Worst calving season in 13 years

[Aaron]

Had a heifer with a uterine prolapse today and another with a backwards upside down calf. Backwards calf died within 5 minutes (frothy blood coming out nose). Nice bull calf. Weighed in at 101 lbs. Wouldn't have been a problem if it had come properly.

Vet sewed the prolapse up. Told her I haven't had a prolapse in 13 years. She told me one in 13 years is by far and gone better than any other operators in the area. I guess she has quite a few horror stories she could tell from this year alone.

Lots of 140 and 145 lb calves being born this year in the area. One guy was running a very-low BW Angus bull on heifers and stacking the calves like cord-wood in 130 head herd. He's going to need a new puller by the end of the season. Reputable breeder that sold the bull took his scales over and couldn't believe the size calves that are being thrown.

 

[inyati13]

Aaron, many stories going around at the feed mill of the same thing here. I have been good so far and only have 2 left to calf this spring. Got one that was due yesterday. She is 8 years old and should do fine unless a really bad presentation. Got a Black Baldie heifer due May 1. Then done until fall.

 

[snake67]

Had a heifer with a uterine prolapse today and another with a backwards upside down calf. Backwards calf died within 5 minutes (frothy blood coming out nose). Nice bull calf. Weighed in at 101 lbs. Wouldn't have been a problem if it had come properly.

Vet sewed the prolapse up. Told her I haven't had a prolapse in 13 years. She told me one in 13 years is by far and gone better than any other operators in the area. I guess she has quite a few horror stories she could tell from this year alone.

Lots of 140 and 145 lb calves being born this year in the area. One guy was running a very-low BW Angus bull on heifers and stacking the calves like cord-wood in 130 head herd. He's going to need a new puller by the end of the season. Reputable breeder that sold the bull took his scales over and couldn't believe the size calves that are being thrown.

Hello my friend

Throw this one in your bag of knowledge - "tough winter and poor feed most often means big calves".

Do not know why, but it is about 95% true.

Our feed quality was very low this year due to the drought - I bought any kind of hay and any decent straw I could find - fed that with free choice mineral and all the corn fines I could get my hands on - and I knew right from the start it was only hardship rations for them.

We were fortunate this year even though every calf was born in a serious snow storm - to date we have lost none.

Dragged almost every new born calf to the shop along with mom - let them stay in there for about three days and a few calves came into the house to warm them up.

Had more panels rigged up in our 40x80 shop this year than ever before - every piece of equipment was outside in the snow and the cows were all taking turns living inside.

Oldest daughter came home and complained she had to use the front door because the back entrance always had calves in it and she could never open the door from the outside.

Had no calves under 100 pounds and we weight them all.

Had several dumb suckers that needed a start to get going. Big calves in bad weather also means you will get at least a couple dumb suckers. This year it seemed they all were!

I am so happy to be finished with calving - now we just need to get some grass to get them going. Towards the end of calving I was starting to wish I lived in the Thicket with CB - almost anything had to be better than calving in our area!

And I now have a good big job waiting for me - putting the shop back together!

Have a good one

Bez

 

[Chris H]

Throw this one in your bag of knowledge - "tough winter and poor feed most often means big calves".

Do not know why, but it is about 95% true.

Bez

I'm about 95% convinced. We had good feed & our calves have been normal 65-90 lbs. The later born calves, once the grass got going, have been at the bigger end. We've had poor hay in the past, but not in the last 2 winters, and we've had some tough calving, but not in the last 2 calving seasons. I never made the connection.

 

[kjonesel]

I have found that there is no substitute for good nutrition. For that reason I have planted 42 acres of alfalfa / orchard grass this spring, I believe it will make excellent brood cow hay.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

We aren't having trouble getting them on the ground, but keeping the Mexican buzzards at bay it proving to be a challenge.

 

[Aaron]

Usually cold weather and good feed means big calves. It has to do with greater blood flow to stay warm. Cold weather and poor feed here means dead calves and abortions. I understand why there are big calves. I just cringe when I here about it.

You had to be a pretty terrible producer to put up poor quality hay here last year with the drought and many, many weeks of bone dry weather. That being said, my neighbor managed to put up about 25 bales of pretty black shyt.

 

[Lucky_P]

Big calves in a cold winter is easy to understand - cold temps outside makes the blood vessels in the cows' skin & extremities constrict to conserve heat, so more is shunted to internal organs - including the uterus - more nutrition for that developing calf, thus higher birthweights.

However, if feed quality is low - particularly with regard to protein level - calves tend to be less able to generate body heat, are slower to get up and nurse, have poorer absorption of colostrum - and, colostrum quality may be poorer, as well. Overall, it's a bad deal.