Calving time on the farm
- Thread starter bordercollie
- Start date
Congratulations Pepr. That is a great way to start off the season. 
I agree that most us here have similar ethics and principles
bordercollie
I agree that most us here have similar ethics and principles
bordercollie
Last edited:
I guess it is time to stir up this old thread. I just wanted to show the RTV in action again. This is our calving season- Oct and Nov with a few late arrivals in Dec.
The RTV is indispensable to me on the farm. I go and look for calves and possible trouble most every day. Then me, sis and bil ,if he is off, go weigh ,tag and iodine the belly cord of the new calves. It is handy to scout first and have the tags made up ahead of time. The mothers seem to get nervous if you handle the calves too long.
I noticed a possible mama cow laying far off by herself when I drove down the blacktop road -alongside the pasture. She had her head and ears up and watched me from a long ways off, ... she was all alone. ( she knew the sound of the RTV and I knew the look she had). I get over there and the other cows are in the pasture 2 patches over to her right . She has gotten up by then and is walking and looking all around and goes to join the other cows in that over the hill, unseen pasture. I go there too and see her looking over fences there ...just walking and looking- no luck . By now I know her number and know she does indeed have a calf. missing now and it will be dark before too long. In the first pictures, I go back to where I first saw her and start looking in the clean pasture... no luck.. get up on a hill and cascade with the binoculars along the treeline/creek... nothing.... then again.... is that a dark spot???? drive closer... yes, it's a dark spot.... park the RTV and get on foot... approach.. It's a sleeping calf... I do my best impression of a baby calf in distress for a few minutes... then I see the mama coming .... more impersonations and she is close enough so that I can circle around behind the calf (so he won't run the wrong way) and I wake him up.. Make him holler and the mama says that's my baby ! I get him under the fence and drive them to the patch with the cows so he won't stray back. A happy ending with a warm milk supper.
The last picture is of me sitting on a duct taped calf (different one) in the cargo bed of the RTV. Sis is driving the RTV and the calf is being carried to his mama. She decided she wanted to eat at the troughs and then couldn't remember she was a first time ,new mama. ( she was kept at the barn for that night with him and now she says " that's my baby !".. bordercollie
The RTV is indispensable to me on the farm. I go and look for calves and possible trouble most every day. Then me, sis and bil ,if he is off, go weigh ,tag and iodine the belly cord of the new calves. It is handy to scout first and have the tags made up ahead of time. The mothers seem to get nervous if you handle the calves too long.
I noticed a possible mama cow laying far off by herself when I drove down the blacktop road -alongside the pasture. She had her head and ears up and watched me from a long ways off, ... she was all alone. ( she knew the sound of the RTV and I knew the look she had). I get over there and the other cows are in the pasture 2 patches over to her right . She has gotten up by then and is walking and looking all around and goes to join the other cows in that over the hill, unseen pasture. I go there too and see her looking over fences there ...just walking and looking- no luck . By now I know her number and know she does indeed have a calf. missing now and it will be dark before too long. In the first pictures, I go back to where I first saw her and start looking in the clean pasture... no luck.. get up on a hill and cascade with the binoculars along the treeline/creek... nothing.... then again.... is that a dark spot???? drive closer... yes, it's a dark spot.... park the RTV and get on foot... approach.. It's a sleeping calf... I do my best impression of a baby calf in distress for a few minutes... then I see the mama coming .... more impersonations and she is close enough so that I can circle around behind the calf (so he won't run the wrong way) and I wake him up.. Make him holler and the mama says that's my baby ! I get him under the fence and drive them to the patch with the cows so he won't stray back. A happy ending with a warm milk supper.
The last picture is of me sitting on a duct taped calf (different one) in the cargo bed of the RTV. Sis is driving the RTV and the calf is being carried to his mama. She decided she wanted to eat at the troughs and then couldn't remember she was a first time ,new mama. ( she was kept at the barn for that night with him and now she says " that's my baby !"..
bordercollieAttachments
Last edited:
bigorange121
New member
We have a fall calving season on one farm, spring on another. Wife is bottling one that mama had no milk. DIL has a jersey she's bottling and I have one more that's a poor milker that we're supplementing. I'm thinking the best is to just bottle her and take mama to town.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a...0131017153326726.JPG/ps=50/r=0/rx=720/ry=480/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a...0131017153326726.JPG/ps=50/r=0/rx=720/ry=480/
D&D Farm
Gold Site Supporter
Is that a spotlight holder that you have made out of PVC and hose clamps???....great idea for places on the roll bar for that or other items........
