Simmental Bulls

[cfpinz]

I know it's a little off-topic here, but I'm a little curious as to when you feed, Jeanne. A specific time each day or such? I set hay out right before or after dark (but not everyday) and most of our calves come in the morning or mid-day. Most, not all.

cfpinz

 

[W.B.]

Jeanne: My heifers will weigh around 1050-1150 when they calve. They are capable of having 85-95 lb. calves but I don't like taking chances with the first timers. I have never used a Simmental bull before.

Hope things dry off for you and if you get too much moisture send some back our way.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Well, I'm kind of what you would call backwards. I WANT night time calving. Hubby works full time job, so if I have a problem (which is sooo rare) I prefer them to calve at night with him home. He does miss any sleep unless I have to get him up - VERY good sleeper.
He purchased me a camera for Xmas several years ago & we've added 3 more. Receiver handles 4, wireless within 100 feet. I just lay in bed & watch. Never go out unless I think there's a problem.
I fully understand the feeding time for daytime calving. My "close-up" group (within maybe 10-14 days due) has full time baleage, and when they appear "ready", they are put in the barn before dark & turned back out early AM - if no sign of going into labor. In the barn, they only get a flake of hay for the night.
Actually, most of my calves are born in the evening - which is perfect - but during night is just fine with me.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Jeanne: My heifers will weigh around 1050-1150 when they calve. They are capable of having 85-95 lb. calves but I don't like taking chances with the first timers. I have never used a Simmental bull before.

Hope things dry off for you and if you get too much moisture send some back our way.

Yes, they are plenty big enough - as big as mine.
We had record high temperatures, record number of sunny days (kind of a rarity around here), and record rain fall this summer. We have virtually had NO WINTER yet. Few cold spells soon followed by warm wet weather. Haven't plowed snow yet - HAVE plowed MUD though!!

 

[bullpeddler]

Jeanne,

Just curious if you calve your cows in a barn when is really cold or in an open lot. We usually calve our cows on pasture and our heifers in a lot in case they have problems. We have had a really bad cold snap (at least for Texas) and I wonder if I should try to get them in the barn for calving. You mentioned shoveling mud. I would rather have snow like we have today than rain and 33 degrees like we had over the weekend. Seems like the cold rain and mud is harder on the new calves than the actual temperature.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Bullpeddler - you are ABSOLUTELY right about the mud & cold rain. Water & mud draw the heat out of the calves faster than the freezing temperatures.
Yes, we calve all our cattle in pens. As cattle get within a week to 2 weeks of her due date, she is kept in a large lot outside the house/barn area, that I can see from the house. Each evening I check them for potential calvers, and they are put in the barn. I cheat and have cameras so I can check them thru-out the night without disturbing them (or me ). If they don't calve, they are turned back out around 5-6am. If anyone goes into labor during the day, I slide them back into the barn. This system works great for us. After calving, we keep them in a pen for a day (sometimes longer if weather is awful & I have the space) than turned out to a different paddock for just cow/calf pairs - except my "pampered" group (2 & 3 year olds & any fall calvers) - c/c pairs are turned back in with the pregs. This is a small group, usually 10-15 head.

 

[bullpeddler]

Jeanne, wow. You have a really welled developed system. Sounds like you should catch most of the problems that way. The camera sounds like a neat idea. Our house is probably too far from the barn (about 1 mile) for that to work for us but I wll check into it.

 

[Brandonm2]

Possibly a good bull. He looks so much like an Angus. I wonder how many Angus have Simmie in them when you get a bull like him.I wouldn't use him because he's not the traditional colour. What kind of cattle do you run? Why don't you use a traditional colour?What reason do you prefer black?Can you really tell the difference between a black Simmies progeny as opposed to an Angus progeny. Truthfully the black Simmies are probably mostly Angus in the US anyway.

Well, I don't think black Simmentals are mostly Angus; but he does look like an Angus.....

Try this comparison..
http://abs-bs.absglobal.com/beef/angus. ... o=29AN1530

versus
http://abs-bs.absglobal.com/beef/Simmen ... o=29SM0373

The simmie has a better butt and a heavier weaning wt; but you could use those bulls almost interchangably and not be able too tell by looking which sired what set of calves.

 

[bullpeddler]

Depending on the cows, you may be able to tell since Dream On is Hetro black. Some of his calves would be red while all the calves out of the Angus sire would be black or gray.

 

[Badlands]

http://abs-bs.absglobal.com/beef/angus. ... =237AN1673

versus


http://genex.crinet.com/beef/index.php? ... 84&lang=EN



Badlands

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Bullpeddler - there are many systems that will easily work at that distance. Since my barn is soooo close, I can use this el-cheapo model. First camera & receiver were about $150 and each add'l camera was about $100. Made for a reasonably priced Christmas gift. (for me ) There are systems that you can watch what is going on from any computer (work/home/etc). I would imagine they have quite a price tag.
Not only is it good for me ( ) it is also great for the cow in labor. Previously, every 30 minutes or so, I would be sneaking out to see her progress. Of course, she would see me, jump up & delay process for another 10 minutes. And, when they calve, if you go out, cow gets moving around & calf has a harder time nursing.
This way, they are NEVER disturbed. Process goes much quicker. Of course if you are in a situation that you don't need to calve indoors, you may be able to observe from a distance. With our weather, I don't DARE calve outdoors.