More angus or simmental calf. Born to early?

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TXMike

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I bought a simmental/brangus heifer from a lady in town. The heifer was born 2-17-15. She is solid black with one white spec on her face. I'll try and get a picture of her this afternoon. The bull she was out of was a pure bred simmental with alot of black and white on him.
My bull is a registered angus and he's solid black. All my cows are hereford or hereford cross and all the calves have been solid black or black with just the white face.

I bought her on 3-23-16 and put her with my bull since he's a LBW angus and throws a small calf and figured he'd take a month or so to breed her. So now she just dropped a calf yesterday. Which means she was exactly 22 months old. I try for 2 years but I'm thinking she'll be alright since she's just a little short of 2 years.

The thing is 3-23 to 12-17 isn't 9 months..... It isn't much shy of 9 months but I've always been told gestation is actually a little longer than 9 months. Plus this calf has so much white on it it makes me curious who the sire is. What are the chances that this is out of her bull? And is 22 months to young for a first calf heifer?








This is my first calf with a pink nose and no color around the eyes also. Is there anything I should do to protect it from sunburn?
 
I'd say, that heifer came to the party already bred. I wouldn't worry about it. Looks like everything is working out alright.
 
A very Simmental calf and looks fine. The heifer being Simmental will try to milk hard so keep her nutrition up so she will breed back when you want.
 
The momma has a pretty small bag but she's been eating like crazy. I wasnt expecting her to calve for another month or so. I'm at work so I haven't been able to get any pictures of her. My wife said the calf is still moving around and curious so I'm not sweating it to much.

She doesn't seem like a super great momma like my herefords are. She seems more worried about eating. That's the only time the calf gets a good nurse session in is when she has her head in a feed trough or hay ring. I've seen the calf bawling a couple times and she didn't come running like the hereford do. Hopefully it's just those young first calf heifers and she'll get better at it.

The lady I bought her from sent me some pictures of her bull. She said she thinks it came out of him as well. Man hes a good lookin bull to. Hopefully this will end up being a good heifer and I might keep her.



 
Yeah, I think she came in heat and got caught before you got her. Like everyone else is saying, just try to keep up her nutrition so she will make enough milk and still grow. It's hard on them calving that young unless you are really feeding them. Also, sometimes they just don't have that same "mothering" worry instinct when young so as long as the calf looks like it is eating and she is allowing it I would just go on. Glad she had it with no problem.
Do you breed for year round calves or try to get them all in the spring or fall? It might do her good to hold her back and put her back with the bull in May or June for a spring calf the next year if that fits in with your breeding program. Give her a little time to grow a bit more.
Had a heifer get bred and calve at 21 months...SURPRISE. She is working on her 5th calf this year and her 1st daughter (Surprise) is bred for her 3rd calf in the spring. Smoke is smaller than the rest of the family but she does a good job. Kept her back and gave her a chance to grow a bit; went 17 months between 1st and 2nd calf and has never missed a lick since then.
Hope you are as lucky with this heifer and her new calf.
 
i just had a heifer give birth at 18 months old. she's fine and doing wonderful. calf is almost 3 months old now.. 4th gen.
 
I've got good hay out 24/7 and I've been putting cubes out every day for them. I don't have any mineral out but I might try and buy some. Calf seems healthy and happy. Momma is alot easier going now. Before she would get anxious and walk around while the calf was nursing but she just stands there now.

I'm thinking I might try and keep this calf if she fills out good. She seems very tame.

Thanks for the replies
 
my heifers typically calf 10-12 days early so right at or just before 9 months so I don't find that unusual.

need to get mineral out asap. She's dumping a ton of mineral into that milk right now.
 
If she got bred the day you brought her home, she was 269 days bred, which is a little early. I would say she was bred on the previous cycle by the owner's bull.
Good luck with her. Everyone has given some good advice...
 

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