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Breeding / Calving Issues
Calving Downunder East
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<blockquote data-quote="Putangitangi" data-source="post: 1282835" data-attributes="member: 5956"><p>I've been calving 'late' for years. I used to aim for the calves to reach six months by the time of the weaner fairs (mid-March), but it's just so stressful on all of us, me and the cows, when they calve on too little feed in mud - although mud is exactly what we have right now between the puddles formed by every hoofprint.</p><p></p><p>Most around here still start earlier, but there's a relatively local supplementary weaner fair in April which is gaining more clients every year, so I think many are shifting. I usually manage to sell my crop of weaners privately and the buyer takes them when they're ready in May, usually, already fence-weaned and set to go out and grow without any hassles for her.</p><p></p><p>I could change everything by supplementary feeding, but we're small and remote and getting contractors at the appropriate times would be tricky and we're in a little spot where it'll rain when it's dry everywhere else ... This whole deal is about the quality of our lives which is measured more in stress balance than bank balances. I haven't met a bank manager in years!</p><p></p><p>My oversowing a few paddocks on the flats with a rye/clover mix last autumn, combined with mowing with the new slasher, has probably carried the young stock through the winter and I'll do more of that next April/May as well, since it has worked so well. I used to put Italian Rye across the flats, but it doesn't persist and its growth was actually not as satisfactory as the cheaper option I've recently tried. It'll be interesting to see how long the positive effect of this grass lasts. Kikuyu is an interesting grass to farm around and Autumn mowing had a far greater effect than I thought it would.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Putangitangi, post: 1282835, member: 5956"] I've been calving 'late' for years. I used to aim for the calves to reach six months by the time of the weaner fairs (mid-March), but it's just so stressful on all of us, me and the cows, when they calve on too little feed in mud - although mud is exactly what we have right now between the puddles formed by every hoofprint. Most around here still start earlier, but there's a relatively local supplementary weaner fair in April which is gaining more clients every year, so I think many are shifting. I usually manage to sell my crop of weaners privately and the buyer takes them when they're ready in May, usually, already fence-weaned and set to go out and grow without any hassles for her. I could change everything by supplementary feeding, but we're small and remote and getting contractors at the appropriate times would be tricky and we're in a little spot where it'll rain when it's dry everywhere else ... This whole deal is about the quality of our lives which is measured more in stress balance than bank balances. I haven't met a bank manager in years! My oversowing a few paddocks on the flats with a rye/clover mix last autumn, combined with mowing with the new slasher, has probably carried the young stock through the winter and I'll do more of that next April/May as well, since it has worked so well. I used to put Italian Rye across the flats, but it doesn't persist and its growth was actually not as satisfactory as the cheaper option I've recently tried. It'll be interesting to see how long the positive effect of this grass lasts. Kikuyu is an interesting grass to farm around and Autumn mowing had a far greater effect than I thought it would. [/QUOTE]
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