Preemie grows up
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TN Cattle Man
Well-known member
Always good to see where your hard work paid off!!
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cowgirl8
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I still have her on watch. Any time the sun comes out, she could overheat. Luckily, since she's been out, the sun has been behind clouds. Today, i look out in that pasture and see her mother standing off by herself. UGH.....They are in with the first calf heifers, so there are about 30 calves and cows in there with her. Ran out there and found her asleep. Tried to wake her and didnt get much of a response. UGH.....tried to stand her up, she was a limp noodle. Mother was on her way to me, she's tired of me messing with her, so i let Mini back to the ground. Stepped back and she stood up and ran to her mother. Whew. I've found that preemies take a while to wake up, but i never get use to it.
Big Cheese
Well-known member
How do yall know that the calf is a premie? I know most of yall having a calving window so its easier but we run our bulls year round. We know when most of our cows are suppose to calve but sometimes you don't know unless you PT them. We had a calf born to one of our Longhorn heifers and it had to be a premie because I bet it didn't weigh 25 pounds...my dad says 13 lol. It was born during a sleet/ice storm so it didn't make it. But that is small even for a Longhorns standard and it was out of a Charolais bull. It had to be a premie. Just wondering what are ways to tell by the calve...if there is another way besides it being small.
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cowgirl8
Well-known member
You can tell by the length of their hair, motor skills, how far their teeth are developed. Mini had no teeth, her legs were rubbery and her foot pads did not wear off for a week. Her hair was just past fuzz.
branguscowgirl
Well-known member
Good deal cowgirl. I hope she can stay healthy.
Good luck with her.
You stated in an earlier post that you had a preemie get stepped on and die. How many preemies did you have this year? What do you attribute it to? MInerals, bad luck, or what?
You stated in an earlier post that you had a preemie get stepped on and die. How many preemies did you have this year? What do you attribute it to? MInerals, bad luck, or what?
reeler
Well-known member
Thanks for sharing info & pic. So glad Mini's doing well!cowgirl8":6vdzuch1 said:
Nesikep
Well-known member
Hope Mini keeps growing and stays healthy!
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cowgirl8
Well-known member
Both calves were from our old herd and out of old cows. These cows get all the best of everything and then some, although we sold all the harder keepers from our old group last fall. That, and the more cows you have the more you'll have happen. Also, most people who maybe check on their cows every now and again, coyotes and buzzards would have taken care of Mini. Cow left her as soon as i showed up, she knew there was nothing she could do. After a few days, if i had checked on them after not seeing them for a few days, i may not have noticed she had calved. She didnt look ready, i knew from how she looked the day before she was at least a month away. So i would have thought, if i hadnt found Mini before something ate her of carried her off, she must have slipped her calf at some point.tater74":1fxm0jhx said:
TexasBred
Well-known member
Both cows and calves in the pic need about 3-4 more weeks to give the calves a chance to straighten up and grow a little more then I'd haul them to the sale and sell them as pairs and take my $5000. Older cows with premature calves have no future in your operation.
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cowgirl8
Well-known member
Yeah, the cream colored old cow, 12 yrs old, will go to the sale. Not sure if i'll send her calf, depends on how she grows. Red cow in picture is a first calf heifer. Had that 60 pound calf in under 30 minutes from start to finish. She's out of our red sim, and to keep sim in our herds we plan to keep her. Gives a lot of milk, easy calver...2 yrs old, has a future on our ranch...
