How is your calving going?

[perfecho]

Had synchronized a 30 cow group to start off the calving season all the same day, and there was a little over 3 weeks from start to finish for that group....maybe even longer once I get DNA back. On the actual due date, I had none. Had great luck....always start out with a problem...this year a heifer with dead twins, but then in usually rolls around to putting cows in the barn around 10 or 11, letting them out about 8am....don't do night checks. 99% are born 6am to 10pm....with most around 10am and 2pm. All I worry about is keeping them from freezing ears, etc.....the cows worry about the rest. Even though I calve in corral or barn,....knock on wood....haven’t had any sickness problems. Think I needled one last year and none this year and we don't scour guard.....sometimes you've got to get lucky. Do use a lot of straw though. This year before putting them out on a ten acre field, I did the nasal vaccination and a “pill” our vet makes up to protect them from coccidiosis for about 30 days. So far so good…..
Planning to change calving to May next year, mostly so we can get away for part of the winter. It's easier to get someone to move an electric line once or twice a year than calving cows.....also looking at selling bulls out of yard as that usually happens later in the year than bull sales......just to give this old duffer a little more time if we like motor homing…..;-)
Always maintained that cattle guys don’t' retire....they just calve later ;-)

[ASRG]

Allfarmer: I get around a fair bit and earlier calving dates seem to be very common this year? Most are saying calves coming about a week early.
I was supposed to start Apr 1st but they started March 24 and have been fairly steady since. Black Angus bulls on a mostly Sim/Angus cowherd.

I have been busy as a bee with my local Wildrose campaign, and thankfully the cows have been getting the job done without a lot of help!

We are looking good in the Innisfail/ Sylvan area (internal polling shows us/WRP at 48.7%/ PC 34.4%.
Provincially the "308 Election predictions" is showing 58 seats WRP/24 seats PC!

Interesting: "308" shows Redford trailing in Calgary-Elbow!

Are you ready for a new government and the restoration of your property rights?

[grassfarmer]

Yes I'm ready to elect a Government that restores our
property rights and I'm pleased that others appear to
be too. We reserve the right to throw the WRP out
next time round though if they get as out of hand as
the current incumbents.

[ASRG]

grassfarmer: Exactly! They need to do what we tell them....not do what ever they want to!
Even though I am working for the Wildrose I haven't drunk all the koolaid! I see them as the only viable method of throwing out our present group of crooks.....but they had better walk the line....or we'll hand them their walking papers!

[ALLFARMER]

Actually gunna have a real election this time
around.

The end of the conservatives rule in AB???

Ralph Klein came up to this are once to be
celebrated by the Tall Cree for work he had done
for them. They trimmed a bunch of lower
branches off some big spruce trees by hwy 88.
They chose a spot by a big dugout used to build
the why. Then they hauled in wood chips by the
53' truck load and spread them on the ground &
built a stage.

Old Ralph flew up to High Level and drove by car
over to the site. That night they announce what a
great guy Ralphy was and made him an
honourary member of the Tall Cree people. They
gave him the title "Walking Eagle" old Ralph was
pretty happy. Ralph say thanks and goes back
down too his seat. Wifey Colleen says that's sure
great Ralph but why "Walking Eagle"? Why
"walking"? Old Ralph say " o i don't know".
Colleen not satisfied she's wants to figure this
out. So they ask one of the other guys at the
table ... he has a blank look and says oo I don't
no and leaves quickly. Ralph say Iam gunna go
ask the chief. Chief why "walking eagle" why not
running eagle or soaring eagle, why just the
walking? The chief looks worried say I don't
know and rushes off! Now Ralphy knows so
things up and he heads straight for the elders
table.....why "walking eagle" why not "graceful
eagle" or "great eagle" why the "walking". They
look at each other and one says "its because we
figured any bird that full of shit could never fly" lol

(the event was real the title was a made up joke
announced on the radio here after the event)

[grassfarmer]

ASRG, Not wishing to endanger a regime change I
think in an ideal world we would only see the
Wildrose win by a very small margin. I think there is a
danger if they sweep to power with a PC style
majority the PC party will collapse, the electorate will
think they have done their bit and go to sleep for
another 30 years.
Imagine if we actually had a working democracy -
with 4 parties competing strongly all the time. The
legislature could become a real working entity with
discussion and debate taking place and policies
formed as a result. No more of this bills being written
by bureaucrats and passed by MLAs without even
reading them. Do you think we are ready for such a
democracy in AB yet?

[forage]

PER read your thread please help me out "April 1 and we are approaching half done. Out on swaths, barley bunches and banked grass over 400 acres." You are half done in 6 days,does that me you have half of your herd calved in 6 days. Man am I doing something wrong. I run on a 3 cylce or 65 days. Started March 1 with the mature herd, almost 80% done as of April 6.

[per]

Due date based on 283 days as discussed above is sort of a guideline that is a bit of a moving target depending on many factors. I have been at it for coming up to 12 days. I included the hfs that were only bred for 30 days and the cows are bred for 45 days. Using that strategy for many years now has naturally selected for a fertile first cycle calving herd. Usually 75 to 80% done from 21 days past the first one born. Having plenty of feed because of a mild winter has forced me to stay out on the swaths to calve and I must say it is so far pretty enjoyable. Not really a right or wrong thing, there are advantages and disadvantages to a short breeding season.

[ASRG]

grassfarmer: You are probably right. A small majority would probably be best.
We are hearing a lot of PC candidates aren't very happy with Redford and if she squeaks in with a minority or even a small majority, there is a real chance they might walk across the floor!
Its probably going to get fairly dirty. We've already had signs trashed and are now getting hecklers at our town halls. we have a pretty sharp young candidate and she has handled that well.
She knows very well who brought her to the dance and will be a strong advocate in a WRP government for farmers and ranchers.
by the way: I see the internal polling everyday.....looks like your next MLA is Joe Anglin! Joe will keep them honest!

[gcreekrch]

Due date is Monday next and we are 15% done. By the looks of things we could be at 80-85 % the first cycle.
Mornings the last week have been -20 and colder with the odd bit of snow for good measure.
Other than the odd frosted dummy things are going better than average.