Well I Guess We're Calving

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Is this your normal rate or getting more this year?

 

[Silver]

Is this your normal rate or getting more this year?

It is rather higher than normal. Generally we get quite a disproportionately high number of twins at the start ( I assume they don't carry twins as long as singles), then it usually levels off. I'm hoping it's at the "leveling off" stage now.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I was curious because I had almost double my "normal to most". Must have been a very good nutrition year for the cattle.

 

[Silver]

Well, one more set of twins this afternoon. That makes 7 sets on 32 cows calved. I think it's safe to say we are well above normal now.

 

[Silver]

Now I'm starting to get alarmed! Just had 8th set of twins this evening, one of which was stillborn.

 

[Silver]

Ninth set of twins this morning. Second calf from set born last night died, grafted new twin onto her this morning. :bang:

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Holy cow!!! what is in your water???

 

[Nesikep]

Another set of twins at 2:00 this morning. Had to extract the second calf, both dead. Did a skin job on the one she had licked off and hung the new coat on a bottle calf. Not looking promising for the graft job to take. With hobbles and patience I hope to overcome.

Try giving the parts exposed beyond the hide a milk bath from the adopting mother. A plastic glove and get some discharge from both ends to rub on the calf too. Never let the cow get a smell of her adoptee before you are ready.

If you can help it, don't let the cow that lost her calf sniff her own calf!

a few years ago I had one that was a breech birth, and caught too late, calf was dead when I got it out... It was done in the squeeze, and when I got it out I tossed it under the railings, and backed the cow back into the crowding pen.. Milked her daily..
A few days later I had a cow have twins, but only had one brain cell.. it was 3 am and miserable weather, so the second twin (heifer) came into the shop for the night and got a good feeding, then I brought her to the wet cow through the alley.. She saw it and mooed at it.. it was her long lost calf! Did a great job of raising it, and I shoulda done a freemartin test on her, beautiful calf by fall.. didn't feel like gambling on it though

 

[Nesikep]

Silver.. Holy smokes on the twins! What percentage is that? I started off my calving season with a pair of them, both are doing great.. Momma has PLENTY of milk for two, which means the cow that slipped her calf early and I've been milking still could take a calf if I have an extra down the line.. I'm SICK OF MILKING!

 

[Silver]

Had our 10th set this afternoon. One live and one stillborn. 43cows calved. Our record for a season was 15 sets of twins. If this doesn't stop soon we'll be into new territory. Of the 10 cows that have had twins we have only 6 1/2 complete sets. As it sits we still have one more live calf than we have cows calved out. Two bottle babies calmly awaiting to take advantage of the next catastrophe lol. One cow mothering a complete set.
Never seen anything quite like this.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Had our 10th set this afternoon. One live and one stillborn. 43cows calved. Our record for a season was 15 sets of twins. If this doesn't stop soon we'll be into new territory. Of the 10 cows that have had twins we have only 6 1/2 complete sets. As it sits we still have one more live calf than we have cows calved out. Two bottle babies calmly awaiting to take advantage of the next catastrophe lol. One cow mothering a complete set.
Never seen anything quite like this.

Why is this happening? You must have a reasonable guess by now.

 

[Silver]

Had our 10th set this afternoon. One live and one stillborn. 43cows calved. Our record for a season was 15 sets of twins. If this doesn't stop soon we'll be into new territory. Of the 10 cows that have had twins we have only 6 1/2 complete sets. As it sits we still have one more live calf than we have cows calved out. Two bottle babies calmly awaiting to take advantage of the next catastrophe lol. One cow mothering a complete set.
Never seen anything quite like this.

Why is this happening? You must have a reasonable guess by now.

Healthy cows and blind luck is what I'm going with. Also likely figuring into things is a rising percentage of Simmental in our herd.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Yup, Simmental are fertile myrtles!!! But, nutrition has the biggest factor (I think) in twinning.

 

[Silver]

Yup, Simmental are fertile myrtles!!! But, nutrition has the biggest factor (I think) in twinning.

Maybe the grass was exceptional last summer, hard to say. We don't feed mineral (gasp!), so can't take any credit or blame in that regard.
I heard today our neighbors are twinning at about the same rate.

 

[Silver]

Just got in from delivering another (twelfth) set of twins. First calf presented tail first. I didn't weigh them but I'd eat my hat if they didn't weigh over 90 lbs each.

Starting to wonder if all the oat baleage we fed last spring would have anything to do with how the cows flushed before breeding.

 

[NonTypicalCPA]

Wow that's a lot of twins!

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

And he only just got started calving!!! :shock:

 

[Tbrake]

Your saying you have had 10 sets of twins out of 43 cows? That is unreal. I had 146 baby's this spring, only 4 twins. And a lot of them have strong gelvieh influence. Known for twins. (that I found) only about 12-15 cows left. Fingers crossed for no more twins!!!!
Edit: I'm not doubting you, just never heard of so many twins !

 

[Silver]

Your saying you have had 10 sets of twins out of 43 cows? That is unreal. I had 146 baby's this spring, only 4 twins. And a lot of them have strong gelvieh influence. Known for twins. (that I found) only about 12-15 cows left. Fingers crossed for no more twins!!!!
Edit: I'm not doubting you, just never heard of so many twins !

I've never heard of it either. It is now 12 sets on 48 cows. I can only assume it is going to stop soon, I've had enough.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Your saying you have had 10 sets of twins out of 43 cows? That is unreal. I had 146 baby's this spring, only 4 twins. And a lot of them have strong gelvieh influence. Known for twins. (that I found) only about 12-15 cows left. Fingers crossed for no more twins!!!!
Edit: I'm not doubting you, just never heard of so many twins !

I've never heard of it either. It is now 12 sets on 48 cows. I can only assume it is going to stop soon, I've had enough.

It's not luck, good or bad there's a reason for what's happening. Everything in nature has a reason. Did your neighbor feed oat baleage last spring?