Livestock/General Farming photo thread ***READ MOD NOTE IN POST #1***

pakalasa

Nothing wrong with 2 in the morning, in this kind of weather.

Conor556

Richk2012 wrote: »

Have you many speckle park cattle conor ???

The 2 in the pic a bull and a weanling bull and all this years calves are sired by the bull

redzerologhlen

Sunset V wrote: »

Great photos. Where are you based? Couldn't even imagine having animals out at the minute. Long, LONG way off yet for us....

North clare, everything is outwintered around here.

Muckit

blue5000 wrote: »

110-90

You'I have to change your name to 'terracotta11090' !:)

FYI.....There's a great article in Classic tractors on the 100-90 and 110-90's this month. Features a few owners of them down around cork.

The 100-90 was apparently in production for twenty years! The 110-90 for 17. Neighbour here has a 110-90, love the purr off them.

stanflt

a bit of spring work this week inbetween calving

Kovu

Our chalk and cheese twins! Humphrey and Bogart:rolleyes:

Or maybe I should just call them chalk & cheese!



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vanderbadger

Kovu Murr wrote: »

Our chalk and cheese twins! Humphrey and Bogart:rolleyes:

Or maybe I should just call them chalk & cheese!



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The lighter coloured lad looks a topper

yellow50HX

vanderbadger wrote: »

The lighter coloured lad looks a topper

My dad once had a set of heifer fresians. They both had identical patterns but the colours were opposite, one was black with white bits the other was white with black bits. I found a photo of them recently but can't find it now.

just do it

stanflt wrote: »

a bit of spring work this week inbetween calving

Which uses less fuel?
1. The tractor and plough - diesel
2. The horses and plough, van and trailer for the plough, pick-up and horsebox for the horses - diesel, hay, nuts etc
:D

whelan1

Kovu Murr wrote: »

Our chalk and cheese twins! Humphrey and Bogart:rolleyes:

Or maybe I should just call them chalk & cheese!



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my dad had a cow years ago that had twins , one a fr and one a hereford:eek:

just do it

whelan1 wrote: »

my dad had a cow years ago that had twins , one a fr and one a hereford:eek:

There's a cow who knew how to enjoy herself!!!

just do it

The last calf this Spring. All went well t.g.


Some of the calves

pakalasa

That's a fine bunch of calves. Good square backs on them. You're doing well to have them all calved by now. What are you doing right?

just do it

pakalasa wrote: »

That's a fine bunch of calves. Good square backs on them. You're doing well to have them all calved by now. What are you doing right?

Thanks Pak.
After a few bad years I was due a good one . Have been playing around with my calving period and am settling on a 9 week period starting in dec 20th. Cows get well feed post calving and also get All sure boluses. None needed assistance calving due to bull selection and adding straw to pre-calving diet for 6 weeks. AI due to start on March 12th so calves are let in to suck twice daily. Fingers crossed I've two good years of fertility in a row.

johnpawl

just do it wrote: »

Thanks Pak.
After a few bad years I was due a good one . Have been playing around with my calving period and am settling on a 9 week period starting in dec 20th. Cows get well feed post calving and also get All sure boluses. None needed assistance calving due to bull selection and adding straw to pre-calving diet for 6 weeks. AI due to start on March 12th so calves are let in to suck twice daily. Fingers crossed I've two good years of fertility in a row.

What breed cows have you and what breed ai do you use?

Western Pomise

whelan1 wrote: »

my dad had a cow years ago that had twins , one a fr and one a hereford:eek:

,

Can easily happen if two separate bulls served her while she was in heat.

bogman_bass

just do it wrote: »

Thanks Pak.
After a few bad years I was due a good one . Have been playing around with my calving period and am settling on a 9 week period starting in dec 20th. Cows get well feed post calving and also get All sure boluses. None needed assistance calving due to bull selection and adding straw to pre-calving diet for 6 weeks. AI due to start on March 12th so calves are let in to suck twice daily. Fingers crossed I've two good years of fertility in a row.

starting christmas week? would you not wait 2 weeks and enjoy the festivities?

Milton09

just do it wrote: »

The last calf this Spring. All went well t.g.

Very nice, how do you keep everything so clean !!!

Kovu

More twins! Sugar & Spice this time. I don't think I'll ever grow out of naming cattle:D



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Richk2012

Kovu Murr wrote: »

More twins! Sugar & Spice this time. I don't think I'll ever grow out of naming cattle:D



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Great run of twins for you . well done ...
Do you have your cows scanned or did you know they were carrying twins?

