tagging and tattooing calves
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callmefence
Keyboard cowboy
Jeanne - Simme Valley":2nmy7mc4 said:
Seriously...tell me it ain't so. I have to do it just like you to deserve to have them..
I used to tag at birth until a normally docile cow sent me to the emergency room. I haven't now for probably 15 years and although there are a few times when it would have helped it hasn't been a big deal. We do like CG8, if there is a problem with a calf it gets tagged at that time to keep an eye on it. Commercial operation. Like has been said, whatever works for you. And Farmgirl, this is not directed at you, just part of the discussion.
Be careful, she just might think she's being singled out because she's female...lolcallmefence":d2d0tm67 said:
I think that if you don't have a ton of paper work, everyone tagged, then you have to use your eyes.... Although, I think and do at calving time is eyeball them 3 times a day.....
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
No, no one has to do like me. Do you honestly not check your calving cows? Have you never found a cow down with a calf or calves (twins) stuck backwards, or head back or leg back?? I am impressed at your luck. LOLcallmefence":1uzud7gl said:
No - seriously. I am sure there are lots of herds that never get checked during calving. The labor/time vs the loss does not pencil out I guess - or simply not around to see them because of off farm jobs. I am naive at how some farms work.
We calve out maybe 40-45 calves a year, and I have to honestly say we get one cow a year on average that has a mis-presented calf that needs help. Would she have gotten it out on her own? I don't think so - maybe eventually. Have I saved every calf. Heck no. But, if I save it, that's a lot of potential money in my pocket.
Steer - $850- $1600 dictated by our lovely market. I know we will never see those $2.45/lb days again, but it sure was nice!!
Jeanne - Simme Valley":aumyoqvd said:
At times in a big pasture might only get all cows counted at one time twice a week when calving. Cows with new calves coming in and cows laying out calving you don't always see them all. Heifers are calved close to the house and watched, Any that can't calve on their own don't stay, cows that don't bring a calf in don't stay.
callmefence
Keyboard cowboy
Jeanne - Simme Valley":3btaufh9 said:
That's sure good to hear. I was sure I was reading that wrong.
I do have cattle I don't check but every couple weeks and we run bulls year round. So yes we expect the cows to do their job. We run predominantly brahma cross cattle and they can handle just about anything except the rare butthole first.
Here's a couple of very recent calves.(last week) And my record keeping process of a quick pic while they head for the brush. In a week or two they'll bring their calves out to show off. We don't powder their behinds or rub their tummy's
actually is common practice here.Now hiefer s a different deal.
And I've got my hobby cattle at the house I look in on every day. Well most.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
You still have a LOT of grazing out there. What is that white thing in the 2nd picture that looks like an upside down cup & saucer?
We are very GREEN compared, but there isn't any grass left for grazing. We stay green under the snow, and it is usually totally buried in feet of snow by now but we are still bare.
We are very GREEN compared, but there isn't any grass left for grazing. We stay green under the snow, and it is usually totally buried in feet of snow by now but we are still bare.
callmefence
Keyboard cowboy
It's a rain water collection basin. I purchased this pasture with joins property I inherited earlier this year and it was under a wildlife tax exemption. The water basins came with the property. They are not adequate for cattle but I've left them. They collect a surprising amount of water from the smallest rains and even dew.. They also have pond and creek water. The grass in that photo is bdahl bluestem. A improved bluestem .
The other cow is In a unimproved part of the place. It's 40 miles from my home place.
The other cow is In a unimproved part of the place. It's 40 miles from my home place.
blacksnake
Well-known member
Surprised no one has brought up the fact that cows can and do switch ownership of their calves. I think it happens more than most people think. I've seen it a few times in my small herd. For that reason I tag as soon as it is practical. I try to do it on day one but doesn't always happen. For tattooing I wait until I am working the calves at weaning and then only do the ones I am going to keep. For checking at calving I think whatever is needed for your operation is what you try to do. If you have a herd that has a history of calving problems or if calving out heifers, checking more often is a good idea. I know one individual who has about 75 cows on a farm about 70 miles from his home. He works during the week and only checks the cows on weekends. Boy what I would recommend but he's comfortable with the losses that he DOES have.
We tag at birth, our cattle aren't aggressive but we are not as quick as we once were. It doesn't take but once to make you realize the bones don't heal as fast as they use to. The calf catcher was not something the boss wanted, but I finally talked him into it, a friend made it for us. The boss told me he was glad I talked him into, he can now get in the cage do all the processing and not be worried that mamma is going to roll him over.
Gizmom
Your land must be a whole lot smoother and more flat then ours is.gizmom":1wfq0zjx said:
We tag at birth, our cattle aren't aggressive but we are not as quick as we once were. It doesn't take but once to make you realize the bones don't heal as fast as they use to. The calf catcher was not something the boss wanted, but I finally talked him into it, a friend made it for us. The boss told me he was glad I talked him into, he can now get in the cage do all the processing and not be worried that mamma is going to roll him over.
Gizmom
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
I have seen the marketed calf catchers and believe they are a GREAT tool for producers. It is definitely designed for open fields. You are the first I have heard that has one (homemade or purchased).
Dun
Our fields are wide open and in Florida so no steep grades. We wish we had more trees but don't have a lot of them either. We have tweaked the design a bit since this picture and have hooked it to a more powerful four wheeler. The boss and Our herdsman both thought I had lost my mind but now both love it now that they have got use to it. None of our cows are really bad but all it takes is once to get you laid up. I have seen gentle cows go batt a$$ crazy after calving, I think it is a hormone imbalance because after a day or so they get back to being a sweet ole cow again.
