Fertile cows or what?

[ClinchValley86]

Little red is doing much better as of yesterday. I've given up on her nursing Momma ever. She will try sucking my finger but only pulls a couple times rom a bottle and stops.

She does drink from a plain ol water bottle like a champ though. Going to get her drinking from a bucket if I can. Got her a little shelter right by the house so we and the dogs can keep an eye on her.

Her mommas bag is too dang big and low I think. Calf just will not go low enough, even when put right on it. Instantly goes up to the flank.

 

[A.J.]

I'm sorry you lost the one calf, but glad the little red one is doing better. That's maddening when they can't figure out how to latch on like that with all that good milk right there. Ive got an older cow with a bag like the one you're describing. The last two out of three calves she's had had to be assisted with nursing after they were born because they couldn't figure out the right angle to latch on. She's a sweetheart of a cow that raises good calves and lets me work with them if needed, but I'm gonna have to send her to town, because it gets old having to watch and worry every time she has a calf if they are gonna be able to nurse or not. Too many other things can go wrong without having to add that into the equation.

 

[ClinchValley86]

I'm sorry you lost the one calf, but glad the little red one is doing better. That's maddening when they can't figure out how to latch on like that with all that good milk right there. Ive got an older cow with a bag like the one you're describing. The last two out of three calves she's had had to be assisted with nursing after they were born because they couldn't figure out the right angle to latch on. She's a sweetheart of a cow that raises good calves and lets me work with them if needed, but I'm gonna have to send her to town, because it gets old having to watch and worry every time she has a calf if they are gonna be able to nurse or not. Too many other things can go wrong without having to add that into the equation.

Absolutely. Both these cows were problematic last year. I should have called it then. Considering trying a 15 year old beef. With the condition of them the odds are very good I think. Worst case they'll make a lot of hamburger. Both run 1400 pounds or better. They're going on corn soon for Late September appointments unless I change my mind. These slaughter cow prices very well could change it.

Been reading about the desirability of older cow beef in France. I've gone as far as 8 or 9 years old I'm pretty sure and all was good. See no reason why these wouldn't be. Will be for personal/family consumption anyways.

On a side note, the calf did nurse 2.5 quarts from a bottle this morning. I may try one more time to get it to nurse momma. My 6 year old daughter is ready for a bottle calf she says. Wants to halter it. Lol.

 

[A.J.]

Absolutely. Both these cows were problematic last year. I should have called it then. Considering trying a 15 year old beef. With the condition of them the odds are very good I think. Worst case they'll make a lot of hamburger. Both run 1400 pounds or better. They're going on corn soon for Late September appointments unless I change my mind. These slaughter cow prices very well could change it.

Been reading about the desirability of older cow beef in France. I've gone as far as 8 or 9 years old I'm pretty sure and all was good. See no reason why these wouldn't be. Will be for personal/family consumption anyways.

On a side note, the calf did nurse 2.5 quarts from a bottle this morning. I may try one more time to get it to nurse momma. My 6 year old daughter is ready for a bottle calf she says. Wants to halter it. Lol.

It sounds like those should make a lot of beef for you if you decide to have them processed. It's good to have different options with them like that. Maybe the calf will be ready to nurse it's momma now that it took bottle. Seems like the light bulb finally goes off for them sometimes and they start nursing away. At least you've got you a good helper if it winds up being a bottle calf.

 

[dave_shelby]

Same experience as you with my fall calvers. I noticed cows bagging up and sure enough 3 calves have been born to date and it looks like more to follow. Two were bred and estimated 18 and 22 days after birthing by the calendar.

Surprising as I had some health issues last fall (clots) and couldn't vaccinate, did not worm. I never got our hay tested and we had poor stockpile on account of dry weather, so never supplemented either. I payed for it with low weaning weights. Now we did have a warm winter, so that might also have helped?

 

[ClinchValley86]

Same experience as you with my fall calvers. I noticed cows bagging up and sure enough 3 calves have been born to date and it looks like more to follow. Two were bred and estimated 18 and 22 days after birthing by the calendar.

Surprising as I had some health issues last fall (clots) and couldn't vaccinate, did not worm. I never got our hay tested and we had poor stockpile on account of dry weather, so never supplemented either. I payed for it with low weaning weights. Now we did have a warm winter, so that might also have helped?

Our calf weights were light too. I'm blaming it on the weather and poor fall/winter grazing.

Interesting that you're getting them early too. Hope all is going swell.

You get the blood clot issue figured out I hope.

 

[TCRanch]

Her mommas bag is too dang big and low I think. Calf just will not go low enough, even when put right on it. Instantly goes up to the flank.

Have you milked mama to make sure her teats aren't plugged, the milk is good/not mastitis?

I've had (and subsequently sold!) a couple cows like that. Once I get the calf latched on to my finger, I'll actually bend the teat up before I get the calf onto the teat and hold it in that position. Sometimes it helps to squirt some milk around the calf's mouth first. But they've always figured it out after that.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Also, get calf sucking the bottle and "lead' the calf to the teat with the bottle.