Here, it is breeding season to have the kids in March. We have 3 billy boys, last feb, that are gonna be happy with 4 girlfriends each. Wife is pulling the cedars tomorrow and then we put them in different pastures, honeymoon suites, for a few days. Goats are 55 days.........
One of the boys just won Grand champ at the Georgia natnl fair, and his brother is even better; but has bad teeth that may or may not correct themselves.......Definately would've gotten eliminated for that........Then another brother by the same sire that is a solid red and came in 3rd at the fair........Anyway, it is one crazy time down there at the barn and will be glad when everyone settles down with that certain satisfaction that breeding brings them........One of the mammas was asking for a carton of Virginia Slims; but we decided it might be just a bit to much with all of the hay laying around........God bless........Dennis
Here, it is breeding season to have the kids in March. We have 3 billy boys, last feb, that are gonna be happy with 4 girlfriends each. Wife is pulling the cedars tomorrow and then we put them in different pastures, honeymoon suites, for a few days. Goats are 55 days.........
One of the boys just won Grand champ at the Georgia natnl fair, and his brother is even better; but has bad teeth that may or may not correct themselves.......Definately would've gotten eliminated for that........Then another brother by the same sire that is a solid red and came in 3rd at the fair........Anyway, it is one crazy time down there at the barn and will be glad when everyone settles down with that certain satisfaction that breeding brings them........One of the mammas was asking for a carton of Virginia Slims; but we decided it might be just a bit to much with all of the hay laying around........God bless........Dennis
Great picture Big Orange. Hopefully the calf got enough colostrum out of the mama. That really helps them fight off illness- with all the antibodies etc it has.. Sometimes we have to supplement the mama's that may have a problem for some reason, but we have tried to selectively AI for good milk, good disposition and positive traits we desire.. This picture is of a great milk replacer. It is expensive but dissolves almost instantly and is high in protein. I also should mention the powered "colostrux" that is available. We keep some on hand for twins etc. It smells like coconut and has the antibodies calves need within the first 24 hrs of birth. After that we use the regular milk replacer..
Hi D&D, That pvc holder is for our digital scale. I have a piece of inner tube in between there to keep the scratches to a minimum on my ROPS.The sling sticks out of the the front receiver and it has cables running in between. Calf weighing is easier this way than the old tater sack we used years ago with a sliding scale.
We tried cedars once but prefer not pulling the calves off the mama's for the recommended 24 hrs during the cold time of the year --when we do the AI.
Congratulations on placing with your animals. That takes a lot of hard work.
Hi D&D, That pvc holder is for our digital scale. I have a piece of inner tube in between there to keep the scratches to a minimum on my ROPS.The sling sticks out of the the front receiver and it has cables running in between. Calf weighing is easier this way than the old tater sack we used years ago with a sliding scale.
We tried cedars once but prefer not pulling the calves off the mama's for the recommended 24 hrs during the cold time of the year --when we do the AI.Congratulations on placing with your animals. That takes a lot of hard work.
Attachments
muleman RIP
Gone But Not Forgotten
Sure don't miss bottle feeding and dealing with babies. Now I just buy 2 feeders off the neighbor and raise them till the end of October. That lets me shut the barn down for the winter except for the chickens I move in when it gets real cold. I have a heated water bowl I made for them and it gets them out of the nasty wind and snow.
bigorange121
New member
BC
We got 2 bottles of powdered colostrum in him the day he was born. The MR is from the Coop and is made by Land o Lakes. Ours is a commercial herd, 25 mamas.
I sold a Jeep rubicon and bought the RTV in May. The whole family has commented that it was money well spent. I haven't done much by way of mods except add some lights on the back and zip tied some pvc to the rear posts to drop a tobacco knife in so I can cut down a stray thistle if I run up on one. I'd like to do an overhead console soon.
We got 2 bottles of powdered colostrum in him the day he was born. The MR is from the Coop and is made by Land o Lakes. Ours is a commercial herd, 25 mamas.
I sold a Jeep rubicon and bought the RTV in May. The whole family has commented that it was money well spent. I haven't done much by way of mods except add some lights on the back and zip tied some pvc to the rear posts to drop a tobacco knife in so I can cut down a stray thistle if I run up on one. I'd like to do an overhead console soon.
