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

[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.

[Blaithin]

Feeding in the afternoon/evening is also a good strategy to help them stay warm during winter nights. Understandable that it’s not some people’s preference of time to feed though.

Does anyone else here just have free feed available? Or even straight bale grazing/swath grazing/corn grazing with no supplemental feed taken to them? Since I have a tiny herd they just have bales available full time, as you can see. Although they do get a few sleds of other hay sometimes, in the afternoon, but I can’t control their feeding time to help try and keep them warmer in the coldest part of the day. Somehow they swapped themselves to it anyway. Curious if others noticed that trend?

In the cold snap the entire herd would go to bed pretty much at sunset. 6:30-7:00 they’d move into the corrals, have a big drink (so this is when I needed to fill the trough up last), and then they would bed down. They would not get out of bed until around 11-12 the next day! They might be up and drinking but they’d be suntanning and cudding and back laying down. Then midday they’d move to the bales to eat. They fuelled themselves with digestion heat for those cold -50 nights. Now that it’s warmed out they’re not nearly so scheduled. There’s a couple up and eating at 8, a few just sleeping nearby, a few over on the bedding pack.... It was probably just the warmest part of the days for them to go eat which is why their schedules tightened up, but if I had been limit feeding them in the AM they would have got up to eat no matter what when obviously it’s not their preference when left alone.

Cant say I’ve ever noticed the ones close to calving choosing to eat later in the day though. I’ll have to pay attention and see. I don’t have high expectations they would though!

[GDR]

Screenshots of pictures will upload but not right from the gallery, maybe file size too big??

[woodland]

Screenshots of pictures will upload but not right from the gallery, maybe file size too big??

I better not show those pics to my kids or my daughter will be pestering me steady to get a flock........😉

Definitely cute👍
And the fact your panels are very easily moved by hand is a bonus compared to the moo moos.

Crazy question...... Do you pasture your ewes? A guy a few miles over runs 700 or so but they live year round in a small field getting fed bales. He claims he has to deworm them monthly otherwise.

[GDR]

I better not show those pics to my kids or my daughter will be pestering me steady to get a flock........😉

Definitely cute👍
And the fact your panels are very easily moved by hand is a bonus compared to the moo moos.

Crazy question...... Do you pasture your ewes? A guy a few miles over runs 700 or so but they live year round in a small field getting fed bales. He claims he has to deworm them monthly otherwise.

I do pasture the ewes, lambs get fed out in the corral, mostly gone by mid summer. Flock in the corral all winter. If I were to run a large flock I would keep them out of confinement year round. Would have to move though which is most of the reason I dont have a big flock. We built on the edge of a coulee with a creek in the bottom on a mostly bush quarter. Too many places for coyotes to hide.

Sheep graze a bit different than cattle, have heard lots of guys say when you run them together the stocking rates for each dont really decline. They for sure eat grass but often prefer weeds and woody type plants the cows don't. They control any young growth of trees or shrubs and even some big trees they will peel the bark and eventually kill them.

There are a few barns around where the sheep see very little daylight, managed intensively like a chicken barn and are able to continuously lamb the ewes.

As for your neighbours comments doesnt make a bunch of sense to me. We deworm only once per year and honestly don't ever see a difference in the sheep or evidence in the manure.

C'mon woodland, get that little girl a nice bottle lamb! You will have that farm converted in no time!