 

[ClinchValley86]

Have had quite a few the last week or so. Here are a couple of them.

Ninety percent of them calved in the first 21 days. Got 3 cows left to go.

A couple of these calves have to be close to 100 pounders.

Pic of the borrowed bull that sired the calves.

 

[SDgrampa]

Have had quite a few the last week or so. Here are a couple of them.

Ninety percent of them calved in the first 21 days. Got 3 cows left to go.

A couple of these calves have to be close to 100 pounders.

Pic of the borrowed bull that sired the calves.

Big calves born without problems in the first cycle and the grass I see,thata the recipe for profit

 

[wbvs58]

90% born in the first 21days, now that is fertile cows.

Ken

 

[Brute 23]

It's funny how with all the epds coming out fertility is not charted. You just have to take the breeders word on that one. You would have thought that would be thr most important.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Have a SH/Hereford cross that calves at 10 months interval.
She just had one week ago.
Girl stays fat and healthy and must give pure cream.

 

[MurraysMutts]

90% born in the first 21days, now that is fertile cows.

Ken

And a busy bull!

 

[wbvs58]

And a busy bull!

Good cows put their arse up to the bull so he doesn't have to work too hard though.

Ken

 

[ClinchValley86]

The two oddball mommas calved the last two weeks. Which, isn't late, it's when I was expecting. The others were just super early.

Have two 2nd calvers that one might not have bred. The other is getting close to dropping one. I sure hope the other is going to too. She's a chocolate simangus out of my favorite momma.

 

[farmerjan]

Was expecting calves to start the first of Oct, with the vet calling them all in the 4-5 month range when we had preg checked them; Very uniform timing..... Plan was to bring them home from pasture with their older calves, wean, and have close to the 60 dry/rest period. Calve here at the farm where we can watch and tag easier...Got them home around the 10th of Aug... most cows were dry having weaned the calves themselves and the calves never hardly noticed the cows were moved into a different field for calving... Well, they were a little further along than we planned and what the vet called, and have 11 on the ground in the last 10 days... so there are quite a few that backed up to 11 months, and according to my records, a couple were 10 1/2 months. They had been late with the previous calves due to not getting the bulls in as soon as they should have been that year, so they more than have made up for it.
And we had only 3 out of 70 open when they were checked and we put them out with their calves for the summer since we had alot of grass and our cow numbers were down. They are fat as all get out even though they are older cows so will sell good when we get them in later on.
Some years it just works out better...

 

[ClinchValley86]

Was expecting calves to start the first of Oct, with the vet calling them all in the 4-5 month range when we had preg checked them; Very uniform timing..... Plan was to bring them home from pasture with their older calves, wean, and have close to the 60 dry/rest period. Calve here at the farm where we can watch and tag easier...Got them home around the 10th of Aug... most cows were dry having weaned the calves themselves and the calves never hardly noticed the cows were moved into a different field for calving... Well, they were a little further along than we planned and what the vet called, and have 11 on the ground in the last 10 days... so there are quite a few that backed up to 11 months, and according to my records, a couple were 10 1/2 months. They had been late with the previous calves due to not getting the bulls in as soon as they should have been that year, so they more than have made up for it.
And we had only 3 out of 70 open when they were checked and we put them out with their calves for the summer since we had alot of grass and our cow numbers were down. They are fat as all get out even though they are older cows so will sell good when we get them in later on.
Some years it just works out better...

Seems this was one of those years. Got a neighbor with many cows and he said his bred back real early last year too. Something was in the air, and it wasn't rain. Lol

 

[branxchar&charx]

Was expecting calves to start the first of Oct, with the vet calling them all in the 4-5 month range when we had preg checked them; Very uniform timing..... Plan was to bring them home from pasture with their older calves, wean, and have close to the 60 dry/rest period. Calve here at the farm where we can watch and tag easier...Got them home around the 10th of Aug... most cows were dry having weaned the calves themselves and the calves never hardly noticed the cows were moved into a different field for calving... Well, they were a little further along than we planned and what the vet called, and have 11 on the ground in the last 10 days... so there are quite a few that backed up to 11 months, and according to my records, a couple were 10 1/2 months. They had been late with the previous calves due to not getting the bulls in as soon as they should have been that year, so they more than have made up for it.
And we had only 3 out of 70 open when they were checked and we put them out with their calves for the summer since we had alot of grass and our cow numbers were down. They are fat as all get out even though they are older cows so will sell good when we get them in later on.
Some years it just works out better...

Seems this was one of those years. Got a neighbor with many cows and he said his bred back real early last year too. Something was in the air, and it wasn't rain. Lol

Very similar here as well. Had a few cows calve in the 10.5 month range compared to last year ('23, '22 calving dates):
Feb 25, Apr 15
Mar 12, May 10
Jun 20, Aug 3
Most gained 20-30 days. Something in the air indeed.lol

 

[anewcomer]

Branxchar, do you run bulls with cows year round?