Calving 2024

whelan2

Had a calf born this morning, pedigree Angus bull. Calved herself. Best of luck to all for calving 2024.

IMG-20240101-WA0001.jpg

Reggie.

Can't wait for calving 2024. Such a stress free time of the year

limo_100

I have a few heifers BB heifers calving in the next 10 days or so although going by there elders they may calve very early. But this year I decided to try a few new things so I have vax the cows with rotavac for scours ( do in batch's of 5) I have also bought the intranasal MSD pneumonia vaccine which I will administer when born and also do the navels with iodine as normal. Also will inject some multi-min injection as recommend by people on here.

Just wondering is there anything else I should be giving or anything people find good as I see gut tablets recommended and so on or am I fairly well covered?

Lime Tree Farm

We do the rotevac. Cow Pre-calver mineral licks (dairygold as they reject other brands). Tight calving pattern, close watching for signs of calving, plus on the camera. Colostrum within an hour of calving, iodine on the navel. Liberal use of hydro lime under the straw in the calving shed. That's the regime here, no calf vaccines for 3 months as they are on suckler cows, which reduces the efficacy.

golodge

We already started. The first three heifers landed on the 29th of December. Curently have six calves on the ground, the last one was born last night. 5:1 heifers win so far... Also noticed way longer gestations this year. The first photo with latest arrival. The only bull calf is pure limousin, sired by the french bull JT. He baked for 298 days and weighed 55,5kg. Only one cow calved before 285- at 283rd. Night's girl arrived at 295th day.

Lime Tree Farm

New postal rates - how much does postage cost for BVD and a separate cost for posting DNA samples ?

https://www.anpost.com/getmedia/1e370768-00b8-4cd1-bf66-b6054403296b/A3-Postal-Rates-Poster-Feb2024.pdf

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121600976#Comment_121600976

I was charged €2.40 to post one BVD sample a few weeks ago. I’m sure Francie Gormless will do something about this racket or maybe he won’t bother his hole.

Anto_Meath

The local argi store at the Mart collects the BVD samples, it's very handy, it's €2.50 a sample & you get your texts back the following Saturday. But the whole BVD thing is a bit of a sham at this stage.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121601425#Comment_121601425

Local farmer had a positive last year, his only 1. Dam was an aged heifer

whelan2

Bit of a **** show atm getting calves registered, waiting on genotyping. Very hard to get through to tag supplier to order genotype tags for remaining tags from last year

Diarmuid B

Two calved so far, one Prohurst Eoghan off a AA/Lim heifer. Smashing calf with a good frame.

Twins then came on Christmas Day off an AA/SHX young cow, second fella was big and is knuckled on his front legs. Right leg is sorted now but left one is still not great. Physio every day will hopefully see him right🤞

Anto_Meath

@Hard Knocks I had a case last year too. First time ever, in a third calving cow that generations of her breed were on reared on the farm. It some pain in the hole.. they don't let you retest the animal or anything like that. You have 10 days to get rid of it and then they will pay you your €220 compensation in 12 months time. Plus you must blood test everything & vaccinate all females over 6 months for two years. There is no one in any department to talk to.. only for my vet I don't know what I would have done. I am told they done a desk top investigation and were of the opinion that the likely source was a neighbouring farm that a dealer has rented. Seemingly he had bought cull cows the year before that came from a farm that had an outbreak.

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121601652#Comment_121601652

The first year was always going to be a shambles, there are going to be very long delays getting calves registered.

Why did you sign up to it, i don’t see what you have to gain from it.

whelan2

I suppose for the pedigree angus really, getting hair samples back that they're not sufficient etc

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121603504#Comment_121603504

Forgot about the Angus cattle, do all the dairy calves have to be genotyped before you get the blue card?

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121603617#Comment_121603617

Ye, send away samples then when results come up you get the card

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121603628#Comment_121603628

Do you have to wait for the DNA results before registering on AIM, or can you go ahead and register the calf with what you believe is the true parentage, and they will subquently release the blue card when they receive the DNA confirmation that your registration is correct.

whelan2

Yes you can register them but they wont appear on icbf until the sample has been tested. Then you'll get the card.

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121603695#Comment_121603695

Thanks for the info.

