So straight rows of burrs stuck in their hair likely wouldn't count?
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Here's another one of the Fleck's. I got Mango in February, a week before she calved, so this is her first summer off the dairy. She got a bit of grain in the winter when she was accepting her foster calf (Also seemed to have a touch of a deficiency at calving so that helped give her her vitamins!). But no grain since the grass came in, much to her dismay.
She's currently got two 7 month old calves on her and looks like this. That's not her calf behind her, it's the persistent nurser, still devoted to following that udder Hah I wouldn't really say that my yard has particularly good grazing either, although the rain this year has definitely helped it stay plentiful.
Don't have a current photo of the two calves, I should go get one. She's probably got close to 1000-1100 lbs of calf on her.Comment
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Here’s the two calves. They’re always mid siesta when I go out 🙄
Heifer on the left, Cow’s own steer in the middle, yearling bull on the right. They look much bigger when laying down so I guess they know what photo angle serves them best!
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Here we go. Finally up from their afternoon nap!
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Angus cow simmental cross calf.
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Can’t go wrong with a Sim cross calf, newguy!
Moved the cows to a small pasture yesterday. The annoying place they are at in the summer is all old sheep fence. A city fella bought it a couple years back but he’s unwilling to put much towards fencing so I’ve hobbled the slickwire together as best I can. Unfortunately about the time it gets the driest and the Hotwire doesn’t work great, is when the calves decide no Hotwire will ever keep them in! So they’ve been cruising the back side of the pasture with all the pheasant hunters for a couple weeks. Like a gang of ruffians, only going home to visit the milk bar before they’re off again.
Was just a short mile walk, not much farther to come home really. But we did cut across the field as there’s still a lot of grain traffic from harvest on the road. Also if we took the road they probably would have just buggered off and come home Hah
Stella and I fell behind on the road portion of the journey.
But once we got into the field, her and I became the leaders! Right behind her is my other feedlot calf. Like a typical Limo, you can’t chase her anywhere, she’ll run the other way. But she follows like a dream!
And we finally made it. The reward at the end of the March.
Last edited by Blaithin; Oct 4, 2020, 09:53.Comment
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Stella is rather useless.Originally posted by burnt View Post
She’s my very first cow of my own. A calf born at the feedlot I used to work at that I brought home in the backseat. She’s not very tall so easily looks fat and she had issues breeding. Didn’t calve until she was 4 and that was an induced C section. Vet said she’d never calve on her own, pelvis isn’t open enough.
Raised her calf, kept her in milk as she didn’t breed back and she raised another calf. Year after that she did get bred so aborted her, she came into milk, made her raise another calf. She wasn’t impressed hah
Been two years since then and she hasn’t bred back again. She’s obese after summer and gets put on a diet in winter.
She’s halter broke, can be ridden and has a 3 pad collar so she can pull the calf sled around the yard. Her real skill is she loves getting on the trailer and will happily go anywhere. She’ll lead the herd or load up to get the calves on the trailer for weaning and then stay with them as an adult influence. She’s just my big baby.Comment
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Went out to get some photos in the snow this morning.
They’re all in a group... eating thistles!!!
Why do they always wait so late to eat thistles. Can’t they get them earlier, before they go to seed 😆
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Our cows even wait longer to eat thistles .......... like as in never😉Originally posted by Blaithin View PostWent out to get some photos in the snow this morning.
They’re all in a group... eating thistles!!!
Why do they always wait so late to eat thistles. Can’t they get them earlier, before they go to seed 😆
How do you do it?
Good job and they still look contentComment
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No idea 😆
They’re also really big into grazing trees. Like to the point they’ll eat leaves before grass. I might have never noticed it before in previous cows because we didn’t have trees haha But this herd will destroy a poplar and enjoy the caragana any chance they get. (Made me do some reading up on tree legumes for forage. Why don’t more people use caragana?!) The Apple trees are a favourite in fall as well.
If they’re really that odd then the only thing I can link it to is that I have a Jersey x Highland. Her highland side comes out heavily and she will browse almost anything, definitely not just a grazer. Since cows are snoopy beasts, if ones eating something they all have to try it, and soon enough your trees toast!Comment
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Here's a clip from a couple years ago. They stripped all leaves within reach much earlier in the year.
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Weaned the two at home. Took them 4 days to realize the silage bale was edible.
Went to the remote herd to cut ice today. They didn’t care. Guess they aren’t that thirsty, they just feel they should have easier food to access.
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I’ve heard of people that will mix the weeds - thistles, burrs, maybe even pigweed - into the animals feed. Like chop them up fine and put in grain or something, to get them to get a taste of them. Apparently it’s supposed to get them to eat the weeds better.
Not sure if that actually works, but eating weeds definitely seems to be more of a learned response for them.Comment
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