Calving ease

[Dave]

I had another tiny calf this morning. This is the third one out of 23 that is so small that I go searching for the twin. No twins. In fact the one set of twins born here had normal good size calves. All of these cows were from different places based ear tag numbers. Or at least they were bought several weeks apart. Are people using calving ease bulls on their old cows. The calves are full of energy and up and going real quick but they sure are small.

 

[bird dog]

Some people don't enough cattle to warrant having more than one or two bulls. I fit that category somewhat. I don't use a heifer bull so my bulls have to throw low or at least moderate size calves. So sometimes when the cows low birth weight genes line up with the bulls, you get a 50 lb calf.

I also think its just mother natures way. She programs the old cows to have smaller calves knowing that the old cows diminishing milk is not enough to feed a big calf.

But probably the real truth is that the old cows lack of teeth and coming off a poorly run ranch or one with drought conditions means they are just not getting enough nutrition to develop a normal size calf.

Maybe the cows you bought this year are from ranches that burned and the cows didn't have anything to eat at the beginning of their pregnancy?

 

[coachg]

A lot of angus folks will tell you all angus bulls are calving ease . Not true but ….. ?

 

[Dave]

It would be very hard to find a place in this part of the world which only has one or two bulls. WE are in the desert so we are always in a drought compared to others. Cattle and fields are managed accordingly. Cattle won't be allowed back in the burn areas until next year. Cows have been here for 3 months or more with all the hay they will clean up.
I am going with the theory that people have calving ease bull that got too large for breeding heifers. And his calves grew out good. So rather than just sell him the kick him out with the cows. Saves on having to buy another bull. Most ranchers have at least 10 or 12 bulls. Used bulls here get a one way ticket when they go to the sale.

 

[regolith]

Individual cows with health issues, wisely culled from the herd by their owner before they develop problems you don't even need to know what the problem is to know that at a certain age, or at certain signs (previous lower weight weaned calf?) they're going to kick in.
I've seen small calves from cows a time or two where the mother developed Johnes symptoms within the year after delivering that small calf.

I'd use calving ease bulls on yearlings, two year olds and anything 9 - 10 yrs old and up. Those are dairy cows though, the calf is a byproduct not the end product.
And I know with larger dairies where the cows are commonly split into multiple herd people will run first calvers and older cows as one group.