Sounds great ! We have about 60 commercial and 135 registered so sooner or later will have to deal with this situation. The RTV makes it all doable. bordercollie
bordercollie
D&D Farm
Gold Site Supporter
Amen on the RTV making it doable. Whether goats or cattle there are chores and tasks that we do that some folks just will never understand.......Carrying feed/hay, finding strays, night time problems that need the speed and ease that the machine provides, moving critters, and on and on.......YES, folks who use theirs for moving huge amounts of snow deal with a challenge that thank you LORD, I will never know, I hope........Either way, as I went into my woods today, cut down another dead red oak, sectioned it up, loaded it, and carried it over to the wood pile for joining the split 10 cords that are gonna be used up in the coming months, I truly am thankful for ALL that the little machine helps me do.............God bless.......Dennis
Mark.Sibole
Well-known member
I guess it is time to stir up this old thread. I just wanted to show the RTV in action again. This is our calving season- Oct and Nov with a few late arrivals in Dec.
The RTV is indispensable to me on the farm. I go and look for calves and possible trouble most every day. Then me, sis and bil ,if he is off, go weigh ,tag and iodine the belly cord of the new calves. It is handy to scout first and have the tags made up ahead of time. The mothers seem to get nervous if you handle the calves too long.
I noticed a possible mama cow laying far off by herself when I drove down the blacktop road -alongside the pasture. She had her head and ears up and watched me from a long ways off, ... she was all alone. ( she knew the sound of the RTV and I knew the look she had). I get over there and the other cows are in the pasture 2 patches over to her right . She has gotten up by then and is walking and looking all around and goes to join the other cows in that over the hill, unseen pasture. I go there too and see her looking over fences there ...just walking and looking- no luck . By now I know her number and know she does indeed have a calf. missing now and it will be dark before too long. In the first pictures, I go back to where I first saw her and start looking in the clean pasture... no luck.. get up on a hill and cascade with the binoculars along the treeline/creek... nothing.... then again.... is that a dark spot???? drive closer... yes, it's a dark spot.... park the RTV and get on foot... approach.. It's a sleeping calf... I do my best impression of a baby calf in distress for a few minutes... then I see the mama coming .... more impersonations and she is close enough so that I can circle around behind the calf (so he won't run the wrong way) and I wake him up.. Make him holler and the mama says that's my baby ! I get him under the fence and drive them to the patch with the cows so he won't stray back. A happy ending with a warm milk supper.
The last picture is of me sitting on a duct taped calf (different one) in the cargo bed of the RTV. Sis is driving the RTV and the calf is being carried to his mama. She decided she wanted to eat at the troughs and then couldn't remember she was a first time ,new mama. ( she was kept at the barn for that night with him and now she says " that's my baby !"..
Thats why im afaraid to come down and visit you may duct tape my feet together and haul me around the farm and show me off lol
D&D Farm
Gold Site Supporter
We use the cedars to coordinate WHEN they will all be born. Our land doesn't let us have a "meat" herd as we have hills and trees with very little true pasture. So.....We specialize in breeder and show stock. Finally, after many years and HIS blessings we produce maybe 15 to 20 young ones a year which bring us enough to keep going and try to improve the gene pool even more...............
We have tried AI in the past, and actually have a tank with a lot of straws but FEW embryo. It is a shame actually; but around here there is not a great success rate with AI and embryo production/collection. A couple of years ago a "specialist" from New Zealand was here and we did really good with him. The last year that we did it we had perhaps 5 recip does ready but out of 16 mommas donating and AI'd we got 8 embryo.........We should've had at least at least that many embryos per MOMMA.......Not what we got........So, as in the past, we use the cedars for scheduling births and live cover as much as possible for the genetics we KNOW we will get........The big guys use AI for producing perhaps 8 to 15 embryo out of a "flushed" momma. Some of those go in the tank and others go to recips............ON AND ON
In the past we have had a momma that will not nurse or the little one's won't for some reason. From those momma's we collect the colestrum and freeze it.......There is always a neigbhor that looses a momma and will use it if we don't.
