold. Current average is 290,8 days. Considering that almost all were heifers it's a very big average. Our whole season average used to be around 287.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Yes, I noticed your long gestation numbers - AND HEIFERS!!! "Generally" bulls are longer.

 

[TCRanch]

Educate me. When we have epic cold (which isn't common), my cows tend to calve earlier. As in 10-14 days earlier. And the calves aren't necessarily smaller, averaging 75-100 lbs. Yup, most of the time they're heifer calves.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

TC , I don't see that, but cold weather, especially during 3rd trimester, grows fetuses to heavier weights. Being heavier, maybe is encouraging your cows to spit them out sooner?

 

[TCRanch]

TC , I don't see that, but cold weather, especially during 3rd trimester, grows fetuses to heavier weights. Being heavier, maybe is encouraging your cows to spit them out sooner?

Could be: mama knows there's no more room in the Inn, put up her No Vacancy sign and evicted the boarder.

I know higher calving ease bulls tend to throw calves with shorter gestation lengths, but a lot of these early calves have been sired by Woody, who is not CE.

And it could boil down to management.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Management in what way?

 

[TCRanch]

Management in what way?

My cattle always have hay available if it's not grazing season. And I supplement with cubes; sporadically in the grazing months but daily this time of year. As a general rule, they're not below a BCS 6. Ever. Maybe a little too pudgy &/or spoiled? And yet, the only time I really have a problem with dystocia is generally an oops baby or a lineage that just grows a huge freakin' calf.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Yup, understood. Mine are rarely less than a 5.5 - 6 BCS. But, we (you & I) breed for easy keepers. Unless you starve them, they SHOULD be in that condition.

 

[frieghttrain]

Glad its going well so far! Cold weather has definitely had an impact on our calves weights.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

I just guess that cold might have caused ours to have longer gestations. The only difference from other seasons is that it is cold this year. All who calved are in good condition as all had a year off last year, due to our bull's fault and pure lim had dead twins. Feed could be even abit better than last year as they get more haylage than hay this winter. Some bulls have been used before and they had shorter gestation.
Currently two other are also overbaking their calves. One on 294th day, another on 291st day. The first has tendency to have longer gestation herself, but the other doesn't and we had several calves from the same sire she's incalf to. Gonna see how the end result will look. We will have around 50 more calving this season.
P.S. The huge cow actually seems to be preparing to calve sooner than her due date, which is common for blue breed. I would give her a week at max. Really want a heifer from her though...

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Current favorite spot of the lim bull calf and the oldest charolais heifer

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Everybody knows what means this photo...
But everything ended well.

Thankfully noticed in time. Cow had been visiting shed for the past two days. In the morning she was in the shed, but left it once we came. Other than that she was acting calm. Around midday started feeding cows. Went to check her ligaments, which were loose already. She was calm, eating from the feeder. She usually goes away from the herd to calve. However, noticed a piece of somekind of membrane hanging out of her vulva. Pulled it to see if it's not a frozen mucus, but it definitely wasn't. Brought her into the shed, put a glove on and went in to check what was going on. The calf's bag wasn't broken, but calf was hanging low as well. It was alive thankfully. Cow was fully dilated and with her being so calm there was no way to know how long she has been in labor. Decided to intervene and assist. She was really hesitant to push even when the first photo was taken. Bit by bit got the calf out and thankfully everything seems okay both with mom and calf.

294 days gestation, bull calf, sired by culard Charolais, out of limxcharx cow. Last year she had huge blue bull calf with white stripe on his back. This one is smaller, at least with his bones. Scales will show the real result tomorrow.