Gizmom
Our fields are wide open and in Florida so no steep grades. We wish we had more trees but don't have a lot of them either. We have tweaked the design a bit since this picture and have hooked it to a more powerful four wheeler. The boss and Our herdsman both thought I had lost my mind but now both love it now that they have got use to it. None of our cows are really bad but all it takes is once to get you laid up. I have seen gentle cows go batt a$$ crazy after calving, I think it is a hormone imbalance because after a day or so they get back to being a sweet ole cow again.
Gizmom
The idea is great but that would never work here. Even if we had nice, flat land without a gazillion rocks, they'd just take their calf into the woods or a draw. A local guy did buy one, used it only a few times & now can't sell it on Craigslist.dun":2t2npjmm said:Your land must be a whole lot smoother and more flat then ours is.gizmom":2t2npjmm said:
We tag at birth, our cattle aren't aggressive but we are not as quick as we once were. It doesn't take but once to make you realize the bones don't heal as fast as they use to. The calf catcher was not something the boss wanted, but I finally talked him into it, a friend made it for us. The boss told me he was glad I talked him into, he can now get in the cage do all the processing and not be worried that mamma is going to roll him over.
Gizmom
Lucky_P
Well-known member
Can't imagine being able to use one of those contraptions here.
We went forever without tagging newborns, but started doing it in the last year or so. IMO, it's helpful... if you've got a whole bunch of little black calves, when you pull 'em in and separate them from their dams... you can't tell which cow they belong to... or, if you're counting while on pasture... which cow's calf is missing? if they don't have some sort of ID tag, it's hard to tell.
We usually try to tag 'em before they get up, but sometimes they're up and around before we find 'em. Have an extendable calf-catch pole with hook on the end... usually can get close enough to hook a leg and grab the little rascal long enough to tag 'em. While we watch 'em close, there are only a couple of cows, anymore, that I really worry about getting in my pocket.
We went forever without tagging newborns, but started doing it in the last year or so. IMO, it's helpful... if you've got a whole bunch of little black calves, when you pull 'em in and separate them from their dams... you can't tell which cow they belong to... or, if you're counting while on pasture... which cow's calf is missing? if they don't have some sort of ID tag, it's hard to tell.
We usually try to tag 'em before they get up, but sometimes they're up and around before we find 'em. Have an extendable calf-catch pole with hook on the end... usually can get close enough to hook a leg and grab the little rascal long enough to tag 'em. While we watch 'em close, there are only a couple of cows, anymore, that I really worry about getting in my pocket.
The Calf Catch is one of the best purchases I've made. Says up to 250 lbs but the hook is pliable enough you can stretch it out/bend it back for larger calves.
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Randi
Well-known member
we have always tagged shortly after birth. They are tagged, banded, weighed, given their shots, etc within about 24 hours. Then the pairs are split up into different groups, depending on the pasture plan for the year.
Tagging at birth makes things so much easier for the rest of the year.
At first, it's helpful and time saving if we have a calf that gets into the wrong pasture, or for pairing them up if we have a sick cow or calf. Or if you have a calf that is starving.
Then, when it is time to send cattle to pastures, it is a big time saver when splitting the larger groups into loads. Or, if we need to send cattle to a different pasture than was the original plan. And, it is a BIG deal if we have a mix up and send a calf to one pasture and the cow to another. There's a 2+ hour drive between the 2.
And as for management decisions, and record keeping, I wouldn't go with out. I just find it is much quicker to look for a pair with tags, rather than waiting for them to pair up.
Tagging at birth makes things so much easier for the rest of the year.
At first, it's helpful and time saving if we have a calf that gets into the wrong pasture, or for pairing them up if we have a sick cow or calf. Or if you have a calf that is starving.
Then, when it is time to send cattle to pastures, it is a big time saver when splitting the larger groups into loads. Or, if we need to send cattle to a different pasture than was the original plan. And, it is a BIG deal if we have a mix up and send a calf to one pasture and the cow to another. There's a 2+ hour drive between the 2.
And as for management decisions, and record keeping, I wouldn't go with out. I just find it is much quicker to look for a pair with tags, rather than waiting for them to pair up.
annmariemz23
Well-known member
Notice this is an old thread, but have to comment. Every cattle operation is unique. Ours is run on a forest permit in rugged mountains. My father in law didn't used to tag the animals at all, but then the USFS required it. We began to notice that tagging calves gave us a really good handle on their movements. As they got closer to weaning age, they opted to live with "auntie" and cousins rather than their mothers. It also made it so we knew there were other cows in the vicinity when we found one bunch if there were large calves without their assigned mothers.
When we mark-up, the calves are anywhere from newborn to 4 months old. And no, when we put them back with their mothers, not all of them join up. "Auntie" is fine as far as some of them are concerned. I spend more time trying to mother calves later on than I would if I tagged them as they hit the ground. However, I do not like to disturb a new mother. We just let 5 filter back into the woodlot yesterday because their calves were brand new, and we didn't want to separate them from their mothers for the few hours it would take to run the rest of them all through.
When we mark-up, the calves are anywhere from newborn to 4 months old. And no, when we put them back with their mothers, not all of them join up. "Auntie" is fine as far as some of them are concerned. I spend more time trying to mother calves later on than I would if I tagged them as they hit the ground. However, I do not like to disturb a new mother. We just let 5 filter back into the woodlot yesterday because their calves were brand new, and we didn't want to separate them from their mothers for the few hours it would take to run the rest of them all through.
