My calving season doesn't start for two months but I still feel myself anticipating my upcoming calving year. Not only the AI bred cows but the new bull I bought last winter out of final answer 0035, I find myself like a kid on Christmas Eve, waiting eagerly for my present to show up. I would hope tat after all the hard work and time spent, that some of you would be excited about seeing your mating selections, possible replacement heifers, possible future herd sires, that might be on the way. I hope I'm not alone otherwise this thought process would likely send me to a nuthouse somewhere close. :nod:
Does anybody else get psyched about calving time?
- Thread starter Kscattle
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denvermartinfarms
Well-known member
Well you may be on to something, I calve every month of the year, so that me be why I'm such a happy little goober all the time.
I am like a kid at Christmas, we calve in the fall the cattle are bred to start the first week of October so by mid September I am into high anticipation! It is my favorite time of the year for sure. You reckon this is some sort of afliction? We need to come up with a name for this disease. I know I have it bad.
Gizmom
Gizmom
Cibster
Well-known member
Oh yah...definitely getting excited for calving season. First one should hit the ground in about a month. Every day I look at my breeding/calving spreadsheet on my computer. I don't know why I do. It's not like the dates are going to change! I should just start one of those little paper chain things we used to make when we were little to countdown the days till Christmas!
snake67
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Kscattle":1stn5mdv said:
It is running at about zero F and with the wind the chill factor is around minus 30 or more
I am pumped when I can get the cows fed and watered without having to worry about the knee deep dump of snow we got yesterday! LOL
Calving is so far off as to be a distant thought right now - but I admit my favourite time of the year is day three after the last calf is born.
Watching the calf races in the field is awesome!
Watching them find their feet and doing the nose dives until they have them set right is true country entertainment
Bez
fitz
Well-known member
After a lot of years I enjoy both, it coming around and seeing the last one of the season on the ground and healthy. I always look foward to the outcome of a new bull or how my first calf heifers do.
fitz
fitz
Putangitangi
Well-known member
I do the same - I have a spreadsheet on the computer, which is counting down the weeks, then the days until the calves are expected. I go through them all and estimate (guess) the calving dates and then see how many I get right. I run a competition on my website for my readers to join in on a couple of particular cows (been running that since about 2001), which adds to the fun of it for me. I love it.Cibster":18mluf8z said:
On the other side is the knowledge that there are often losses. I've never lost a cow or heifer, but many calves over the years. But better numbers to fit winter feed and better general management on my part has reduced those chances. This year (I calve mostly in October) I had 100% live on the ground and they're still all out there, with only one heifer-born underfed one.
The better time for me, after the anxiety of the relatively dangerous birth transition, is when they reach about six to eight weeks and show me which ones are really going to shine. That's very satisfying, seeing which mating decisions clicked, both for these calves, but also in the case of their mothers in the heifer group. I've six 2yr heifers of a bull I bred and really liked. Watching their progress and now their calves growing is a real pleasure.
j&lfarms
Well-known member
I love it when it's close to calving time! My cows are supposed to start calving today, so I'm really nervous but excited. I've got three heifers so I'm mostly just nervous because of that. I will be a lot calmer once I get one calf on the ground. Kind of like that first snap during football games. I was always nervous until that second play lol. The heifers are starting to bag up so I'm thinking it won't be much longer. I'll be on Christmas break after Wed. So I'll be able to watch them really close after that.
Workinonit Farm
Well-known member
I usually look forward to it as well. Its especially enjoyable when it all goes relatively smoothly and everyone lives through it all. 
Katherine
Katherine
MistyMorning
Well-known member
Ya, I get pretty excited for the calves too. I usually call dun all hours of the day or night until its over. Long time till calving here, thinking more about plowing snow and keeping the boiler full of wood.
Fire Sweep Ranch
Well-known member
Each year we get really excited. I count down the days, and know each and every due date and mating off the top of my head (maybe because I study my spreadsheet just about nightly!). We have a bunch of embryo calves coming, with the first three due right on my birthday in January!!! I get more giddy about the embryo calves because even though I do my research on the genetics, you never really know what you will end up with until it hits the ground. I also have a few of the kids past show heifers I get excited about, because if they have a decent calf, we just might show cow calf pairs! Those are a lot of fun, knowing the kids picked out the AI sires for the resulting calves and are raising those calves, sometimes three or four generations deep, from their old show heifers!
Kscattle
Well-known member
I can relate to knowing calving dates/ breeding dates, because I study them hard as well. I wouldn't call my symptoms being nervous, but more excited. I always wonder if my AI rates will improve or if the bulls conception rates will improve. I really hope I got a select few cows bred, they will raise a good calf, and I hope for good calves. Apparently age, nor experience doesn't change this feeling for most ranchers. I'm glad that others care that much about their cows, as I really do.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
We target to start calving on Mother' Day each year - - so hell yes!
j&lfarms
Well-known member
Going for a mid night check on a very expecting cow tonight
CKC1586
Well-known member
One of the things I miss the most....
glacierridge
Well-known member
Every single day...
And I love watching them babies grow!!
And I love watching them babies grow!!
