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Breeding / Calving Issues
Gestation Length and CE and Vigor
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<blockquote data-quote="Randi" data-source="post: 1315136" data-attributes="member: 24883"><p>The really short gestation bull is gone, not because of his calves, (that would have been a consideration) but, because of his 'travellin' ways'</p><p></p><p>But, I have to disagree somewhat on the size vs maturity being the reason the little calves can't tolerate the cold. While, I am certain that maturity DOES make a difference, as far as cold tolerance, I also KNOW that size regardless of maturity makes a huge difference. </p><p></p><p>Little calves just cannot handle cold weather as well as larger calves. It is simply that they don't have enough body mass to combat cold weather, and they cool down quicker. So, if they don't get up and going immediately, whether it be poor mothering, long birth or whatever, you better be there shortly or they will just lay there and freeze to death. A bigger calf can take the cold for a lot longer, which may simply mean that you have a better chance of finding it before it is too late. </p><p></p><p>PLUS, on the bottom line side of things, those little 60 lb calves tend to be still 'little' in the fall when sale time comes around.</p><p></p><p>It is a fine line for heifers IMO, if you want easy calving (which doesn't have to mean tiny calves) plus calf vigor ( too big of calves hurt this too) and growth (little calves at birth tend to be little calves at weaning) In a perfect world, I would like to see calves in that 75-85 lb range for heifers. Small enough that good growthy heifers can have them without help, yet large enough that if mama has milk they will make a decent weight come sale time.</p><p></p><p>I find that the calves out of the 'bigger' heifer bull have just as much vigor as the little calves do on a nice day, and WAY more than the little calves when the weather is not so nice...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Randi, post: 1315136, member: 24883"] The really short gestation bull is gone, not because of his calves, (that would have been a consideration) but, because of his 'travellin' ways' But, I have to disagree somewhat on the size vs maturity being the reason the little calves can't tolerate the cold. While, I am certain that maturity DOES make a difference, as far as cold tolerance, I also KNOW that size regardless of maturity makes a huge difference. Little calves just cannot handle cold weather as well as larger calves. It is simply that they don't have enough body mass to combat cold weather, and they cool down quicker. So, if they don't get up and going immediately, whether it be poor mothering, long birth or whatever, you better be there shortly or they will just lay there and freeze to death. A bigger calf can take the cold for a lot longer, which may simply mean that you have a better chance of finding it before it is too late. PLUS, on the bottom line side of things, those little 60 lb calves tend to be still 'little' in the fall when sale time comes around. It is a fine line for heifers IMO, if you want easy calving (which doesn't have to mean tiny calves) plus calf vigor ( too big of calves hurt this too) and growth (little calves at birth tend to be little calves at weaning) In a perfect world, I would like to see calves in that 75-85 lb range for heifers. Small enough that good growthy heifers can have them without help, yet large enough that if mama has milk they will make a decent weight come sale time. I find that the calves out of the 'bigger' heifer bull have just as much vigor as the little calves do on a nice day, and WAY more than the little calves when the weather is not so nice... [/QUOTE]
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