She's done it again!

[inyati13]

his new home is about 3 hours away (Falkland BC)... No, his mother is the one that had a stroke this spring, and that's the reason he got weaned a month early... I really wanted to get another heifer from her too... I only got one from her and she's turning out to be a heck of a cow... her first calf was a steer that she weaned at 670 lbs, and this year she's got a really impressive heifer who's on my "keep" list... my only thing that strikes me as something that could be improved is she has a pretty big tailhead... but I've never seen a cow have a problem due to that. All her daughters seem to take after her in the way that they all have big bellies and look pregnant after calving, but I read that big bellies are good for digesting grass.

Nearly the most important thing to me is that they're easy to handle, they halterbreak easily and often I can just use a piece of bale twine around their head as a halter to lead them. The mother often had retained placenta, and I could give her uterine boluses just by putting a flake of hay down on the ground... doesn't get much easier than that.

I do remember the Big Horse of a cow. You and I are both hands on. I could not go into their uterus w/o the chute. That has got to be extremely rare. I have not tried a halter on anything. But it is something I would like to try. Sometimes it flashes through my mind that it would be cool to have a cow or bull broke to ride. When I was out west going to rodeos, their was a guy out of SD who rode a Bison.

 

[Nesikep]

you really have to start them young to get good results... I usually try and put a halter on them by about a month old, and let them carry it around for a while, then get them used to being held in one place.. if you can just do that a dozen times or so and you let them go for the rest of the year, it'll be much easier later on... they do remember. With a few of my really well broke cows, a bale twine is enough of a halter to lead them, and if they kinda know where they're going, I can nearly do it just by holding on to some of the skin on the neck.... as for riding them... again, much easier if you start as calves, where you can swing a leg over them and they don't have to carry your weight... I found the critical thing is to never have to "jump" up on them, especially until they're used to it... scratching the top of their neck goes a long way too... And if you aren't sure of the animal, don't do it in a rocky area

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

We had to work w/ 2 cows during calving this year. None of our cattle are crazy. One (heifer) needed the chute (she had a dead calf in her), but she probably would've needed a chute in any event; wasn't an easy mess. The other (heifer)was one we'd really never had hands-on, but worked with her in a pen in the barn, pulled 100 lb. live bull calf and she was happy to have us there -- no kick, no butts, no trouble, no chute.

 

[Nesikep]

I've got one older cow who's always mean as hell at calving time, but she's always done it all by herself and we know her, and she's made some good heifers, so we're putting up with her... she just hurt her hind leg the other day, so if she doesn't heal up she'll have to go, and I won't be shedding many tears about that... she was really hard on other cows with fighting so I guess her turn has come... I had to laugh last winter when she went at it with her sister for a full hour, and by the end of it they were both so tired they called it a draw and very slowly walked to the waterer

 

[Nesikep]

Well, I got to see Hector again, he's grown a lot since I last saw him in January.. probably about 1800 lbs now, 2 years old in a couple days. Wasn't quite sure who I was at first, but went up to him while he was laying down and he enjoyed a back scratching.. seems to be a pretty laid back guy.. Fellow's wife likes him a lot more too because he doesn't come up to her.

And here's a calf that was born just as I was leaving, needed a bit of a pull, momma is a 3 year old hatchet arsed longhorn, calf is about 90 lbs... Her udder was *empty*, so I'm wondering how she's going to feed the little guy who's bound to have a heck of an appetite!

What do you think he looks like at 2 years old?

 

[inyati13]

Nesikep,
That is a fine bull. I like him. Nice and thick with good muscle.

What is the status of the calf whose longhorn momma did not have milk?

I was looking at the domicile in the background. Those folks sure don't cut weeds like people do in this country. Everyone here mows their yards down to the ground. I cannot understand why they don't want a little grass blade. Maybe they are afraid of snakes.

 

[Nesikep]

Status of the calf, tame!, he probably gets a survival ration of milk.. might become a talented thief!

The fellow works CRAZY hours out of town, comes home on the weekends and has a full schedule just keeping more important things taken care of.. like wife, fences, etc.
He's got lots of weeds, and ugly ones like Canada Thistle, burdock and the like... Living next to an indian reserve makes it hard to get rid of them.

