Calving season 2017 for me

[Nesikep]

In keeping up with tradition, I'll start a calving season thread..

It officially started yesterday.. of course right when I wanted to go to town... Momma is a 12 year old cow that isn't terribly smart, but she did good.. probably about a ~75 lb heifer.. she's a little ahead of schedule, and she didn't look particularly bagged up, at least not like other years.. I wouldn't have pegged her to be the first anyhow

 

[frieghttrain]

Looking good Nesi!

 

[Ky hills]

Looks like your calving season is off to a good start. When mine were about ready to start calving, I had 2 cows guessed to calve first, 1 did calve first and the other hasn't yet.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Nice looking pair! Hopefully your calving season will be good. We're half way through and had several issues we've never had during all years we'd cows. It's abit to much of practice for one season.

 

[Nesikep]

Thanks.. I wouldn't mind if the weather started feeling like spring, it's still thinking of snowing some days, but the sun has a lot more power to it now and the snow can't stick anymore.

 

[Nesikep]

Two more calves, one yesterday, one today.. both heifers (3-0 score)... Yesterdays was Volta, with the calf sired by the Limo bull, this mornings calf was Cenci, sired by Marko, and she looks really nice

Volta's... her color really lightened up as she dried off


Cenci's, both parents have good butts, and it looks like she'll have that going for her as well

 

[Nesikep]

Here's Cenci's calf at a day old.. I'm sure she's going to be a little he// raiser

 

[littletom]

Had number 26 this afternoon. So far no problems yet. I think 5 heifers have went so far. The excitement has wore off looking forward to the end.

 

[Nesikep]

I always find it exciting... maybe with a few hundred it would wear off though.

Just got another one from a 2nd timer.. bull calf.. he's up and nursing in the field, I'm going to clean out the maternity pen and put them in there for the day.

 

[Nesikep]

Here he is.. an hour old or so

 

[creekdrive]

Looking good so far! I think your right about Cenci's calf - she's got that look in her eye already. Trouble!

 

[CCCowman]

 

[Nesikep]

Looking good so far! I think your right about Cenci's calf - she's got that look in her eye already. Trouble!

So far she's super friendly and really calm.. The first calf born is a little skittish now.. 'tolerates' attention.. the second one seems to be the instigator, and loves bunting my knees..

What a cute, fuzzy one!

 

[Nesikep]

Stick a fork in my, I"m friggin DONE... 4AM calf, friggin blizzard out there, stupid cow that kicks.. warmed the calf up in the shop and got some colostrum into it.. it was in the shop for about 4 hours, then woke up and explored a little.. didnt want the bottle at first, then latched on and drank the whole quart.. brought it to momma and it went right to the teats and found the source.
In the middle of all this, I forgot to close a gate, and Mega, Kama and Tatla suddenly mooed right outside the shop door.. convince them to go into the corral.. I guess Tatla had the right idea.. she calved at 9pm.. then I go out for my last check at midnight, there's another one in the field, momma not paying much attention to it.. evict this mornings baby from the maternity pen and lay down straw, get the quad and go pick up the calf, momma followed well at least, she behaved nicely when I got her in the pen and it wasn't much to get the calf connected... Pics tomorrow.

 

[Nesikep]

Oh, yeah, forgot I had one yesterday.. so I had to evict them from the maternity pen at 5am.. calf was sooo comfy he really didn't want to get up at all.. poor guy.. I'll post the vid of the weather we had too.

 

[Nesikep]

https://youtu.be/92Sn216zIR8

There's the weather I had to deal with yesterday.. didn't take pics today, busy catching up on everything.. released most of the calves with mommas into a small paddock.. had fun watching them play and realize their new found freedom, and learn the extents of the freedom with the electric fence! Some are a little faster than others at learning it

 

[Nesikep]

Well, calves are all doing pretty good.. had nice weather all week, no calves born except for one this morning.. a MONSTER bull calf somewhere in the 120+ lb range.. mature cow, took care of him just fine




Got another couple cows that are getting pretty close.. Mega is bagging up, Kama has flabby butt but the bag isn't there yet.. Caddy and Nelly are both getting close, and the 2 first timers are pretty close as well.. gonna be a zoo around here before long.

Meanwhile, here's some of the calves having some fun.. 2Z is a real little he// raiser.. today I was crouched on the ground and she managed to get her head into my jacket and had a lot of fun with that.. on her knees, bellering, then taking off and doing a loop around the feeder to come back for some more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNSFXsMT5Q0

 

[Nesikep]

Another monster born this morning.. Nelly had a 120+ lb'er again.. but she's 1800 or better and it's her 12th calf.. knows just what she's doing, and gets VERY excited about it.. every time she calves you her that "I had a calf" beller.. repeatedly!



An hour later one of my first timers had a calf. Katima.. ~80 lb bull calf unassisted.. very docile cow, had to convince her she had to lick the calf rather than me


Fell on his butt.

 

[reeler]

Another monster born this morning.. Nelly had a 120+ lb'er again.. but she's 1800 or better and it's her 12th calf.. knows just what she's doing, and gets VERY excited about it.. every time she calves you her that "I had a calf" beller.. repeatedly!



An hour later one of my first timers had a calf. Katima.. ~80 lb bull calf unassisted.. very docile cow, had to convince her she had to lick the calf rather than me


Fell on his butt.

120 pounds :shock: Thanks for all the pics, Congrats to you & your girls :clap:

 

[Nesikep]

Thanks..

Meanwhile, here's another first timer Haida.. true to her family lines, she's a good momma, but totally loses her marbles if you try and work her at all.. thankfully I had been able to get her used to being milked beforehand.. because like her ancestors, she also likes to kick and fidget and run around in circles... She licked the calf well, and with some convincing she stood still for the calf to nurse.. another bull calf (6 bulls, 5 heifers now) and a pretty small guy at ~70 lbs.. got a few markings on him.



Meanwhile Katima, the blond one posted above is well into the motherhood thing after 4 hours.. ate the placenta, nursed the calf again and licked it well (that one is about 85ish lbs)