Calving in -40 weather.

[hillsdown]

None of my cows get to calve indoors,, group one which calves the end of Jan to mid Feb get to calve where we have the pole barn (there is a pic of it in my group photo post.) The other two groups are on pasture with calf shelters and tonnes of straw bedding regularly. If they are born on a really cold day they get to bond with mommy for a while and then they go into the calf hutch. I have found it is best to warm gradually and keep them as acclimated to the temp that they will be going back out to..

I did a check a half hour ago and my baby new girl was sound a sleep and warm in the calf shelter with a crap load of her other brothers and sisters..Mom is chewing her cud on the straw pack 20 feet away and very content.. How do they know at such a young age to go into the shelter..Cows and calves, you just have to love them.. :heart:

 

[Alberta farmer]

Sure glad I don't do this anymore. It's hard on man and beast alike. I sure don't miss clomping out at 2 AM and trying to catnap on the cot in the calving barn. A long stretch of really cold weather can just about wear you out.
Used to calve 140 cows in January/Feb. but I did have good facilities. Large calving barn complete with maternity pen and heated room with all the bells and whistles for the dummie(me)! Good corral set up outside with cows in a ten acre calving area.
Now they calve in May and it is "calve on your own or die trying" for the most part. Calve on 160 acres of brush/pasture and after dusk you are on your own until morning! Seems to work okay.

 

[alacattleman]

Sure glad I don't do this anymore. It's hard on man and beast alike. I sure don't miss clomping out at 2 AM and trying to catnap on the cot in the calving barn. A long stretch of really cold weather can just about wear you out.
Used to calve 140 cows in January/Feb. but I did have good facilities. Large calving barn complete with maternity pen and heated room with all the bells and whistles for the dummie(me)! Good corral set up outside with cows in a ten acre calving area.
Now they calve in May and it is "calve on your own or die trying" for the most part. Calve on 160 acres of brush/pasture and after dusk you are on your own until morning! Seems to work okay.

to me theres a big difference in be'in a touchy feely cattleman,,,,,,,,, but they aint no cow gonna die on my place calving, without my intervention. hard enough to make money are break even

 

[Cowdirt]

Sure glad I don't do this anymore. It's hard on man and beast alike. I sure don't miss clomping out at 2 AM and trying to catnap on the cot in the calving barn. A long stretch of really cold weather can just about wear you out.
Used to calve 140 cows in January/Feb. but I did have good facilities. Large calving barn complete with maternity pen and heated room with all the bells and whistles for the dummie(me)! Good corral set up outside with cows in a ten acre calving area.
Now they calve in May and it is "calve on your own or die trying" for the most part. Calve on 160 acres of brush/pasture and after dusk you are on your own until morning! Seems to work okay.

Farmer, I don't have the brutal cold temps that y'all have and my facilities are nowhere near what you described. Aside from that we're not that different in our methods. I check before dark if nothing is happening I'm thru until morning. If birthing looks probable, I'll check once or twice before bedtime, 10:00pm. If one's in trouble, I'll stay up as long as necessary. If no trouble at 10:00, I'm thru til morning.