 

[Nesikep]

Oh, and that horned hereford you see in the pics... I've never seen such a small mature cow that wasn't a mini... I don't think she's 4ft at the shoulder... Certainly isn't built for heat, she was huffing and puffing while in the shade.. she's next to calf.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

Well, I got to see Hector again, he's grown a lot since I last saw him in January.. probably about 1800 lbs now, 2 years old in a couple days. Wasn't quite sure who I was at first, but went up to him while he was laying down and he enjoyed a back scratching.. seems to be a pretty laid back guy.. Fellow's wife likes him a lot more too because he doesn't come up to her.

And here's a calf that was born just as I was leaving, needed a bit of a pull, momma is a 3 year old hatchet arsed longhorn, calf is about 90 lbs... Her udder was *empty*, so I'm wondering how she's going to feed the little guy who's bound to have a heck of an appetite!

What do you think he looks like at 2 years old?

Nesikep-

I have not seen the bull until now. I have been pretty busy and not on CT for a while. Thank you for your appreciation of my posts! I appreciate that my friend!

He seems as though he has matured pretty well. I would like to see a little more masculinity ( crest, heavier bone in his legs, "Attitude" from his eyes, et al, but that should show up when the Nitrogen and testosterone starts coursing through his blood stream! Also, I would like to see more depth through his heart girth, and a deeper body - but that may come a little later also. His phenotype is acceptable for a herd sire, but his Genotype can determine how his progeny will be on a consistent basis.

Doc Harris

 

[Nesikep]

The fellow says he *really* notices a temperament difference in the calves.. the one that was just born, he came home to tag and band it, momma dashed out of the barn, and usually the calf would follow, never to be seen again, this one figured he'd hang around and get pettings, then ambled out into the "big world". I don't quite understand what you mean in the "attitude" from his eyes, though I do see how he could use a deeper chest. It may come later indeed, both his parents were pretty long and deep. Same fellow bought his steer brother, his hanging weight at 30 months was 960 lbs, we don't know what his live weight was (17-1800?), and I think he may have been the better looking of the two. I don't think it's something that affects his performance any, but he's got that bump around his hips which isn't 'pretty'. I will say that at least he's doing his job, he's on the ball and breeds well, and stays at home.

 

[KNERSIE]

Just goes to show, it's a lot easier to breed a good weaner calf than it is to breed a bull....

 

[chippie]

Congratulations!
You've got another good one. Love when they come out thick and boxy.
You are a good Cattleman.

 

[Nesikep]

Well, you get to see some more of his calves now.. I'm going out there tomorrow and will take some better pictures if I have enough daylight left.
I'm actually surprised at Hector's consistency.. EVERY calf is unmistakeably his..

So guess what breed this little girl's momma is... she's about 12 hours old here I think



And here's a bull calf, born the same night



So the first calf is to a PB Jersey, the second is from a Longhorn cross of sorts.

Hector is also a good herd guardian apparently too... Last fall the cows across the river (if you can call it that, it's wadeable) got spooked by a cougar, came across the river and through the fence into Trent's property.. And it was a BIG black angus bull with a dozen heifers or so... Trent told Hector to leave him alone or he'd get his arse handed to him.. but would he listen? of course not.. so the bulls got into a scramble, and Hector beat the other bull.. then went prancing around the field in a victory lap, and of course had to check out the new heifers, who were getting beaten up by the cows.. Well the black bull didn't like this, and started making a fuss again... Hector would have none of this, he put his head down and charged that beast from across the field, and pummeled him something fierce, back through the fence and across the river, while the cows chased the heifers out...

 

[Nesikep]

And Hector's sister has done it again too.. Mega and her calf.

 

[Williamsv]

Beautiful calves! Congratulations!

 

[Nesikep]

So I saw Hector and his calves.. there was a yearling bull calf there that was a spitting image of him from a Herf cow, and every baby there was identical.. All the like the 2 pictures I posted.. Gold with black noses and eye.. It doesn't matter what breed the cow is apparently. I think Trent will have some decent paycheck coming this fall compared to previous years with his boxes of crayons.