Another positive for scheduling the births is if we loose a momma we will keep the afterbirth from another momma's babies and smear that all over the kids that are orphans. The momma accepts them and they get grafted to her little brood........Works out good as maybe this momma lost one or all of hers..........Yes, two maybe 3 is common for number of births.......We get rid of mommas that only have one after the second time.......Four babies is not rare but 5 is; but it happens.......this is when we do the grafting routine above........
lololol......I go on and on.......God bless us all........Dennis
We have tried AI in the past, and actually have a tank with a lot of straws but FEW embryo. It is a shame actually; but around here there is not a great success rate with AI and embryo production/collection. A couple of years ago a "specialist" from New Zealand was here and we did really good with him. The last year that we did it we had perhaps 5 recip does ready but out of 16 mommas donating and AI'd we got 8 embryo.........We should've had at least at least that many embryos per MOMMA.......Not what we got........So, as in the past, we use the cedars for scheduling births and live cover as much as possible for the genetics we KNOW we will get........The big guys use AI for producing perhaps 8 to 15 embryo out of a "flushed" momma. Some of those go in the tank and others go to recips............ON AND ON
In the past we have had a momma that will not nurse or the little one's won't for some reason. From those momma's we collect the colestrum and freeze it.......There is always a neigbhor that looses a momma and will use it if we don't.
Another positive for scheduling the births is if we loose a momma we will keep the afterbirth from another momma's babies and smear that all over the kids that are orphans. The momma accepts them and they get grafted to her little brood........Works out good as maybe this momma lost one or all of hers..........Yes, two maybe 3 is common for number of births.......We get rid of mommas that only have one after the second time.......Four babies is not rare but 5 is; but it happens.......this is when we do the grafting routine above........
lololol......I go on and on.......God bless us all........Dennis
Yea Mark, that is what we do with visitors for fun. No not really, just messing with ya..
D&D, Our Angus herd is mostly for breeding stock. We are using sexed semen to produce mostly bulls with low birth weights- which is a good seller for first calf heifer growers. We quit using the cedars because of the stress on the calfs for that 24 hr period we took them off their mamas for the cedars to "sync" .. The 2 years we used them, I think we did 60 cows and it wasn't that wonderful. With the natural method and the "Heatwatch" system we use now (computerized) we get 80-90% the first go round. I think I have a picture of the transmitters that send a signal to the computer when the time is right.. I will see if I can find it. bordercollie
No not really, just messing with ya.. D&D, Our Angus herd is mostly for breeding stock. We are using sexed semen to produce mostly bulls with low birth weights- which is a good seller for first calf heifer growers. We quit using the cedars because of the stress on the calfs for that 24 hr period we took them off their mamas for the cedars to "sync" .. The 2 years we used them, I think we did 60 cows and it wasn't that wonderful. With the natural method and the "Heatwatch" system we use now (computerized) we get 80-90% the first go round. I think I have a picture of the transmitters that send a signal to the computer when the time is right.. I will see if I can find it. bordercollie
bigorange121
New member
That's a pretty calf ,Orange. I also see - I think- your saw wrench trying to sneak off.
Here is another picture of the scale and the sling with the load bars in it. Ya'll that have seen it before probably noticed that I moved it out a hair. I just used an extension that I adapted to extend it about 5 inches. This really helps because before , the calves would either poop on the RTV bumper or, if turned the other way, would mess up the weighing, by putting their feet on the bumper's edge.
We now have an orphan and one twin- trying to get the jersey to take them with her calf. Slow progress. A product called 'O no mo' helps. smells like ammonia and the cow likes to lick it off the calf if you sprinkle it on ... We have a way of doing it though so that the cow won't hurt the calf. We put the calf behind a gate panel , and the cow will investigate it and then start licking the stuff off -through the panel- and after a bout of days, starts to accept the calf.... most of the time... We put them together only when we are supervising with a sorting stick- also called a poking stick.. I have many stories about this stuff . Once we had a Holstein and she would watch us with her head slightly turned. I'd see her eye focus on my sis, and when she saw her go to the back of the barn, she would kick at the calf... a sideways kick, sorta a secretive one, so she thought we couldn't see her... this was when we had her in the chute. It reminded me of a sneaky kid..that look , I mean.. collie
Here is another picture of the scale and the sling with the load bars in it. Ya'll that have seen it before probably noticed that I moved it out a hair. I just used an extension that I adapted to extend it about 5 inches. This really helps because before , the calves would either poop on the RTV bumper or, if turned the other way, would mess up the weighing, by putting their feet on the bumper's edge.
