how do you catch and weigh your calves

[dbrews1954]

looking for some ideas on how to catch and weigh your calves with out mama killing you, expecting my first one march 7th, still pretty cold up here,but would like to get bw on it,lowline angus
thank you

 

[robert]

looking for some ideas on how to catch and weigh your calves with out mama killing you, expecting my first one march 7th, still pretty cold up here,but would like to get bw on it,lowline angus
thank you

first thing to do is cull the cows who try to kill you, disposition is one of the easiest and most heritable functional traits to select for, if you're laid up in the ER with a big invoice sitting on your chest you won't be caring too much how heavy the calf was.........

 

[pdfangus]

I agree with Robert....

but if they are low line just pick the cow up and put her in a milk crate or cardboard box til you are done with the calf....devil made me type it.....lol :devil2: :cowboy:

 

[heath]

we would always rope them and measure their foot to get their weight.

 

[pdfangus]

we would always rope them and measure their foot to get their weight.

if you are going to go to the trouble of roping the calf why not weigh it rather than a highly variable foot measure. :cboy:

 

[heath]

Cause that's the way the foreman wanted it done. We also tagged the calf at that time. I don't weigh mine at birth, all I do is check for sex.

 

[Kscattle]

I've seen three point hitch carry alls that people pull the calf in and tag/ weigh them. They have sides about three ft tall and once the calfs inside they raise the 3pt to protect the guy in the carry all. Takes two people though, one in tractor and one in the box.

 

[novatech]

first thing to do is cull the cows who try to kill you, disposition is one of the easiest and most heritable functional traits to select for, if you're laid up in the ER with a big invoice sitting on your chest you won't be caring too much how heavy the calf was.........

If you raised Brahmans you wouldn't have any cows left after you you culled for cows protecting their calves. I have always made the assumption that even the most docile cow would eat my lunch if I messed with her new born.
I use a hay ring on a front end loader placed over the calf. (Actually I use a skid steer). The other way is to have a passenger in my truck pick up the calf and pull it up into the cab while the cow is on the drivers side. Drive off and weigh the calf and then bring it back or take it into a pen if the cow chases the truck.
I agree with what you are saying about the heritable disposition. But if this bad disposition only occurs at calving with newborns then personally I would rather they keep it. It is what keeps calves alive rather than letting buzzards or coyotes get them. I can wait a couple of weeks for them to get back to there normal docile selves. The assumption they will get me keeps me alive.

 

[snake67]

looking for some ideas on how to catch and weigh your calves with out mama killing you, expecting my first one march 7th, still pretty cold up here,but would like to get bw on it,lowline angus
thank you

We do not bother any more. As long as it is alive and sucking on moms tits it does not matter. All being equal, it will live and grow and in 6-8 months we will sell its sorry ass down the road for more money than it is worth and start the whole sequence all over again.

You might think on that a bit. What is really important and what is not?

Cheers

Bez

 

[I.C.Angus]

We have a scale that we mount on the hitch of our gator our pick up. Then one person can catch and weigh the calf, while the other helps distract momma. We usually tag and band at the same time... If we have a cow that's being overly protective, we wait A day or so until she leaves the calf to nap while she's eating or something...

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

looking for some ideas on how to catch and weigh your calves with out mama killing you, expecting my first one march 7th, still pretty cold up here,but would like to get bw on it,lowline angus
thank you

We do not bother any more. As long as it is alive and sucking on moms tits it does not matter. All being equal, it will live and grow and in 6-8 months we will sell its sorry ass down the road for more money than it is worth and start the whole sequence all over again.

You might think on that a bit. What is really important and what is not?

Cheers

Bez

I really appreciate how you cut to the chase Bez. You always give me something to consider.

 

[Alan]

First off I agree with Robert, if I have a cow I have to worry about running me over it grows wheels, goodbye, too many good mannered cattle to own. Second I have a small operation, so I use a iron pipe about 10 to 12 ft long. I drilled a hole about a ft or two from one end and bolted In a eye loop. Within 24 hrs of birth I tie the calves legs like a calf roper with no roping experience. Give the shots, ear tag and weigh. I stab the end of the 10 to 12 ft rode in the ground, hang a scale from the eye loop and hook the other end to the calf's leg ties. Then just use the leverage to lift the pole and calf off the ground to get the weight. Easy and only minimal hard breathing.

 

[redcowsrule33]

For the most part we just use a hanging scale and a sling, weigh when we tag right out in the pasture. Once in awhile we get one that's a little growly, but we have a creep pasture that we can sneak the calves in to adjacent to where the cows calve and get it done there. We weigh everything because half are registered and it helps on post-weaning analysis even with the commercials.

I used to know a guy that had some really aggressive Limmis. He brought the cows and calves in every night to a bedded shed, fed outside in the morning, let the cows out and shut the door behind them. The youngest ones usually didn't follow mom out, so he could tag and weigh w/o "assistance". Worked for him.

 

[randiliana]

We bring the pair up from the calving paddock, through the corral, separate the calf from the cow, usually fairly easily and go from there. Cow can't get into the barn with us so we don't have to worry about her. Then they go out onto a clean paddock with the other new babies.

If she's so nasty that we can't do this, she will go down the road. Been known to sell off the calf to someone who had a cow lose one and then ship the cow to the next sale.

I'll post a video of our set up tomorrow sometime, being as we have a camera set up to oversee the place....

 

[Galloways1]

We usually weigh with a spring scale and sling. We tag at the same time. We try to do this within 24hrs. We have a calf hook to snare them, if I am too slow. Wife keeps the agressive cows occupied while i am weighing / tagging. The extension portion of the calf hook does not collapse / extend very well after being bent around a concerned mommas head.

 

[tsmaxx47]

just pick up the calf and step on a bathroom scale.....

 

[pdfangus]

just pick up the calf and step on a bathroom scale.....

all my calves would weigh fifty pounds then casue most don't go past 300 and I am 250....

 

[TN Cattle Man]

First off I agree with Robert, if I have a cow I have to worry about running me over it grows wheels, goodbye, too many good mannered cattle to own. Second I have a small operation, so I use a iron pipe about 10 to 12 ft long. I drilled a hole about a ft or two from one end and bolted In a eye loop. Within 24 hrs of birth I tie the calves legs like a calf roper with no roping experience. Give the shots, ear tag and weigh. I stab the end of the 10 to 12 ft rode in the ground, hang a scale from the eye loop and hook the other end to the calf's leg ties. Then just use the leverage to lift the pole and calf off the ground to get the weight. Easy and only minimal hard breathing.

Alan,

Just curious as to what shots you are giving to a newborn calf?

Brian

 

[HOSS]

I bought a digital luggage scale. It is a hand held scale that has a hook on one end for picking up suitcases by the handle to weight them. I use a piece of wide webbing strap to put under the calf and then just pick it up and read the handy scale.

 

[shadyhollownj]

walmart digital goes up to 350 as I am 250. The key is not to get kicked in the nuts when the calf gets frisky when your trying to hold still. The real pain is tapping it while holding the calf and trying to see the scale when it zeros.