talltimber
Well-known member
You're living the charmed life, or I'm just a snake-bit be nice.
Congrats, as it's sucking be nice around here.
Congrats, as it's sucking be nice around here.
I'm A Little Nervous
- Thread starter Ol' 243
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
Ol' 243
Well-known member
I'm sure my luck will change, and I hope for sure yours will.
We have 15 on the ground we have lost three out of first calf heifers so far, two just way to early one the heifer was licking all over it when we found it but it had afterbirth covering its nose and mouth. 17 heifers to go. Our AI due date is 9/29 as of yesterday we had a total of 34. I can assure you we will be backing our calving up a few weeks next season it is just to dang hot to have this many calves on the ground, I think the heat has played a huge part in our losses this year.
Gizmom
Gizmom
talltimber
Well-known member
Yes, that's the general consensus here too. Several neighbors experiencing the same as me.
farmerjan
Well-known member
I get a little scared reading all the problems and losses that some of you have. Calved 9 first calf heifers, the first was a premie that lived nearly 2 1/2 weeks but couldn't get his temp down and his lungs were just not developed. He had some infection that the vet couldn't pinpoint. Put a holstein bull calf on her and she's been out loose with him (after 4 days in the pen) for 2 weeks now. Have one more heifer to go but she is a few weeks behind the rest. Have 27 calves on the ground at one place and 10 at the other with 25 and 21 to go at the respective places. Already moved 15 of the 27 out to pasture for fall grazing. Haven't pulled a calf in 2 years and then it was backwards and we just hurried it along a bit and she raised it fine.
Maybe I just better shut up and not jinx it. The thing of this is, this is normal for us. I check the heifers twice a day, and the cows get checked once or twice all according to our off farm work schedules. Maybe waiting til the heifers are 2 1/2 is what is working for us.
Maybe I just better shut up and not jinx it. The thing of this is, this is normal for us. I check the heifers twice a day, and the cows get checked once or twice all according to our off farm work schedules. Maybe waiting til the heifers are 2 1/2 is what is working for us.
gizmom":1wl66tx7 said:
Woke up to a new born dead calf this morning myself. Either two weeks early or a week late. Based on size of calf, heat detection, and bag development I'm saying two weeks early. Not hot here. Plenty of shade. Who knows why it's dead.
Question - this is her second calf. Nice cow. Prices are in the basement for cull. Are you re-breeding your heifers that lost calves or parting company with them?
dun":3kdq1lsq said:
would you give this cow a chance to breed again in November (when I breed) for a calf next year? typically I wouldn't but when you can only get $600 for a slaughter cow and hay costs next to nothing.....
I won't normally give cows a second chance, but I think breeding early has played a major factor for us this year. We have lost five calves, one was out of a heifer we purchased last September, we were not able to get her shipped until December the fella we purchased her from went ahead and AI'd her a week prior to shipping. She stuck, but being hauled that far a week after breeding, coming into a totally different environment (a really hot one) could have played a big part in her lost calf. One we don't know who the mamma is, one we feel suffocated found with the heifer still licking it just didn't get the afterbirth off its head. Loss number 4 was another first calf heifer that did everything she could do but the calf was just two early and weak to make it, she stood over it for five days before it finally died. We were treating the calf, but the lungs just weren't developed enough to make it. Calf number five was out of a coming three year old cow and this was her second calf. So for us we will give the heifers another shot the three year old will probably get a trip to town.
gizmom
gizmom
farmerjan
Well-known member
We usually give the first calf heifers a second chance and some of the other cows that have raised real nice calves in the past. Old cows go. What I am curious about, does no one else try to get a cow (with a dead calf) to take another calf? That is essential here with us. Unless the cow is really old or doesn't have any udder or something, the first thing we do is get them in and find a calf to graft on them. I don't waste a lactation, and as soon as they have really accepted the calf, she goes out with the rest of her "herd" and goes with the bull and rebred, just like it was her own calf from the start. Last year lost a total of 3 calves, 2 born dead on their own, 1 we think the coyotes got as we couldn't find it the next morning after seeing it late that evening with her at dark; out of 182 calving; and 2 took the holstein bull calves and the third was an onery old b**ch that would let the calf nurse when I was standing there, but would knock it against the fence when she thought I wasn't watching and after 2 weeks of twice a day baby sitting so he could nurse, she went to town. We try to keep them in fields to calve where we can get them into a catch pen if there is any problem. Because most of our cows will follow if we put the calf on the truck, or even to drag it behind the truck, we can get them in somewhere to work with them or trailer them to the barn with a couple of pens that I can put them in and work with them. And I work full time so it's not like I have all day to fool with them. We just don't want to waste that whole year, and a holstein bull calf costs about $100 now, and will only bring $300 to $400 now but that beats no calf. Takes me an average of 5 days to get her to take it and be able to turn her out without worrying.
When I pulled the dead twins from our 13 year old cow we grafted a calf from a 6 year old downer I had to shoot onto her so she now has a calf out in the field. If I had a calf to graft to this cow I might give it a shot but going through the work to buy find a calf, buy the calf, haul the calf, and graft the calf which for the last cow involved barn storage, hobbling the cow, running her and the calf through the chute twice a day for 3-4 days is not worth money. Especially considering the possibility that the new calf could also die or bring something into your herd that isn't already there.
Ol' 243
Well-known member
Another good day.
farmerjan
Well-known member
I agree that there is little point in trying to graft a calf on a cow that was 2-3 weeks early and likely no milk. I was just reading others that had a dead calf for whatever reason and the cow trying to revive it... and the one we had that had the premie that died after nearly 3 weeks, was making milk even if not up to her full potential. The grafted calf may not get all the milk he would have if she had been full term, but he is doing okay now and will go to eating sooner if he is hungry. My thoughts were that saving a lactation even with a holstein bull calf beats the cow not having anything on her especially if you want to keep her and rebreed her. Salvage value now @ maybe &750., will only pay half on a replacement grade heifer, and you don't necessarily know what you are getting. I just didn't see where anyone was talking about grafting a calf on a cow and I wondered if most people didn't do it. :?: :?: :?:dun":1ct1yncf said:
Ol' 243
Well-known member
Calving has been fine, it's the rain situation now. Dang it's dry here.
coachg
Well-known member
I feel your pain 243 ! Look on the drought map up in the right hand corner of Alabama , and we are that dark maroon spot that reads extreme drought !
farmboy80
Well-known member
Any updates on calves? How'd it go?
