Two Hearts

[TCRanch]

No mistaking who this calf belongs to! And a collective "Awwww" :heart: But don't be fooled by her beautiful face. I was searching for her calf in thigh-deep grass when I heard a primal growl. Turned around & saw that enormous she-beast running towards me with wild eyes. This is it - she's finally gonna take me out. So I just stood there like an idiot, frozen in fear - as she barrelled past me. Only then did I realize she was ready to take down 2 deer, chased them across the pasture until they jumped the fence. Okay, then! Decided her calf doesn't need tagged/banded/shots for now - or ever. She's 10 and her teats are the size of a Hillshire beef stick; amazingly the calf is able to nurse (or fortunately he has a freakishly huge mouth?). Regardless, with attitude, late calving and bad teats she's earned herself a ride to town, most likely with her calf after he gets those teats nursed down (and it cools off) and I'll just have to take the doc for not castrating.

 

[farmerjan]

Okay, and in a few days does she calm down? We have a couple that are like that for the first week or so. Then they calm down. We will get a bunch in as soon as the calves are a couple weeks old, work them and then turn them back out. I can't always get them done with my knee/ankle issues so as long as I know the calf is alive and hopefully I see it up nursing, I let well enough alone. Then when it comes time to move them around, the "problems" go to a pasture where there is no bull and they go to town after they get the calf raised up. I agree that when they get to the point of more than one strike.... bad attitude, late in the calving season, big teats, did I say attitude, they need to go. But if you can get her in , in a couple of weeks to sell her, why not work the calf, then sell both at the end of the season when the calf has some size.

 

[Bright Raven]

I love the hearts. Got a couple here.

 

[TCRanch]

Jan, I have thought about moving her back to the central pasture, working/castrating her calf when we wean in Oct and selling her when we wean the other late calves. She's already simmered down so that's definitely an option. On the other hand, she's currently with 2 other older cows; one of which stepped on her calf's head & the other is either open or so far behind she won't calve until Dec. We really need to cull so my initial plan was to sell them all in a month or so and call it good. All subject to change!

 

[farmerjan]

Yeah, sometimes you just have to move them cuz they are where it is convenient and take a hit on one. We have 2 that were so thin after this last calf came off that they were skin and bones. Put them in a small field and they are going pretty soon. They have gained some weight back but I don't want to keep them and then bury them. Had 8 with calves that is their last calf and they will all go with them calves in the fall. No teeth is the biggest reason. But one just dropped dead the other day, the calf is stealing off a couple of cows, so it will just go when the rest go. A couple of them I wanted to sell last year but my son gets to questioning himself and they wind up staying since they are preg. Did sell one this year that was preg but she has raised crap for a calf the last 2 years, just no milk and I said....NO WAY, she is going with the other old cows that came up open. Got one young one that is a looney tunes nut case and she IS LEAVING after this calf. Tired of her running out the gate or just not coming in and all the calves go with her. Got her in with all the ancient cows and we will get her in somehow and she is gone. I'd have shot her if it was my call.