New calf - w/pics

[milkmaid]

My first calf of the year... one cow done, one cow left to calve. Black bally bull calf, looks to weigh around 80lbs. On the ground 30 minutes after the water bag broke.

Sired by Magnum: http://www.selectsires.com/beef/directo ... /7HP99.pdf

Calf's been in the planning about 2 years, so I'm pretty excited to get him the way I wanted him. With my luck, I was expecting the cow to spit out a purple hermaphrodite or something. LOL.

 

[Jogeephus]

Nice looking calf and from the looks of the mother it sure ought to grow well. Congrats. Impressive sire too.

 

[Beefy]

lol @ purple hermaphrodite.

 

[CKC1586]

Beautiful pair! Congrats! Had a nice bull calf here yesterday too!
Gotta ask the question, how come you have twine tied onto Mom's back leg?

 

[mnmtranching]

Good job! a nice pair.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

MM - congrats!!! Cow looks really good. Is she holstein/Angus? Where the heck did you get all those spots?? holstein? Really makes a great looking calf. Too bad it wasn't a heifer. Real flashy.

 

[milkmaid]

She is an angus/Hol cross. The string on her leg is because she's been a dry cow at the dairy (I only got her back Thursday) and if she gets in with the milking herd, it reminds the milkers she's dry. I suspect the spots came from the Holstein side, but he looks like a standard not-F1 black bally to me. I actually wanted a bull calf, kinda hoping I can talk one of my brothers into taking him in 4H next year; no one will ever be able to tell he's 1/4 Holstein.

As to the cow, this'll probably be her last calf -- you can't see it in the pics, but she has a bad case of lumpy jaw I haven't been able to get cleared up. I'm starting sodium iodide treatment next week, couldn't use it before since she was bred and I didn't want to abort this calf. Been a nice cow though.

She settled second service to AI (sexed semen) as a 14 month old heifer (she's the cow who gave me the solid black 3/4 holstein bull last year) and settled first service to AI last year while raising 3 calves on just pasture. She'll be 3 years old next month.

 

[bigbull338]

you have a real nice pair there.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Very cute. Nice pics. I especially like the 2nd one.

Hey, you're halfway through with your calving season :lol:

Katherine

 

[hillsdown]

Wow, MM the calf sure is flashy.. What is the Holstein background of the dam ?

 

[Portalesman]

Unless the mother is a nurse cow, I wouldn't have it around. Every buyer on the floor will be able to pick out the Holstein blood and the calf will be docked in price.

Just sayin'.

 

[TheBullLady]

What a neat calf! I'm a sucker for spots and white socks! Nothing makes a nicer momma cow than a Holstein Angus cross. We had those for years when we lived in Illinois. A lot of the dairys used Angus bulls on their first calf heifers, and would sell the heifer calves cheap.

You might get lucky on the lumpy jaw. I had a bad case of it two years ago, and gave two treatments, 10 days apart, and the cow recovered fine. Hopefully you'll have similar results.

 

[milkmaid]

TBL -- I hope the treatment works. I'll start tomorrow, I've had 2 vets opinions on her and will probably go 10 days apart X 3 treatments and then do a 4th treatment a month later. Have to take her over to the clinic; I can run the IV but that cow needs a good chute and a twitch, and I don't have either at home.

Portalesman -- I have to disagree with you there. As long as a calf isn't underfed and potbellied, I've seen enough buyers at the auction and folks on here who can't recognize a half-Holstein calf; I can't see any reason anyone would pick out a 1/4 Hol calf that otherwise looks like a beef calf. Had a group of Hol/Angus steers some years ago that sold at the top end of the beef prices at the auction (not dairy price).

HD -- I'm not 100% certain, she's out of a grade Holstein cow on a dairy that runs herd bulls. This was her dam, first lactation:

I think I have a pic of (the cow I think is) her granddam, I can find it later if you're interested. Right now I need to walk that black cow down to the dairy to get milked.

 

[hillsdown]

Thanns MM but that's OK. I was just wondering what the original sire looked like and his line, like if he was really spotted.

BTW, your cow looks way more beef than Holstein so I am sure she will pass that onto her calf as well and with all that milk he will grow like a weed.

 

[Philip30]

Spammer

 

[backhoeboogie]

Congratulations MM. Its always a joy to see your posts and work.

 

[VanC]

I realize this is an old thread, but I'd like to point out that we are no longer allowed to call a 1/4 Holstein calf a black baldy. Our resident novice/expert has changed the rules.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Shucks! I missed the original posting date completely!

 

[VanC]

Shucks! I missed the original posting date completely!

Easy to do, but I'm glad you brought it back up. Made for a good teaching moment. We must be vigilant. Calling anything other than an Angus/Hereford cross a black baldy must not be tolerated. :tiphat:

 

[Texas Gal]

Shucks! I missed the original posting date completely!

Easy to do, but I'm glad you brought it back up. Made for a good teaching moment. We must be vigilant. Calling anything other than an Angus/Hereford cross a black baldy must not be tolerated. :tiphat:

I can't keep up any more.....I thought we were supposed to call them Black Herefords now. ;-) It's so confusing these days.