calving season
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Here's hoping for an uneventful season!!
There should be 1 more in January, and the rest before the end of april. Ideally, before the end of march.
Each calf has a registered name when it is born, as we raise pure-breds. The bulls are named after the sire, and the heifers after the dam. This helps to establish lineage without looking up the registration papers.
I'll try to get a few pics up shortly,but have to make do with a film cam, no digital yet.
So it may take a week or so before I've got the pics back.
BTW, the name are;
for the bull " Red Ambleside Copper" ( he's a red angus)
and for the heifer "Ambleside somethingerother" ( I ferget right now)
and each name is followed by a tattoo# and year letter so we can tell who's who.
There should be 1 more in January, and the rest before the end of april. Ideally, before the end of march.
Each calf has a registered name when it is born, as we raise pure-breds. The bulls are named after the sire, and the heifers after the dam. This helps to establish lineage without looking up the registration papers.
I'll try to get a few pics up shortly,but have to make do with a film cam, no digital yet.
So it may take a week or so before I've got the pics back.BTW, the name are;
for the bull " Red Ambleside Copper" ( he's a red angus)
and for the heifer "Ambleside somethingerother" ( I ferget right now)
and each name is followed by a tattoo# and year letter so we can tell who's who.
It's now 2:20 AM, and I'm waiting on a cow in labour who doesn't seem to be in any hurry! I noticed her around 10:30 and put her in the calving pen, no progress since. I checked her out, and every thing seems to be normal and where it should be, so now it's time to wait. I'm not good at waiting!
I remembered what the name of the heifer was;
Ambleside Blackberry 21P
Real perty huh?
I noticed her around 10:30 and put her in the calving pen, no progress since. I checked her out, and every thing seems to be normal and where it should be, so now it's time to wait. I'm not good at waiting! I remembered what the name of the heifer was;
Ambleside Blackberry 21P
Real perty huh?
So I went out at 3:00,,,, nothing, checked at 4:00, new calf!!arty:
I gave it an hour to get it's legs figured out and went back out to make sure that HE got a little something in his belly. He's a pretty good size calf, and still hadn't quite got the hang of them long legs, so I had to encourage him a little bit to stand up. A little taste of milk got him pretty excited about getting a belly full. Once he got started he figured it out pretty quick, when I left he was eating on his own.
So I got into the house at 5:30 AM, it's now 5:40, I get up at 7:30, all that's left is to decide whether I get almost 2hours sleep, or just stay up and sleep tonight.
I'm leaning towards just staying up. Oh well, there'll be all kinds of time to sleep when I'm dead!:lmao:
arty: I gave it an hour to get it's legs figured out and went back out to make sure that HE got a little something in his belly. He's a pretty good size calf, and still hadn't quite got the hang of them long legs, so I had to encourage him a little bit to stand up. A little taste of milk got him pretty excited about getting a belly full. Once he got started he figured it out pretty quick, when I left he was eating on his own.
So I got into the house at 5:30 AM, it's now 5:40, I get up at 7:30, all that's left is to decide whether I get almost 2hours sleep, or just stay up and sleep tonight.
I'm leaning towards just staying up.
Oh well, there'll be all kinds of time to sleep when I'm dead!:lmao:Chief, if we have to "go in" we just go gloveless, check for any thing out of the ordinary, and work it out if theres a problem. At least 75% of our calves are born without us in attendance. The cattle in the loose housing barn are no problem, most of the time we let themdrop the calf in the yard and then gather the cow and calf into the pen for a couple of days. If there's bad weather coming and a calf is due we'll put the cow in to protect baby from the weather at birth, calves born at below freezing in the rain is NOT good!!
Cows in the tie barn have to be watched a little closer as they can't get to the calf when it's born to help it get started and cleaned up, so we try to be nearby to get it to mama pretty soon. There can be instances that a piece of the amniotic sac will be over the calfs nose, so you need to be right there to save that one!! Rarely a calf will be born without the sac breaking at all, another bad scene if you're not there within seconds.
We do some AI breeding, it that situation we use the gloves, cus yer arm goes in the "back door" to guide the inseminating gun through the cervix. :cowboy: :hide:
we just go gloveless, check for any thing out of the ordinary, and work it out if theres a problem. At least 75% of our calves are born without us in attendance. The cattle in the loose housing barn are no problem, most of the time we let themdrop the calf in the yard and then gather the cow and calf into the pen for a couple of days. If there's bad weather coming and a calf is due we'll put the cow in to protect baby from the weather at birth, calves born at below freezing in the rain is NOT good!!Cows in the tie barn have to be watched a little closer as they can't get to the calf when it's born to help it get started and cleaned up, so we try to be nearby to get it to mama pretty soon. There can be instances that a piece of the amniotic sac will be over the calfs nose, so you need to be right there to save that one!! Rarely a calf will be born without the sac breaking at all, another bad scene if you're not there within seconds.
