Gcrkranch: Calving
- Thread starter Bright Raven
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Bright Raven
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Nesikep
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glad the weather is cooperating.. today wasn't too nice here though
Bright Raven
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gcreekrch said:
Glad to do it. It has been cool here.
uplandnut
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Nice looking calves and cows.
Randi
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Your barn setup looks a lot like ours.
sim.-ang.king
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gcreekrch said:
No point in waiting around, git'r dun. :cowboy:
Jeanne - Simme Valley
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I saw a tag on at least 1 calf. do you tag them right away at calving? That's a LOT of calves to process in "not a LOT of time!
Great pictures!
Great pictures!
Jeanne - Simme Valley said:
Every calf gets two intranasal vaccines, a Toltrazuril capsule, bull calves are banded, weight guesstimated within 5 lbs and an ear tag as close to birth as possible. We do have help so I can concentrate on tagging and any calving difficulties that arise.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Great management. You and/or help must not get much sleep!!!
Jeanne - Simme Valley said:
This spring has been great weather. I make a check at 1 AM and am usually back to sleep at 2:30 after covering three groups of cattle over 120 acres. Have been averaging about 7 hours.
We once calved in February with 200 cows. It was more work and less sleep than our management now. We have learned to cull very hard for bags. Most cows are sold as bred cows at 8 or 9 years old as that is when their udders seem to go and many need assistance with calves getting first suck. That is a chore that can use up many hours.
Nesikep
Well-known member
I'm sure glad I didn't calf out in feb this year... I've been working hard on udders too.. I'm at a pretty good point there now.. they're all functional and don't seem to fall apart with age anymore. Still have some minor improvements to do.. a few less extra teats in some lines.
I find the "right" udder is one where on a mature cow the bottom of the bag is at navel height when it's full, and teats the size of your thumb, laid out nice and squarely
I think this cow was about 4 years old..
Right before calving at about 10 years old... certainly more milk in there but a calf should have no issues finding those spigots
I find the "right" udder is one where on a mature cow the bottom of the bag is at navel height when it's full, and teats the size of your thumb, laid out nice and squarely
I think this cow was about 4 years old..
Right before calving at about 10 years old... certainly more milk in there but a calf should have no issues finding those spigots
Nesikep
Well-known member
gcreekrch said:
you just had to say it didn't you!
Gcrkranch, do you breed AI with clean up or strictly walking bulls? Do you synchronize? What is your cow:bull ratio? What percentage of your herd will calve in the first heat cycle? How many years have you started your breeding season on the same date? Thanks.
anewcomer said:
No AI, no synchronizing. We use 6 bulls per 100 cows on mostly open range. Many years we are at least 20% done before due date. We normally are 80%+ done 30 days after the first calf is born. We just may beat that this year.
Have been turning bulls out July 1 to 3 for about 20 years now. It works better for lazy people to calve when the weather is a little more on your side.
( Most years!)Gcrkranch, thanks for that information. It is obvious that you have your nutrition right between calving and breeding to have that many born in the first cycle. Many of us on this board would be well served to follow your techniques.