We now have an orphan and one twin- trying to get the jersey to take them with her calf. Slow progress. A product called 'O no mo' helps. smells like ammonia and the cow likes to lick it off the calf if you sprinkle it on ... We have a way of doing it though so that the cow won't hurt the calf. We put the calf behind a gate panel , and the cow will investigate it and then start licking the stuff off -through the panel- and after a bout of days, starts to accept the calf.... most of the time... We put them together only when we are supervising with a sorting stick- also called a poking stick.. I have many stories about this stuff . Once we had a Holstein and she would watch us with her head slightly turned. I'd see her eye focus on my sis, and when she saw her go to the back of the barn, she would kick at the calf... a sideways kick, sorta a secretive one, so she thought we couldn't see her... this was when we had her in the chute. It reminded me of a sneaky kid..that look , I mean.. collie
Attachments
D&D Farm
Gold Site Supporter
That scale is so cool......GOOD JOB.........A lot of meds and techniques are developed for cattle and then the goat folks adapt and adopt them to use. Cedars are an excellent example as are the wormers..............Wondering if that product for grafting a calf would work on goats........Gotta someway try that someway....WHO MAKES IT????
Surely NOT to go on and on; but I think some appreciate what we go through......We had breeding pastures set up on the 3 billies........One had 2 VERY good mammas to work on and it went just fine. He chased them around and wore them out before they came in. We had to seperate them for a day, then put them back together and wham bang and they are just a peaceful little mini-herd..........
Another, the red, is with two "farmer" does.......One of the does fell in love immediately and they got along just fine but the other got really sick......Which with goats means GONNA DIE.........Susan had given them leutalade, their pnemonia, the cedar, and something else.......She must have had a reaction as she went through a couple of days of ther runs, shaking, congestion, and stiff neck.........Red is finished with the other and they are getting along just fine........The sick one has been confined in the barn, and NOW this morning she is up and around and IN LOVE........Go figure
The third ol boy is just a goat in clover.....got his darlin, who is covered with his crud from being on her, got a pasture to himself and doe, the acorns are falling all around him and fresh leaves on the ground from the finally COOOOL weather..........
Anyway, now to sit back and wait for the cash crop to come in........Maybe 10 or 12 little ones on the ground in March......
Meanwhile the 4 primo yearling little girls that we dont breed till at least 18 months, are coming in on a regular basis and drivin the 3 boys nuts............ON AND ON......God bless.......Dennis
Surely NOT to go on and on; but I think some appreciate what we go through......We had breeding pastures set up on the 3 billies........One had 2 VERY good mammas to work on and it went just fine. He chased them around and wore them out before they came in. We had to seperate them for a day, then put them back together and wham bang and they are just a peaceful little mini-herd..........
Another, the red, is with two "farmer" does.......One of the does fell in love immediately and they got along just fine but the other got really sick......Which with goats means GONNA DIE.........Susan had given them leutalade, their pnemonia, the cedar, and something else.......She must have had a reaction as she went through a couple of days of ther runs, shaking, congestion, and stiff neck.........Red is finished with the other and they are getting along just fine........The sick one has been confined in the barn, and NOW this morning she is up and around and IN LOVE........Go figure
The third ol boy is just a goat in clover.....got his darlin, who is covered with his crud from being on her, got a pasture to himself and doe, the acorns are falling all around him and fresh leaves on the ground from the finally COOOOL weather..........
Anyway, now to sit back and wait for the cash crop to come in........Maybe 10 or 12 little ones on the ground in March......
Meanwhile the 4 primo yearling little girls that we dont breed till at least 18 months, are coming in on a regular basis and drivin the 3 boys nuts............ON AND ON......God bless.......Dennis
This is a picture ( Taken in the barn 's AI room)of what we use for helping a cow adopt a calf- not sure if it would work for goats. I also got a few pictures of calves on the scale this year. This one slid back when I went to snap the picture, so her rear legs are touching the ground a bit. It makes weighing them much easier... (we don't weigh the commercial calves at birth- just the registered ones) They all get the ears cleaned with disinfectant wipes for tagging . This really helps keep down to about 0, the ear infections. Many a time before this , we would have to go catch those with a "bad" ear , remove tag, clean with betadine, give shots and such.. bordercollie
