New season...again

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lithuanian farmer

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Well, started early this time. Have moved some girls from late summer-fall calving to winter, so will have some early winter calves. The first three are due on the 19th of December, but one, which was due on the 21st, has already calved two days ago.
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Gotta love those colours you get from BB bulls! This one is a bull calf, over 110lbs, from 9 years old cow. No trouble calving. She could calve a baby elephant!
So the closest three are still waiting, there is one due on the 24th and one on the 25th. Two seem to be betting closer- one due on the 19th and one on the 25th. Will see which one calves quicker.
 
looks like you are off to a good start. first calf has really nice color. second calf it is hard to tell yet but both look nice and healthy.
 
The first heifer! And the one we hoped for. Kept the last straw of one charolais bull specifically for this one cow and she took it and it's a heifer! Dam soon will be 13 years old and is the oldest cow in the herd at the moment. She's 3/4 charolais, so her little girl is 7/8char. Very strong calf, born at 285th day, around 100lbs, searching for milk quickly and have nursed from two quarters already.
The temperature is again higher and all snow has melted away, so there is water and mud everythere... Very bad weather for calving outside, so all moms have been introduced to the shed.
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Another new calf today! Limousine sired, from limxbbxdairy 3rd calver. 286days gestation. Quite a big boy. Mom last year has lost her second calf- probably pulled something inside the calf while pulling, as he survived only a couple hours. Was a massive 138lbs calf... Luckily everything is okay this year and she has calved herself.
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That is one of the reasons I like Jan/Feb calving. Rarely have to deal with the mud and newborns.
For the past couple years, we don't know anymore what weather will be like. One year it's a pretty nice winter with continious cold until spring and no mud. Another year, there is mud everythere until April or even May... Last year hardly had snow at all. Just less than one week of snow during the whole winter season, but it wasn't too wet. This year there seems to be some hope for some cold and snow during winter, but it is very wet and muddy when there is none... Can't really know when it will be the best time for calving, so just start when it is the most profitable for us and trying to deal with the weather.
 
Have weighed the last two calves. Heifer- 112.4lbs, bull calf- 116.8lbs. Both strong calves, nursing well from the start and born easily.
Only one cow left to calve this month, due on the 25th, incalf with limousine calf. Have checked her udder today, still pretty loose, but as a cow, she can fill up very quickly. Good start for this season!
 
Finally, the last calf for this month and year. Abit overdue, 291st day. Limousine bull calf from limxherefordxdairy 3rd calver.
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Tall, quite big calf, but slim and not much meat, so calved easily. Won't be very heavy. Plan to weigh him tomorrow. Now abit of a break until the next calves due starting 24th of January.
All other calves are doing really well. All are growing nicely and shaping up fast.
It's been an interesting year. Will be very interesting to see what the new one will bring.
Happy New Year everybody!
 
Most people taking birthweights hope to weigh before first drink of milk as a full belly can easily add 10 lbs. Have weighed enough over the years that I just visually guess any more. Some get weighed just to keep me honest. The only time we really refer to bw is to cull the extremely heavy heifers out of the herd. We prefer moderate cattle for less intervention. Glad you are off to a good start.
 

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