Kovu

Richk2012 wrote: »

Great run of twins for you . well done ...
Do you have your cows scanned or did you know they were carrying twins?

Don't say that....you'll bring more of them! If there's something in the air I'll have to watch myself hahah:eek:

No we don't scan, we go by judge of body condition behind the front shoulder, dry hair on the back and a slung belly. Usually can tell within a month of calving so we give them extra pre-calving minerals and hold back on any nuts if possible. The pre-mineral is excellent, we had used the buckets up to this but after seeing the calves trying to get up within mins and (trying to) play at 3 hours old we won't go back.

just do it

johnpawl wrote: »

What breed cows have you and what breed ai do you use?

A real mixed bag in the cows. Alot of LM with a mix of SI, CH, and FR in the back breeding. For AI I'm settling on LM and CH just because they've established markets. For heifers and some replacements I've also used SH and SI, particularly where there's a lot if LM in the cow/heifer already.

just do it

bogman_bass wrote: »

starting christmas week? would you not wait 2 weeks and enjoy the festivities?

I don't have that many so it's not much extra workload. Discussed it with OH and decided this suited us because I'll be at home for busiest 3 weeks of calving (I travel a good bit with day job) and we intend going abroad on holidays during Spring mid-term break.

Of course that assumes all goes to plan!

just do it

Milton09 wrote: »

Very nice, how do you keep everything so clean !!!

Lucky timing of photos! I'd just put out fresh straw

just do it

just do it wrote: »

A real mixed bag in the cows. Alot of LM with a mix of SI, CH, and FR in the back breeding. For AI I'm settling on LM and CH just because they've established markets. For heifers and some replacements I've also used SH and SI, particularly where there's a lot if LM in the cow/heifer already.

Just to add I also ordered some AA straws from a gene ireland bull as he's good milk and growth rate figures. The plan is to get a 5 star terminal stock bull when I've built up stock numbers in 2 to 3 years time and only use AI for replacements.

GoodMan55985

just do it wrote: »

I don't have that many so it's not much extra workload. Discussed it with OH and decided this suited us because I'll be at home for busiest 3 weeks of calving (I travel a good bit with day job) and we intend going abroad on holidays during Spring mid-term break.

Of course that assumes all goes to plan!

Just wondering how do you manage calving and general feeding of cows if you are away with work for a few days or if you abroad during the spring. Do you have someone reliable and trustful to step in? You are very lucky if you have. Lots of guys have no person to rely on now

just do it

GoodMan55985 wrote: »

Just wondering how do you manage calving and general feeding of cows if you are away with work for a few days or if you abroad during the spring. Do you have someone reliable and trustful to step in? You are very lucky if you have. Lots of guys have no person to rely on now

For the most part I manage it myself. Usually I'm only away for 36 hrs at a time. Some times cows get fed at 5 or 6am with plenty put in front of them and have to wait till the following evening before they see me again. For calving between night time and weekends you'd be surprised how little you miss. With AI you know the due dates and I match bulls to cows in order to avoid hard calvings at all costs. The calving camera this Spring has been a Godsend.

Then finally I'm very lucky to have a lad to call on when I'm not around. I take good care of him as he's invaluable. I usually get him to do a few handy hours here and there a well, fertilising for example. A few bob cash for such jobs and a pint from the other side of the bar when I see him out goes a long way. On top of this I've a friend who's very competent to call in when I'm stuck. All in all I appreciate I'm lucky to have good lads to call on.

Rovi

I thought it was about time I made up a proper splitting block, so I knocked this together today.

I picked out a suitable lump of Sitka Spruce I had about the place:



...cut off a 30" chunk, and cut a slice off the thick end to make it sit level and square:



I then carved a 'bead' around the top to fit a tyre:


The tyre popped on nicely:



...and held an ugly chunk of Willow stump nice and snug:



Splitting it was the easiest thing ever, with everything staying in position and no repeated picking up of the pieces that usually fly away when doing this:



I'm kicking myself that I didn't make one of these years ago!

Bizzum

^^^^^ Good job that Rovi. Simple and effective looking. How did you come to settle on 2'6"?
I'd have thought 18", off the top of my head.

Rovi

Bizzum wrote: »

^^^^^ Good job that Rovi. Simple and effective looking. How did you come to settle on 2'6"?
I'd have thought 18", off the top of my head.

