Newbie Help

[daudermanfarms]

Hello, this is my first post but have been watching and looking for about 3 years. Here's the story....

My great aunt had about 25 alpacas for about 10 years after she retired. Then it took all she had to take care of them and her husband after he had a stroke. So she ended up selling them and had the pastures empty. I asked her if I could put cattle out there. She had no problem with it. So i started out with 2. Then ended up buying six cows (6 years old) bred for $1100 Each. They all calved and had no problems. This year i bought a bull from a guy around my area. Told me he had him tested and if i had problems with him i can bring him back and get my money back. I put him with my cows and 2 heifers on July 5th 2014. I never had a vet come and preg check them cause i figured since he had him checked it would be okay. A couple of the cows look like they are pregnant. But i thought they would be calving by now.

My question is when do you think they will calve? Should i have the vet come and check them all? Is there a time where it is too late to have them pregnant checked?

Michael

 

[Black and Good]

Depending on when the 2013 calves where born but, I assuming they were born in early spring. You should be seeing calves mid April and there after. You can Preg them anytime. I don't do it if I can tell their starting to spring.

 

[bmoore87]

They should be coming any day now we turn in 4th of July and have been having the early ones born since the first week in april. Depending on when you calved last year they may be a little later. If I wasn't seeing springing by now and they had calved at the same time last year I would probably have the vet come out.

 

[branguscowgirl]

:welcome:

 

[daudermanfarms]

What do you guys mean by springing?

 

[FlyingLSimmentals]

Beginning to make a Bag of Milk.

 

[WalnutCrest]

When did your first cows calve last year?

Did you see the bull breed any of the cows?

How old is the bull?

Oh, and welcome!

 

[daudermanfarms]

I would have to look at my calendar when I get home to give you a for sure date when the calved last year. Yeah i seen that he was jumping up and following them around. i didnt sit and watch it all happen but seen the cows had some of the hair on hips wore off.

The bull was about 2 when i put him in with the cows.

thanks for the welcome all. just hope to start seeing calves.

 

[WalnutCrest]

When you're waiting for calves, it's hard not to get antsy!

It sounds like the bull knew what he was doing; all you need to do is to wait for nature to take its course.

Good luck to you!

 

[wbvs58]

It always pays to keep a small diary to jot down when all these events happen like when the bull was hanging around with a particular cow then when you are wondering like now you can refer back. A wall planner for the year is always usefull to write these events down.
If you saw a lot of action when he first went in then after a month it all settled down then I don't think you have anything to worry about, just sit back and let it all happen.
Ken

 

[kucala5]

Welcome! Yep, I take note of who the "it girl" is and write it down. You'd know if they didn't settle, they'd be coming back into heat. Bet you'll be calving soon. Be on your toes with those heifers in case you need to help. Is the bull still with them?

 

[daudermanfarms]

i have a calendar that i write down which cow calves and what she has. I do not have the bull still with them. I took him out prolly a month or so ago. I know for sure one didnt breed back because i took the bull out cause she must have came back into heat. he had all her hair off around her hips. Should i have vet check her to make sure or its pretty positive that she didnt breed back. She wouldnt stand for him but he kept trying and thats when i took him away. she is the only one i dont know about besides the heifers.

 

[WalnutCrest]

i have a calendar that i write down which cow calves and what she has. I do not have the bull still with them. I took him out prolly a month or so ago. I know for sure one didnt breed back because i took the bull out cause she must have came back into heat. he had all her hair off around her hips. Should i have vet check her to make sure or its pretty positive that she didnt breed back. She wouldnt stand for him but he kept trying and thats when i took him away. she is the only one i dont know about besides the heifers.

Sounds like this one needs eatin ... hope she's good!

 

[daudermanfarms]

Well sorry I haven't gave an up date lately. I had my brothers wedding and a bunch of work going on. But I had vet scheduled to come out yesterday to do my yearly vaccines and preg check my cows. Not very good news. All three heifers are still open, along with three other cows. Just not making since to me. Two of the cows she told me was around 7 months along. The other two she thought were around 4 months. Any idea of what is going on here? I am kind of down in the dumps about it. Not sure what to think. Any questions on what goes on at my farm just ask. I want answers so it doesn't happen again.

Michael

 

[John SD]

Well sorry I haven't gave an up date lately. I had my brothers wedding and a bunch of work going on. But I had vet scheduled to come out yesterday to do my yearly vaccines and preg check my cows. Not very good news. All three heifers are still open, along with three other cows. Just not making since to me. Two of the cows she told me was around 7 months along. The other two she thought were around 4 months. Any idea of what is going on here? I am kind of down in the dumps about it. Not sure what to think. Any questions on what goes on at my farm just ask. I want answers so it doesn't happen again.

Michael

I'm assuming here that you gave the annual vaccines last year and your vaccination protocol is up to date. While you had the vet there you maybe should have had her do another BSE evaluation on the bull. I suspect the bull is the problem :idea:

 

[Chris H]

Condition of the cows at breeding and now? Condition of the bull now? If you've got all those open cows, that bull should have been jumping them, unless he has an injury or other poor health.

 

[greybeard]

Lazy bull (low libido type thing) usually results in only about 1/2 the 'in heat girls' getting bred. He'd rather eat than......

 

[daudermanfarms]

I have the vet come out every year so my vaccines are up to date. I have used the same one for 4 years now. Do everything they suggest, but i dont remember them all off top of my head. 7way, pink eye, wormer, something for lepto and black leg and they do fly tags. condition of cows i would say good. as well as bull.

Chris H-
there are 11 cows and bull and 4 yearling heifers on 60+/- acres some wooded. Bull never seemed injured.

greybeard-
Bull is pretty laid back now that you mentioned it. when i pulled him away from the cows he did throw a fit non-stop. worse than weaning calves.

What do you all suggest i do? anything i can do with him besides ship him? How do i know i wont buy another lazy bull? he will be three this year. Does this have anything to do with it?

The couple of cattle guys around here are to good to help you, give you any advise is out of the question. what they know they will not share. Kind of unfortunate for me but it is how it is for everything around here.

 

[Chris H]

Sell the bull next sale day. Even with a low libido you should at least have all cows with a calf even if they're strung out in stages of pregnancy.

Our current bull is also 3. I hardly ever saw him breed a cow the first season, and he had a few more than you have. Instead of using the blood test which would say bred or not bred, we had the vet out to preg check that fall. All bred, in good time. Did the same thing last year, I saw a little more action but just saw a few covered. We had the vet do preg checks last fall again. This spring we had 28 calves in the first 21 days. I had held some heifers back to get a little more size before breeding, and we had some stragglers, they are finishing up now. We will have about 40 calves from him by the end of June. The June calves are from some cows that were fall calvers, dropped calves in July last year because they got bred less than 3 weeks after calving, and moved earlier for this year.

Anyway, unless you're with the herd 24/7, you can miss a lot of breedings. But if you don't have pregnancies, something is not getting done. It sounds like your vet knows your herd, what was his advice?