Hi. New to this board, and while looking around discovered the thread on Galloway. We've been raising solid Galloway since 1998. Out of 56 calves one was assisted. We now calve 15 to 16 per year, and calve our first calf heifers with the rest of the cows at our main pasture 13 miles from home. I just try to get to the calves to tag them before they get too rambunctious to catch. Overall we have had two
calf mortalities, one at 3 days which was a calf with obvious problems (very tiny at birth and poor suckling instincts), while the other
was probably related to an accidental inbreeding. We've been quite pleased with the natural efficiency of the breed. Since we direct market grassfed beef we don't worry too much about what others think of the haircoat (a winter thing). We just enjoy the savings in energy/feed costs. Half of our herd is still grazing pastures, grubbing out old brome and fescue wherever they can find it. They are bred back and nursing 5 month old calves.