How is your calving going?

[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.

[per]

"Other than the odd frosted dummy things are going better than average."

Are those burocratas from Victoria giving you more trouble?

[gcreekrch]

I thought those were toasted........

[ALLFARMER]

Gcreek sounds like were in the same boat, but
were not getting as cold as you. Temperature -13
here tonight and that's colder than usual. 5 more
calves here today. Had to get my new Miller
welder out of hibernation and weld up my piece
of junk hi-qual maternity pen. Had to get the
wife to pick up some new cable for the head
catch, Peavey Mart is now the dealer for hi-qual,
gave them the length and they sent me one 4" to
long and the bolt ends crimped on don't fit into
the mounting brackets. Anyway welded the cheap
exhaust pipe up and reenforced it with some
heavier steel and had another calf while doing
that. Bought that thing after seeing a sale add at
Ufa guess I got what I paid for! If I see a
Morand maternity pen at a sale up here she's
gunna be mine. You really gotta watch the Ufa
gates and panels and bale feeders. Quality has
really dropped in the last 8 or 10 years. I think
they are selling lots of hobby farmer junk. Cheers
y'all

[gcreekrch]

10 days past due date and we are now 56% done on the cows that were here 2 days ago. Took delivery of another load of heifers yesterday so we are again 6 short of 50%.

These cows have never calved this fast, I guess the wolves and grizzlies kept them bunched last summer.