Something unrelated to COVID, climate change, politics, etc......

[woodland]

Cattle tend to really tank up on food BEFORE the cold weather gets here. A good indicator that it's coming.

Interesting. I always notice the water springs around here start running more a couple days before it warms up. Must be the pressure change driving these changes???

[woodland]

Cows smashed the cold snap. Didn’t even phase them at all. Other than they seemed to drink like elephants right when water was getting to be a pain!

Now that it’s warmed up it’s like they’ve fallen off the edge. It always amazes me how much they eat when it’s cold and then how much they don’t when it warms up. They are not cleaning up their bales with any enthusiasm this week Lol

They’ve been around the side of the house for a bit now, working on fertilizing the front yard. I like being able to peak out the front window and see them. They follow a similar schedule to me and don’t really get out of bed very early.


I have a fairly spread out calving block considering there’s only about 8 to calve but I don’t mind. Spreads out the cost of buying fosters! First to drop is going to be the Simmental on the far left. Should go in the next couple weeks. Then at least 2 of the 3 heifers are end of March. Don’t know when the 3rd is due. Cows were at a different pasture so no wooing was seen to know their dates but they should be March/April as well.

I know my friend likes calving now so the bulls can start breeding in the corrals. That way they can keep track of which bull gets which cow on what day. I suggested a DNA test might save time but they are kinda resistant to change. As long as our cows get bred within three cycles I’m happy. What are foster calves worth these days?

It really seems like the odds are stacked against us at keeping water flowing at -30. The axe is my weapon of choice to open up the waterers.

The way our yard is setup if I see cows out the window when I wake up I know there’s a open gate or fence to fix.


Fun times😎

[woodland]

Pretty cool picture of your cows Woodland, that's a lot of bunks.

Hot and heavy lambing here, havent got much sleep last few days, all seem to wait till nighttime this year. Should be down to just stragglers in a few days. Then I'm on whelping duty, my helper is due for a batch of pups in 10 days. Cows start mid March. Baby central here for 3 months as usual.

That calving article, basically what we do here for the most part, been sitting babies up like that for a long time, then rub them on either side of their spine, or sometimes "pump" their back leg towards their body, seems to work well. Dont generally have much issues with calving, lambing presents more problems. Always like when the vet suggests to do a c section early. Havent needed one for 20 yrs myself but a friend did one a couple years ago, bill was over $1200 with mileage, after hour charges etc. Vets have lost touch with reality of livestock farming and have pretty well become equine and small animal vets. Still know a couple good ones, they just aren't close enough to me when you need them.

Was gonna add some lambing pictures but Agriville keeps saying there is an error???

Been building more bunks lately as there seems to be more cows here all the time. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not? 😉

The vets have priced themselves out of our place as well. Closest one is 50 km away. We get them to semen test in June and ultrasound the bred heifers in December. We get two different vets out so that opens two different doors to get medicine at. YouTube on the phone at the maternity pen is an amazing resource.

What kind of issues do lambs run into? Haven’t been around many of them as they’re pretty scarce around here.

Pictures are always great. Please try again😎

[Sheepwheat]

I always forget there are these other forums. Seems more farming info on this one. Don’t want to hijack, but being as sheep are basically a little cow, I’m here to learn more. And I appreciate the pics.

[Blaithin]

I know my friend likes calving now so the bulls can start breeding in the corrals. That way they can keep track of which bull gets which cow on what day. I suggested a DNA test might save time but they are kinda resistant to change. As long as our cows get bred within three cycles I’m happy. What are foster calves worth these days?

It really seems like the odds are stacked against us at keeping water flowing at -30. The axe is my weapon of choice to open up the waterers.

The way our yard is setup if I see cows out the window when I wake up I know there’s a open gate or fence to fix.


Fun times😎

400-500 has been the normal for fosters the last few years. Some want higher, I just be patient for others to appear. Or can go to the auction and take a chance on a calf there. Also got a couple dairies I’m in touch with that do Beef bulls on the cows so I can get them for a little less if I need a bunch of calves in a short time span. Currently trying to have a cow need a calf at the same time a dairy has a Belgian Blue cross calf available as I’m interested in seeing how that cross does.