ABitofsense

How long is it taking roughly? When they announced the scheme think it was 7 days turnaround but wonder is that the actual case now

whelan2

We had to order the genotype tags for the remainder of what we had left last year, they arrived today. Will post samples tomorrow and let ye know how long it takes

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121601096#Comment_121601096

Buy books of stamps when on offer. Think there was 1 or 2 free in the Christmas booklet, i bought 4 packs. There'll be another offer for valentines. They all have the N on them

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121603838#Comment_121603838

Last year it would take anywhere from 7 to 30 days. This year is going to be tough at peak calving times

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121603852#Comment_121603852

My button tags arrived today also, just wondering if their small little ears will have space for all that jewellery

whelan2

Ye tagged one this evening, will have to put a bit more time into tagging them now

Diarmuid B

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121603838#Comment_121603838

i have results for two that were sent in, took 16 and 19 days from when the lab received them to when they were processed.

whelan2

A calf I tagged yesterday with 3 tags has lost 2 of them today, the eid and genotype tags

patsy_mccabe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121608801#Comment_121608801

I smell a Dept inspection. 😎

sonnybill

I have 2 December bulls, 1 new red and 1 cavesland Levi (he quality)

nothing now until march , nice break ! Still looking forward to them went back to ai last year for majority , have twin bb’s en route etc

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121609405#Comment_121609405

Have you had many Levi calves and what do you think of him overall. I’ve used Loki (PTExCF52) with success

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121596766#Comment_121596766

You have very nice healthy stock. What system do you use when choosing which bulls to use on your cows/heifers. Does Lithuania publish a EuroStar system for judging stock.

visatorro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121603695#Comment_121603695

FFS

golodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121609934#Comment_121609934

Thank you.

Currently use different origin bulls, but France, Belgium, Netherlands and UK mostly. Looking up at their data there. Looking for good growth, good shape, good maternal traits, etc. Do have some bulls, which are not so suitable for replacements, so using on those cows, which won't have any daughters left from them. Don't run after very easy calvings though.

My country is far behind with whole cattle judging, so I really doubt. Last year it was the first time when I actually saw something more serious at a local fair and it was done by the french judge.

golodge

This one was a close call. Cow wasn't showing signs of labor, but had abit of membrane hanging out. Checked, she was fully dilated, but calf was far down and backward. Thankfully everything ended well.

Culard sired bull calf, out of limxcharx cow, 63kg.

patsy_mccabe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121617451#Comment_121617451

Those feet look huge, but the cow does have a great shape to her hips. 63Kg is a fair size calf. Well done on getting it out alive.

golodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121620510#Comment_121620510

Her 4th calf. Last year she had a blue sired bull calf, 64,5kg... She just grows them that big... Going to used sexed female semen on her this year. Her first and only heifer was below 45kg, then next bull calf was somewhere around 50-55kg, unassisted. She adds big bones and big frame. Culard actually took off abit of thickness of bones from the calf.

tellmeabit

Down here in kerry, can't be gotten since summer, well the 2 lads I use couldn't

Sugarbowl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121622429#Comment_121622429

Check out the Beef AI bulls thread. Lots of good info there. It should be recent enough if you scroll down the recent discussions

whelan2

See enfer have increased cost of testing by 35c per sample

whelan2

Posted genotype and bvd samples last Friday. Got bvd results yesterday. Genomic sample haven't even been received yet in icbf....

Katie 2018

Have 3day old lim calf no interest in sucking cow unless I help it.cow not kicking or anything. Seems to be stupid. Once you get it to start feeding it goes to town on cow.calf in good form just seems too lazy to look for a feed

Sugarbowl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121634311#Comment_121634311

Maybe don’t let him stuff himself so much on a feed that he will have a hunger about him come the night feed.

also a vitamin shot is good. The vets around here give them out at the counter.

kefflin

Does anyone use precision microbes on calfs. Been popping up in my advertisements lately.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121636722#Comment_121636722

Used it last year on one group of 10 calves. There was a noticeable difference in them from the groups ahead and after them. Really see a difference in them now at 9 and 10 months. Don't know the science behind it but I'll be using it again this year and next year on one group of calves just to see if the results are consistent.

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121634311#Comment_121634311

I’d leave him be for a little while. Hunger is great sauce. Have you a calving camera to keep an eye is he sucking himself when you’re not around?

Katie 2018

Yeh be watching it on camera. Same last night once put cow in calving gate calf went over an cleaned a quarter out.cow not kicking it or anything. Must just like having me stand watching it feed 😄

Tonynewholland

First calf just landed . A week early

IMG_1775.jpeg

limo_100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121636722#Comment_121636722

I see Brennan's are advertising a gut guard liquid is that similar stuff to this product? has charcoal in it

Sugarbowl

I’ve a suckler cow showing signs of springing in the back quarter this morning. She’s about 245 days in calf. She would be milky but is this a bit too soon. Should I be worried?

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121660094#Comment_121660094

Could she have a touch of mastitis, you could check the quarter to see if it’s hard.

Sugarbowl

She was tubed and sealed. Reminds me of the hardness you feel when they are springing but I’ll check her again. Wouldn’t like to be pulling the teat either if she was springing. Unless it’s twins and she’s preparing already!!