New round of heifers

[lithuanian farmer]

Not much time left until will start AI some bigger and elder heifers. Should start it around the mid of June. Girls are looking pretty good after winter and still hasn't seen any grass. All are sired by the last limousine bull, so they look abit different from what we used to see in the first limo bull's progeny. He added some more size and longer legs on most, but slightly less muscles.
Some of the heifers:

Like this one alot. She's out of 11years old 3/4Char cow. Have weaned a full sister just recently- another tank and dam is due with charolais calf this year. Fingers crossed for another heifer.

Another bigger heifer. Family has a history of big weaning weights. Her dam is 8 years old and also has weaned a full sister of this one recently.

Twins. Really like one, another is lacking abit, but still will ry to keep both. Have a full sister weaned now too.

The youngest from all in the pics. Have a full sister born this year. Mom is 8 years old and definitely will stay for much longer.
Going to use limousine, parthenaise and maybe blonde for the girls.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

some pretty good looking heifers.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

They look pretty good.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

One week out on grass and what a change it made... I start to wonder if some won't get abit too fat until we'll start AI... This time way better pics, and nicer scenery!

Real twins.

One twin.

Second twin.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

The one on the right is for culling.

Two plain heifers. Both have size, but not much of shape. The red ones dam been culled this year, so she'll replace her. Lighter heifer will be kept for her dam's calving ease.

The whole group!

Really like one twin's top. If only all had a similar one...

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Girls are doing pretty well. Replacements should be incalf for ~4weeks. Have weighed them just two days ago. The heaviest weighed 1329lbs, the smallest replacement weighed 1146lbs. Overall should make quite nice cows in the future. They were just let into the new pasture in the video.
[media]https://youtu.be/_419TvT8pds[/media]

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Those are heavy weights. I know you like them BIG!!

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Those are heavy weights. I know you like them BIG!!

I do like them bigger Feeling abit better at the calving time. Trying to increase the mature cows size abit. At the moment the average mature weight is around 1450lbs.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

That surprises me. I would expect them to be heavier than that. My mature average has to be about 1550#. Less leg on mine. Like them to be about a 6 frame (5.5 to 6.5)

 

[lithuanian farmer]

That surprises me. I would expect them to be heavier than that. My mature average has to be about 1550#. Less leg on mine. Like them to be about a 6 frame (5.5 to 6.5)

We have some as small as 1100lbs, but there are some being around 1800lbs. Most should be in 1350-1550lbs range.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Winter officially has arrived. All cattle are home and are ready for another winter. Heifers put on their thick winter coat. Will try to take some pics of all replacements, but now just took a quick shot of one when we moved them to their winter pen.

Haven't weighed them since the last time, unfortunately. However, the biggest one should be around 1650-1700lbs. Calving will start at the end of April, so they still can put on a couple more pounds.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

The first heifer has calved today!
282days gestation, small ~80lbs heifer. Calved easily, mom is doing a really good job as a mom and she's 27months old. Calf succeeded to suck 30mins after birth.

Another heifer is on the same gestation and another is on 279th day, so there soon should be more calves in heifers pen.
Really happy about this group as they all got bred on their first try- four from AI, one by the bull.

 

[MurraysMutts]

You gotta love that!
I really enjoy the pictures and stories u post.
The cattle look real nice.
Thank you!

 

[lithuanian farmer]

You gotta love that!
I really enjoy the pictures and stories u post.
The cattle look real nice.
Thank you!

Thank you for your kind words! Really appreciate it.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Two heifers have calved. One today and one two days ago. Today got a medium sized limx heifer from 27months old heifer, very easily calved.

Two days ago had an emergency with one heifer. Saw her calving, but didn't walked closer as she's the only one, which still doesn't let us to pet her, so watched her from the distance. Saw one foot, but weren't sure if it really was just one foot. And it was like that for quite some time, so decided to go closer and inspect. Then saw that it really was just one foot out and it was upside down... Well, luckily heifers are in fairly small pen and there is a shed, so managed to move her there and closed in the steel pen. After some more movement her calf slipped back in and later showed up two feet. After the check up it appeared that the calf is coming backwards. Put ropes on the feet and pulled the calf out. Not very hard pull. It was a stressful experience for the heifer, but she took her calf from the start.

Two days after calving, both are doing well.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Good save! Your heifers look good!

 

[gcreekrch]

Your cattle are in very good shape.

Beauty is all in the eyes of the beholder but I find a lot of European cows look very masculine compared to ours in North America.

 

[farmerjan]

That was a good save with a breech calf....
Love to see your pictures as I like cattle with a "butt" and good muscling. They get docked here unfortunately at the sales.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Thank you all for the kind words! These heifers are probably the biggest we'd at the first calving. No meal since autumn, but they kept their condition well. Have sold a couple, which at first thought about keeping, but later changed our minds.
Not chasing for too much of muscles on cows, but want it from their bull calves. Too extreme cow sure will cause trouble with calving sooner or later. Have one heifer, which is double muscled and looks like pure belgian blue, but she weighed 1543lbs roughly 1.5 weeks after being bred, so I'd think that her size will come in handy at the calving time. She seems to have pretty nice size pelvis, so it's just a plus.
Either way really pleased with this groups calving. Once the feet shows up it hardly takes 10min for them to calve. Calves just slip out easily and moms all are very good at taking care of their calves so far. Only two heifers left to calve. One is due on the 15th of May and another was bred by the stock bull and should be due in June.

 

[gcreekrch]

There isn't a cow here over 1400 lbs. Hope your heifers wean heavy calves.