My waterer is alright. Bigger trough with a floating de icer but at past -30s it can’t keep the whole top open. The hole gradually gets smaller and smaller 😂

Since my bull is with the cows year round I could have calves anytime (like the surprise Christmas calf...) but usually they’re close enough to home that I can see some sort of action going on to know when they’re due to start calving. They do seem to have mostly congregated into April so I just leave them to their own thing the last few years. The heifers it’s nice to know when they’re due though, just because they’re heifers!






GDR does feeding sheep in the evening have the same effect as feeding cattle in the evening; mostly day time births, less night time ones? I thought I read somewhere it does. Might be something to try next time if you aren’t already doing it, just to help nights not be so busy!

[woodland]

400-500 has been the normal for fosters the last few years. Some want higher, I just be patient for others to appear. Or can go to the auction and take a chance on a calf there. Also got a couple dairies I’m in touch with that do Beef bulls on the cows so I can get them for a little less if I need a bunch of calves in a short time span. Currently trying to have a cow need a calf at the same time a dairy has a Belgian Blue cross calf available as I’m interested in seeing how that cross does.

My waterer is alright. Bigger trough with a floating de icer but at past -30s it can’t keep the whole top open. The hole gradually gets smaller and smaller 😂

Since my bull is with the cows year round I could have calves anytime (like the surprise Christmas calf...) but usually they’re close enough to home that I can see some sort of action going on to know when they’re due to start calving. They do seem to have mostly congregated into April so I just leave them to their own thing the last few years. The heifers it’s nice to know when they’re due though, just because they’re heifers!






GDR does feeding sheep in the evening have the same effect as feeding cattle in the evening; mostly day time births, less night time ones? I thought I read somewhere it does. Might be something to try next time if you aren’t already doing it, just to help nights not be so busy!

We tried the evening feeding trick and it helps as long as the tractor doesn’t die, wagon tires go flat, cows get out............ next thing you know it’s midnight and nobody is happy. Neither the cows or us. Went back to feeding and bedding first thing in the morning after a few bad nights brought on by my “amazing” luck😉

[GDR]

GDR does feeding sheep in the evening have the same effect as feeding cattle in the evening; mostly day time births, less night time ones? I thought I read somewhere it does. Might be something to try next time if you aren’t already doing it, just to help nights not be so busy!

When I figure it out I will let you know, lol! For years the majority typically lambed an hour before feeding time. So I generally feed just before lunch time planning on having morning lambs. This year I would guess 75% lambed between midnight and 6am, I check often and if I see someone starting I will stay up till they are done so makes for some long nights. My wife was rubbing it in last week that my feeding program isn't working out too well. I check my last night check at 630am and then go to bed for a couple hours and she checks until I get up to do chores. Just down to stragglers now but am at 194% live lambs, have done pretty well but was sure trying to hit 200%. Have only done that once.

I've tried feeding cows later and think it helps but I get impatient and want to get chores done and move on with my day, must have a bit OCD in me cause its sure hard to change things up.

Agriville still doesnt like my pictures this week off my phone, anyone else having trouble?

[Blaithin]

Nope, mine seem to be working. But I have to select the large size, if I leave it on “Actual Size” I get an error.

[GDR]

What kind of issues do lambs run into? Haven’t been around many of them as they’re pretty scarce around here.

All the same issues as cows just more of them. Presentation this year has been good but some years seem to have lots of issues. If they would all just have twins it would be better for us and them. Singles get too big and triplets can be a delivery issue at times and not too many ewes have enough milk to properly feed 3 anyhow. I did graft one triplet on a ewe that lost one of her twins this year and went really well but often it's a disaster as they are much more determined than a cow to not foster another baby. Last year I had 2 I tried to foster, ended up having to leave both ewes in a stantion for 6 weeks by which time I just weaned the lambs, they would kick, lay down, jump whatever they could to stop the wrong lamb from drinking, hard to believe they knew which one because they couldn't turn around to smell them but they knew.

[littledoggie]

We like the later in the day feeding strategy for day time calving. We start the late afternoon feeding a month or so before calving is expected to start - which would be about 2 weeks before our due date (we have red angus) We feed everyday and all hay is mostly cleaned up by feeding time. Cows that don't come to feed are suspect for calving during the night, but they usually calve in the wee hours of the morning.