The old one was 24" and I always considered it to be a bit low, so I figured I'd go up by 6" and see how it goes.
It's easier to shave an inch or two off it if needs be than trying to build it up or scrap it and start again.

RobinBanks

Went out late last night to have a look around and got a lovely picture. Its lovely to see them so content.



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just do it

RobinBanks wrote: »

Went out late last night to have a look around and got a lovely picture. Its lovely to see them so content.

Smashing looking calves there Robin.

Muckit

Rovi wrote: »

I thought it was about time I made up a proper splitting block, so I knocked this together today.

An axe AND TWO chainsaws.... ohhhhh!!!.... no recession there!

Only jokin'. nice job with the block! Now into the shed with those saws......what's ur address again??????!!!!!!!

Richk2012

ADX heifer calf .
Very small when calved but has done well so far .
She is much quieter than the CWI calves that are here.


Last two pics are of 3 day old BBQ calf . Sprinting around the field like a greyhound this morning to keep warm

Kovu

Richk2012 wrote: »

ADX heifer calf .
Very small when calved but has done well so far .
She is much quieter than the CWI calves that are here.


Last two pics are of 3 day old BBQ calf . Sprinting around the field like a greyhound this morning to keep warm

Lovely cattle Rich! Is the wee blue favoring the front spin on the cow though?:pac:

Rovi

I was thinking there might have been the slightest hint of an internal leak in the ram on the log grab:


:eek::eek::eek:

johnpawl

http://imageshack.us/a/img46/4589/photomar09170908.jpg

tanko

johnpawl wrote: »

http://imageshack.us/a/img46/4589/photomar09170908.jpg

Fine animal, what is she in-calf to?

Richk2012

Kovu Murr wrote: »

Lovely cattle Rich! Is the wee blue favoring the front spin on the cow though?:pac:

She is indeed.
Cow will adjust in a couple of days and she be on the back one then.....i hope

johnpawl

tanko wrote: »

Fine animal, what is she in-calf to?

That photo was taken yesterday, this one today calved down to PT, bull calf. Her last years calf off same bull in last photo.
http://imageshack.us/a/img854/4742/photomar10175219.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img15/3526/photomar10175649.jpg
She's a piedx cow.

tomo75

RobinBanks wrote: »

Went out late last night to have a look around and got a lovely picture. Its lovely to see them so content.



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That fella is just in from the pub!!!!

Bodacious

not conventional cattle dog breed either

just do it

johnpawl wrote: »

That photo was taken yesterday, this one today calved down to PT, bull calf. Her last years calf off same bull in last photo.
http://imageshack.us/a/img854/4742/photomar10175219.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img15/3526/photomar10175649.jpg
She's a piedx cow.

She's a perfect looking FRX cow that shoots out a handy calf that grows well by the looks of the photos.

johnpawl

just do it wrote: »

She's a perfect looking FRX cow that shoots out a handy calf that grows well by the looks of the photos.

I've been trying to get a heifer off her for years but of course keep getting bulls

RobinBanks

Richk2012 wrote: »

Last two pics are of 3 day old BBQ calf . Sprinting around the field like a greyhound this morning to keep warm

Keeping the BBQ flag flying here Richk :-)



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pakalasa

RobinBanks wrote: »

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Fine calf. What's that cow on the right like to calf? She looks like she would calf anything?

RobinBanks

pakalasa wrote: »

Fine calf. What's that cow on the right like to calf? She looks like she would calf anything?

Well Pak. That's his mother, she needed help every year. She has had 3 calves. First was a LM heifer calf, needed the jack. Second was an EDJ heifer that I put a picture up last year of, again needed the jack and this year was her first bull and I had to use the jack. Every calf she had was big even though all bulls used were easy calving. She carried 304 days on year 1, 295 last year and 297 this year. Whatever is in her she just always carries longer than most cows and always has a big calf. Some might say this is a good thing but she needs watching and it doesn't suit me with work.

I am selling culling her in the back end because she is difficult around calving. Very nervous and not easy to handle. Plus, I don't need the hassle / stress when I am working full time.

pakalasa

Ha, you never know do ya? I was going on the shape of her hips. But if she's producing big calves then not much benefit.

Kovu

3am up looking at a cow and was sitting down next to the range putting on my boots.

I look up and see this.
Fook sake. I almost had a heart attack:(



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just do it

RobinBanks wrote: »

I am selling culling her in the back end because she is difficult around calving. Very nervous and not easy to handle. Plus, I don't need the hassle / stress when I am working full time.

Think that's the right decision even if she's producing a good 'un.