Nesikep
Well-known member
Well.. it's about that time of year for me now.. Seeing all you people post pictures of cute babies makes me jealous! My neighboring ranch across the river you see in all the pics is pretty much done calving already (They can afford to be earlier, they get a lot more sun until now), and a neighbor a few miles away has a couple newbies I saw on my way to town today.. little weenie guys.
I've got a few flabby butts and the udders are swelling too.. Most of the early ones I got in the corral except for the one that'll calf first.. she's too stupid and hard headed to come up here so she'll have to do it herself and after she calves she'll follow.. I hope.
Sofa is a real caricature of a cow... if she were an inch or two taller she'd be perfectly round.. it'll be her second calf, she's not much bigger than a year ago.. probably a frame 4 and currently 1200 lbs. Kama on the other hand grew a LOT since I weaned her calf last year, she's looking pretty good, she'll calf at the beginning of the 2nd cycle with her sister Cenci. If Cenci makes a heifer that looks like the steer she had last year, I'm definitely keeping it (crossing fingers), and the same goes for Chroma (who had the biggest steer last year, just not quite as appetizing). Tifa (Chroma's daughter) will have her first calf, curious to see how she does, I'm not expecting her to raise much for the first year or two, she's a small cow but nicely put together, but if she follows in her mother's footsteps and produces the heaviest calf of the year for her 3rd try, i'm going to be tickled... That 'line' seems to put out quite structurally correct offspring and come into milk gradually. Tifa is bred to Marko... my home raised bull, which is her half brother as well as her mother's full brother. I'm very curious as to what his calves are going to be like, I have about 7 animals bred to him, 5 half sisters, 1 full sister, and one cousin. The cousin is an older cow (Alma, 12 years) that makes really good (big and correct) calves every time, so that will be a good test of the bull. If I like his calves, I'll use the Limo bull for 1 more year on the older cows, then ship him when the season is done, I really don't need 2 bulls, and his BW's are too high for heifers.
Prada is the cow that got late her first time around, I hummed and hawed about shipping her, made a deal with her that she catches up by a month a year she gets to stay, so far that contract has worked well.. she's had to raise her calf in adverse (winter) conditions and both her calves have been outstanding. I just weaned her steer, he's about 700 lbs @ 7 months, he was ready to be weaned and perfectly OK with it, but momma was some kind of upset.. She's pretty skinny and ragged, and will have some time to put some fat back on now, she's due in mid may, so this year might be the last year she's behind, and she won't have to carry a calf through another winter either which will do her good.
I'm also hoping for a heifer from Caddy again, Chroma and Prada have done well for themselves so a couple more like them would be nice before she gets to be too old.. She's had 3 bulls in a row now.
'nough of my soapbox.. I'll talk more when I have some calves to talk about, and hopefully Soho (the brainless wonder) behaves herself.
I've got a few flabby butts and the udders are swelling too.. Most of the early ones I got in the corral except for the one that'll calf first.. she's too stupid and hard headed to come up here so she'll have to do it herself and after she calves she'll follow.. I hope.
Sofa is a real caricature of a cow... if she were an inch or two taller she'd be perfectly round.. it'll be her second calf, she's not much bigger than a year ago.. probably a frame 4 and currently 1200 lbs. Kama on the other hand grew a LOT since I weaned her calf last year, she's looking pretty good, she'll calf at the beginning of the 2nd cycle with her sister Cenci. If Cenci makes a heifer that looks like the steer she had last year, I'm definitely keeping it (crossing fingers), and the same goes for Chroma (who had the biggest steer last year, just not quite as appetizing). Tifa (Chroma's daughter) will have her first calf, curious to see how she does, I'm not expecting her to raise much for the first year or two, she's a small cow but nicely put together, but if she follows in her mother's footsteps and produces the heaviest calf of the year for her 3rd try, i'm going to be tickled... That 'line' seems to put out quite structurally correct offspring and come into milk gradually. Tifa is bred to Marko... my home raised bull, which is her half brother as well as her mother's full brother. I'm very curious as to what his calves are going to be like, I have about 7 animals bred to him, 5 half sisters, 1 full sister, and one cousin. The cousin is an older cow (Alma, 12 years) that makes really good (big and correct) calves every time, so that will be a good test of the bull. If I like his calves, I'll use the Limo bull for 1 more year on the older cows, then ship him when the season is done, I really don't need 2 bulls, and his BW's are too high for heifers.
Prada is the cow that got late her first time around, I hummed and hawed about shipping her, made a deal with her that she catches up by a month a year she gets to stay, so far that contract has worked well.. she's had to raise her calf in adverse (winter) conditions and both her calves have been outstanding. I just weaned her steer, he's about 700 lbs @ 7 months, he was ready to be weaned and perfectly OK with it, but momma was some kind of upset.. She's pretty skinny and ragged, and will have some time to put some fat back on now, she's due in mid may, so this year might be the last year she's behind, and she won't have to carry a calf through another winter either which will do her good.
I'm also hoping for a heifer from Caddy again, Chroma and Prada have done well for themselves so a couple more like them would be nice before she gets to be too old.. She's had 3 bulls in a row now.
'nough of my soapbox.. I'll talk more when I have some calves to talk about, and hopefully Soho (the brainless wonder) behaves herself.
