How is your calving going?

[ALLFARMER]

Went to a farm sale yesterday one producer here
likes to get calving done before seeding....now
month old calves are dying because of
scours...ya he corral and barn calves. Apparently
he has lost like 25 yikes.

Thankfully we didn't get the snow Edmonton got
that would not be good. We had 4 new calves
yesterday and are at 8 soon to be 9 runners. We
had one the mother smothered, she was licking it
off but as soon as we left sight she decided this
was not the calf for her.

Really liking our Remmington shark cage, good
for relocating calves, processing in safety,
leading 4h calves down the road.

[smcgrath76]

Feeling left out as we are not started
yet (other than 3 very early surprises).
Don't scour guard, don't calve in the
corral. We have about 2 weeks of swath
grazing left to go, then stockpiled
grass, then new grass...
Don't expect massive problems as cows
are out and exercised, and May weather
is usually pretty good. Problems on a
June evening seem much less like
problems than in March.

[ALLFARMER]

Ya I think I will be pushing calving back further,
was according to the Ufa calving record book
due calving Apr 10 but we have 9 already. I am
thinking heifers just calve a little earlier than
cows.

[ALLFARMER]

Looks like were getting this crappy snow now
too.

[per]

Getting going pretty good down here. 283 days was April 1 and we are approaching half done. Out on swaths, barley bunches and banked grass over 400 acres. Hfs and 2nd calvers are restrained to 70 acres. Our scour program is spreading the cows out and nutrition. Missing most of the snow has made this job pretty pleasurable.

[ALLFARMER]

Ufa Gestation table is 286 days we had our first
calf at 273.....13 days early. With the snow and
wind we are now getting I would like my Apr 10th
projection back.

[ALLFARMER]

What area you at per?

[grassfarmer]

We had a heifer calve yesterday at bang on 270
days, regular calf probably 65-70lbs. No chance
she was bred early or by a neighbours bull. That's
maybe the shortest gestation I've ever seen. In
Scotland we had way more longer gestation cattle -
a lot of the exotics were 288-290 days. I remember
we once had a heifer there calved at 300 days - she
was AI'd to a different breed so again there was no
chance of a mix up and her calf only weighed about
55lbs. I guess I've seen the two extremes of what's
possible with heifers now.
Due date here is April 18th but we usually start to
get some about the 10th. About 6 inches of snow
from this latest dump which is melting quickly but
we need the banked grass to dry up rapidly before
we can get the cows onto it. It's still sodden and
stuck to the ground from the winter snowpack.

[ALLFARMER]

Ya I guess it's not like buns in the oven where
you just set the timer lol.

Was gunna pull a calf this morning but the wife
said she's progressing just give her time. Said ok
went next door for coffee, 25 minute coffee came
back to find cow with a hip locked calf Better
not take my eyes off these darn heifers!

[per]

Just south of Calgary Allfarmer.

[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)