Spring calving

[Pat]

Here are the first of the calves from my herd of first timers. They were born as decreed by Murphy, in a cold windy rain but at least in daylight. They are a day and a half old in this sorry picture. (Wife is gone shopping all day and I have no clue where her Kodak is and used a cheap BinoCam.)

Of the 4 most ready looking heifers I confined in a maternity observation area, 2 of then calved within minutes of each other two days after being put in the pen. They will be put out with the rest of the herd if the calves are still looking good at a week of age and a couple more (whichever look closest) candidates will be put in the maternity ward. I like to have at least 4 in there so they have a little herd and aren't too lonely.

Pat

[Pat]

Here is what happens when two calves who are curled up in the sun have a guy with a camera walk up to them and say (relatively quietly) psssst, to get their attention to get a better picture.

First time I ever did that. I had no idea they could go from nearly napping to running away faster than I thought possible for a day and a half old babies in a fraction of a second.

Live and learn.

Pat

[Bird]

Looks like those calves thought if you weren't a rattlesnake, you were at least related to one. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Bird, As I'm sure you know, for the first couple days you can just walk right up to them and pick them up or whatever. Hopefully this "grace" period will last with the little bull (one bull and one heifer) until well into tomorrow morning when we will affix a tight band on him to convert him from a him to an it. My friend who has the band applicator couldn't make it today and will come tomorrow morning. I could have tagged them both today but was afraid that would make them wary and a lot harder to catch.

I prefer to "brutalize" them the least possible commensurate with my needs and goals. Along those lines we will just do it all tomorrow. I like to tag early so there is no confusion on my part about pairing up moms and calves. I try to avoid unnecessary stress so I won't be like the guy who didn't want to stress out his puppy by just cutting its tail right off and instead opted for a kinder gentler solution and just cut off a quarter inch each day.

Pat

[Bird]

Just cutting off a little each day would really be tough, wouldn't it? [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] The neighbor I had caught his bull calves and banded them as soon after birth as he could do so without the momma cow catching him. He'd go on his Kawasaki Mule and try to get between the cow and calf, with the calf on the driver's side, so he could get out and grab the calf while momma was on the other side of the Mule. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] Some he caught right away and some were several days old before he succeeded. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] Some of those old range cows were pretty protective. And he never penned them up for birthing; just left them in the pasture and sometimes they were a little hard to even find.

[egon]

Seems I can recall "CowboyDoc" saying that six weeks old was the optimum time. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Bird]

Egon, if you go to google.com and look for "banding bull calf" you'll find plenty of disagreement. Some say the most humane, efficient, etc, time is right at birth while some say the calves are healthier and gain weight faster if you wait until 5 months of age; one says wait until they're 500-550 pounds in size. I sure don't have any scientific knowledge. I just know my neighbor did it just as early as he got the opportunity and from the humane viewpoint for the calf and the least amount of work for the rancher, I think I'd agree.

[egon]

Bird, in the past on some post I'd mention that my Father performed the operation within a few days of birth. He also applied dehorning paste at this time [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

CowboyDoc came back with the six weeks. This was supposedly backed up proper scientific data from accredited institutions but that data is not available to me at this time. [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

I ain't gonna take a stand in one way or another cause I just don't have any facts. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] And our winter is getting to long and longer! [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Pat]

The original Texas longhorns running in open range were pretty much wild as they get. The year I spent in New Mexico on open range the stock were pretty wild.

I just got back from banding the bull and tagging both the bull and heifer. We could still walk up on them if we took it easy. We distracted the moms with some feed figuring the moms would stand at the trough and the calves would not stray too far. The first day or two anyone can just walk up on the calves and pick them up or whatever (if they are smart enough to not hiss like a snake! [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ) They are likely to be a little suspicious of people after being tagged and or otherwise molested.

Two more are real close and another three soon after them. Then a short breather before the rest. Got the bull back in with them so they can breed back ASAP.

I got my duct design email and if a phone session works out to our mutual satisfaction the ductwork will be shipped soon.

I'm thinking this is a big enough project that I might get some duct hanging help.

Pat

[Pat]

A nice surprise a couple days ago. The part of the herd not dropping calves "real soon now" as certified by my 40 years of experience friend and double checked by myself is separated from the "maternity ward" occupants. All 4 in the maternity ward had calved uneventfully when one of the heifers estimated to be 3-4 weeks out showed up with a 3-4 day old calf. Her little April fools day prank. A healthy, alert, and active little bull until the next day when the process of becoming a steer was initiated with a little rubber band and he was ear tagged. My experienced friend got a good chuckle over his "misdiagnoses."

As regards castration: Like every other aspect of animal husbandry, castration has many different views attached to the various options. One size does not necessarily fit all.

I truly believe (and informed sources agree) that early banding is easier on the calf and rancher with less health risk to the calf and certainly less risk of injury to the rancher.

Economics may vary depending on whether or not growth implants are used. I do not use them, preferring to produce more natural, artificial hormone free animals. If I miss a few pounds of weight gain because I make castration easy on me and the calf, then so be it and likewise the implants. If I were managing a large operation and was only directing the work of others and had to account to "shareholders" for the bottom line, then certainly I might be more inclined to more thoroughly optimize the process. That is NOT the situation so I will muddle through.

Pat