not sure how you ranchers do it.....

[cowgirl8]

Well I just finished my fall calving last night and it will go down in the books as the worst calving season ever, maybe for anyone. Initially started out this spring with 21 potential to calve. Knock out 4 opens, down to 17. Heifer decides to abort, must have been in early summer, and comes into heat a month ago. Does the tango with another bred cow and causes her to abort. Down to 15. Heifer decides to calve early with what I bet was a backwards calf. Down to 14. One heifer suspiciously looks to be open - no bag and less than a month to go. Palpate and bump at same time, nothing - down to 13. 2 backwards calves in a row, manage to save them with great effort. Down to 11. One of the best young cows decides to calve. Calves at 5:30 pm, cleans and calf sucks. Does a uterine prolapse around 9 pm. Vet finally gets out after surgery around 11:30 pm. Finally back in, drugged up, sewed up by 1 am. Go back out to check at 2 am and everything is back out, back end is a mess with torn stitches. Bullet to the head and now we are down to 10. Knew one cow had twins, she was enormous. She calves midnight one night, lively heifer calf, and dopey bull. About 200 lbs of calf in her. Bull dies that morning. Down to 9. And the one last night decided to have a backwards calf as well that just barely saved. So out of 21 potential cows, I had 8 that did not cause me any grief.

Don't know how many fall calving seasons I have went without helping a single animal. Worst I ever had was a couple of backwards calves in the last 15 years.

Bottom line: You either become very comfortable with death in this business or you will lose your mind.

So sorry...dang. Its why i run myself ragged during calving season. Well at least calf prices are down..I know that doesnt make sense, but it really hurt back in 2014 when a calf died. Instead of losing 600 now, it was like losing 1400...and a dead cow 2400...

 

[angus9259]

Well I just finished my fall calving last night and it will go down in the books as the worst calving season ever, maybe for anyone. Initially started out this spring with 21 potential to calve. Knock out 4 opens, down to 17. Heifer decides to abort, must have been in early summer, and comes into heat a month ago. Does the tango with another bred cow and causes her to abort. Down to 15. Heifer decides to calve early with what I bet was a backwards calf. Down to 14. One heifer suspiciously looks to be open - no bag and less than a month to go. Palpate and bump at same time, nothing - down to 13. 2 backwards calves in a row, manage to save them with great effort. Down to 11. One of the best young cows decides to calve. Calves at 5:30 pm, cleans and calf sucks. Does a uterine prolapse around 9 pm. Vet finally gets out after surgery around 11:30 pm. Finally back in, drugged up, sewed up by 1 am. Go back out to check at 2 am and everything is back out, back end is a mess with torn stitches. Bullet to the head and now we are down to 10. Knew one cow had twins, she was enormous. She calves midnight one night, lively heifer calf, and dopey bull. About 200 lbs of calf in her. Bull dies that morning. Down to 9. And the one last night decided to have a backwards calf as well that just barely saved. So out of 21 potential cows, I had 8 that did not cause me any grief.

Don't know how many fall calving seasons I have went without helping a single animal. Worst I ever had was a couple of backwards calves in the last 15 years.

Bottom line: You either become very comfortable with death in this business or you will lose your mind.

Ugh. This is one place where I wish the moderator would let me cuss..... I think an F bomb seems so appropriate right now.

 

[angus9259]

Well I just finished my fall calving last night and it will go down in the books as the worst calving season ever, maybe for anyone. Initially started out this spring with 21 potential to calve. Knock out 4 opens, down to 17. Heifer decides to abort, must have been in early summer, and comes into heat a month ago. Does the tango with another bred cow and causes her to abort. Down to 15. Heifer decides to calve early with what I bet was a backwards calf. Down to 14. One heifer suspiciously looks to be open - no bag and less than a month to go. Palpate and bump at same time, nothing - down to 13. 2 backwards calves in a row, manage to save them with great effort. Down to 11. One of the best young cows decides to calve. Calves at 5:30 pm, cleans and calf sucks. Does a uterine prolapse around 9 pm. Vet finally gets out after surgery around 11:30 pm. Finally back in, drugged up, sewed up by 1 am. Go back out to check at 2 am and everything is back out, back end is a mess with torn stitches. Bullet to the head and now we are down to 10. Knew one cow had twins, she was enormous. She calves midnight one night, lively heifer calf, and dopey bull. About 200 lbs of calf in her. Bull dies that morning. Down to 9. And the one last night decided to have a backwards calf as well that just barely saved. So out of 21 potential cows, I had 8 that did not cause me any grief.

