Calf Size

[countryguy]

I have been calving for a week now and have noticed that the calves are much larger than they should be and can't figure out why.Lots of harder births and a few pulls.The cows were not over fed(hay only all winter)and the bull that these first calvers are bred to is the same 71 pd BW bull I used last year with good success.The breed is also noted for its ease of calving.I talked to a guy out west and he said his vet saw alot of 140-160 pd calves this year.Anyone else have bigger than normal calves this year?

[Smithy]

Gosh countryguy, your calves just know they should be half grown by this time of year!

[countryguy]

Ha ha Smithy.You just may be on to something!

[15444]

Being that we had a very cold winter across this country this year, the idea to explain the extreme birthweights we have seen this year seems to be a higher rate of blood flow to the fetus. Which would make sense seeing as how the blood flow speeds up in humans when we are cold. Higher rate of flow = increase in supply of nutrients to fetus. I experieced the same thing this year. Had over 1/2 dozen calves over the 110 mark when they should have been around the 95-100 mark. But have heard stories of 130-150 lb calves this year from friends.