We do some AI breeding, it that situation we use the gloves, cus yer arm goes in the "back door" to guide the inseminating gun through the cervix. :cowboy: :hide:
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Well I don't raise cows anymore, at least not brood cows. Just a calf or two each year until it gets deep freeze size. Its this time of year I sure do not miss with cows and having to feed in the bad weather. But in a way I miss having them around like I used to.
Now we just have goats in addition to the 1 deep freeze bound steers. Lots easier to handle and the return is good especially if you have folks from third world countries always wanting to buy them for a meal. I sell quite a few. SO this is kidding season for me. 17 on the ground and 4 more does to drop yet, with 3 other first time does still about 2 1/2 months to go. Out of the 17 I got 11 does, so its been good so far. All but one of the buck kids is spoken for (future BBQ goats). Years back we used to run a herd of 40 dairy goats, and that was a job. Now all we have is Boer goats (meat type). Back in November we had one steer butchered, and this last one wil go later this year, around june or so.
Now we just have goats in addition to the 1 deep freeze bound steers. Lots easier to handle and the return is good especially if you have folks from third world countries always wanting to buy them for a meal. I sell quite a few. SO this is kidding season for me. 17 on the ground and 4 more does to drop yet, with 3 other first time does still about 2 1/2 months to go. Out of the 17 I got 11 does, so its been good so far. All but one of the buck kids is spoken for (future BBQ goats). Years back we used to run a herd of 40 dairy goats, and that was a job. Now all we have is Boer goats (meat type). Back in November we had one steer butchered, and this last one wil go later this year, around june or so.
Chipmaker, glad to hear thngs are going well with the goats! :thumbsup: There's not much market for them in my part of the world. I did raise meat rabbits for a while though, had to give up, those stupid things just live to die!!!
To me calving season is the best time of year, it's like planting time on a grain farm, our crop is planted and we watch it grow now! I really enjoy watching the new calves get on their feet for the first time, and within a short time start to run and play, I find it all quite exciting! :nerd:
To me calving season is the best time of year, it's like planting time on a grain farm, our crop is planted and we watch it grow now!
I really enjoy watching the new calves get on their feet for the first time, and within a short time start to run and play, I find it all quite exciting! :nerd:Well I finally got around to scanning in the calf pictures, i hope you enjoy them!
This one is "red Ambleside Copper", the second calf born this season.
<img src=http://www.hpphoto.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=167c5abb-1c1c-2e89-5720-209132c4666d&size=>
This one is of the first calf (black) and third calf born this year. They are snuggly nestled into the calf pen under the heat lamp.
Oh yeah, this little red fella is the one that kept me up all night.:lmao:
<img src=http://www.hpphoto.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=780b75dc-252a-1ea2-59dc-435a58a83037&size=>
This one is "red Ambleside Copper", the second calf born this season.
<img src=http://www.hpphoto.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=167c5abb-1c1c-2e89-5720-209132c4666d&size=>
This one is of the first calf (black) and third calf born this year. They are snuggly nestled into the calf pen under the heat lamp.
Oh yeah, this little red fella is the one that kept me up all night.:lmao:
<img src=http://www.hpphoto.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=780b75dc-252a-1ea2-59dc-435a58a83037&size=>
Thanks for the comments guys!!
We are quite proud of our cattle, they are the result of almost 50 years of selective breeding on our farm, and purchasing new bloodlines to compliment what was here already, along with the use of top AI sires.
We like to make sure our animals are dry and comfortable, that way they STAY healthy!! So far we've had good luck with our calves this year, no calving problems and no disease problems.
Feeding duties are handled by the mommas, that is their only job for the year, if they do a good job they "live long and prosper", if not,,, they are on the BBQ!!! My wife was a little nervous about starting a family after she was aroudnd the farm a couple of years!! :lmao: She got especially nervous when she ended up with mastitus after our second daughter was born!!outta here
My kids love the cattle too and do get attached to the calves, my oldest especially, and some times have a hard time seeing them go when it comes time to sell. I have to be careful when helping my daughter select her 4-H calf, so her choice is likely to be one that gets to hang around!
We are quite proud of our cattle, they are the result of almost 50 years of selective breeding on our farm, and purchasing new bloodlines to compliment what was here already, along with the use of top AI sires.
We like to make sure our animals are dry and comfortable, that way they STAY healthy!! So far we've had good luck with our calves this year, no calving problems and no disease problems.
Feeding duties are handled by the mommas, that is their only job for the year, if they do a good job they "live long and prosper", if not,,, they are on the BBQ!!! My wife was a little nervous about starting a family after she was aroudnd the farm a couple of years!! :lmao: She got especially nervous when she ended up with mastitus after our second daughter was born!!outta here
My kids love the cattle too and do get attached to the calves, my oldest especially, and some times have a hard time seeing them go when it comes time to sell. I have to be careful when helping my daughter select her 4-H calf, so her choice is likely to be one that gets to hang around!
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