Don't know how many fall calving seasons I have went without helping a single animal. Worst I ever had was a couple of backwards calves in the last 15 years.

Bottom line: You either become very comfortable with death in this business or you will lose your mind.

What are you going to do? Who will you cull?

 

[angus9259]

Well I just finished my fall calving last night and it will go down in the books as the worst calving season ever, maybe for anyone. Initially started out this spring with 21 potential to calve. Knock out 4 opens, down to 17. Heifer decides to abort, must have been in early summer, and comes into heat a month ago. Does the tango with another bred cow and causes her to abort. Down to 15. Heifer decides to calve early with what I bet was a backwards calf. Down to 14. One heifer suspiciously looks to be open - no bag and less than a month to go. Palpate and bump at same time, nothing - down to 13. 2 backwards calves in a row, manage to save them with great effort. Down to 11. One of the best young cows decides to calve. Calves at 5:30 pm, cleans and calf sucks. Does a uterine prolapse around 9 pm. Vet finally gets out after surgery around 11:30 pm. Finally back in, drugged up, sewed up by 1 am. Go back out to check at 2 am and everything is back out, back end is a mess with torn stitches. Bullet to the head and now we are down to 10. Knew one cow had twins, she was enormous. She calves midnight one night, lively heifer calf, and dopey bull. About 200 lbs of calf in her. Bull dies that morning. Down to 9. And the one last night decided to have a backwards calf as well that just barely saved. So out of 21 potential cows, I had 8 that did not cause me any grief.

Don't know how many fall calving seasons I have went without helping a single animal. Worst I ever had was a couple of backwards calves in the last 15 years.

Bottom line: You either become very comfortable with death in this business or you will lose your mind.

Sorry, last comment. To the point of the thread - think of how many you saved because you were paying attention. How do people who can only check every week or two do it?

 

[Aaron]

Well I just finished my fall calving last night and it will go down in the books as the worst calving season ever, maybe for anyone. Initially started out this spring with 21 potential to calve. Knock out 4 opens, down to 17. Heifer decides to abort, must have been in early summer, and comes into heat a month ago. Does the tango with another bred cow and causes her to abort. Down to 15. Heifer decides to calve early with what I bet was a backwards calf. Down to 14. One heifer suspiciously looks to be open - no bag and less than a month to go. Palpate and bump at same time, nothing - down to 13. 2 backwards calves in a row, manage to save them with great effort. Down to 11. One of the best young cows decides to calve. Calves at 5:30 pm, cleans and calf sucks. Does a uterine prolapse around 9 pm. Vet finally gets out after surgery around 11:30 pm. Finally back in, drugged up, sewed up by 1 am. Go back out to check at 2 am and everything is back out, back end is a mess with torn stitches. Bullet to the head and now we are down to 10. Knew one cow had twins, she was enormous. She calves midnight one night, lively heifer calf, and dopey bull. About 200 lbs of calf in her. Bull dies that morning. Down to 9. And the one last night decided to have a backwards calf as well that just barely saved. So out of 21 potential cows, I had 8 that did not cause me any grief.

Don't know how many fall calving seasons I have went without helping a single animal. Worst I ever had was a couple of backwards calves in the last 15 years.

Bottom line: You either become very comfortable with death in this business or you will lose your mind.

What are you going to do? Who will you cull?

Cow that aborted after messing around with the heifer is already gone, along with the one we bumped and palated. Last year's heifer out of the cow that prolapsed is on her way to the next sale. Whenever an animal prolapses of any kind, I always eliminate her and all her descendants. I'll take a dollar over potential problems anyday. The heifer that aborted early and the one that lost her backwards calf will get another chance just because they are heifers and proved they can have a calf without major complications.