Starting over

[cowman82]

At any of our pastures, ours will nearly all come to call and they get a treat of some grain whenever we call them so they don't look at you and say... why should I bother to come... helps to teach the calves to come to call also... great for when we wean them.

mine about kill me if i bring them anything. they get hay and a mineral wagon.

 

[GreyGus]

Second calf came this morning. Another heifer calf from one of the first to calf heifers. I am lucky with another new momma. she had her licked dry and up nursing within in 30 mins.

 

[GreyGus]

Third calf born this morning, this is the last of the heifer mommas.

Wondering if the three cows were bred later because they had nursing four months old calves when the bull was introduced last summer?

 

[kenny thomas]

They look very good

 

[GreyGus]

my fourth calf was born Saturday morning. A bull calf, and the first calf born to one of my three cows, a four year old, one of the first two I started with. Hopefully I have two more to go.
My question is about ear tags. This is the first season I have tagged my calves, just a numbered ID tag. I check the cows every morning and early evening to see if any have or are calving. Fortunately all have calved on their own, and I have always found them in the morning. My habit has been to observe the calf to make sure it gets up and is nursing and the cow seems attentive to her calf. If all looks good, I go ahead and tag the calf. The first one I did was probably only a couple hours old, the others were probably 6 or 7 hours old on average when tagged.
I just read a couple articles on line saying you should not tag until the calves are two or three days old, as doing it sooner interferes with the cow calf bonding process. All so far, including the three first calf heifers, seem to be attentive mothers.
Am I tagging to soon, and just been lucky so far. I am new to all this and would like to get it right.
Thanks,

 

[CowboyRam]

my fourth calf was born Saturday morning. A bull calf, and the first calf born to one of my three cows, a four year old, one of the first two I started with. Hopefully I have two more to go.
My question is about ear tags. This is the first season I have tagged my calves, just a numbered ID tag. I check the cows every morning and early evening to see if any have or are calving. Fortunately all have calved on their own, and I have always found them in the morning. My habit has been to observe the calf to make sure it gets up and is nursing and the cow seems attentive to her calf. If all looks good, I go ahead and tag the calf. The first one I did was probably only a couple hours old, the others were probably 6 or 7 hours old on average when tagged.
I just read a couple articles on line saying you should not tag until the calves are two or three days old, as doing it sooner interferes with the cow calf bonding process. All so far, including the three first calf heifers, seem to be attentive mothers.
Am I tagging to soon, and just been lucky so far. I am new to all this and would like to get it right.
Thanks,

I have never had a problem with a cow rejecting a calf because I tagged it. The problem I have with waiting two or three days is I will not be able to catch them. I have a few calves that don't get tagged until I can get them into the corral, as the cow would be very happy to grind me into the ground.

 

[wbvs58]

Just be carefull tagging the cow's calves, they can be protective and want to nail you, heifers are easier to bluff.

Ken

 

[kenny thomas]

Tag and castrate as soon as you can catch them.