When's calving starting 2023

Regarding the castrating the calves with the lamb rings, I have been meaning to do it but hesitant incase it goes wrong, I take it, that it would need to be done in the first two days?

Thanks dunedin, I have no excuse so

@GNWoodd I meant to say this is the girl that put out the calf bed two years ago. No problems both calves since but the only thing was that she slipped her date a bit and obviously is bit of a late calver now so that’s still two strikes. Young cow I’d say we’ll let her run on another year as long as she goes in calf ok

And that’s us down to one

I'm sure we all have had heifers calving small calves so I wouldn't be over worried about that - a lot depends on management, the heifer putting up teeth, background worm/tick issue etc. Regarding the watery milk - I wonder was there another in calf heifer sucking her or maybe another calf prior to her calving.

Yep Neighbour does it. Long evenings Fine weather. Makes things handy. Run the last years calves ahead of them or ewes even. Makes things simple.cows go incalf easy too. No stress on them.

You could keep the calves under the cows in the shed for the first half of the winter. Calves on slats and a creep gate.

Its hard to beat outdoor calving, easier on man and beast

Good light across the field. Electric wire guide her in and most importantly easy calving bull

Bit of hay in the evenings and anything you have a doubt about, stick under the camera

Trick is to keep them on a bare bare paddock.

Just in from calving a cow. The feet were out for over an hour and no progress. Feet looked big enough too. Had her in a small field near the shed but no way could I get her in. She ended up running across the field in the dark. Managed to get the ropes on when she stood near a couple of other cows.

While she kept standing, I managed to pull the calf. I was nearly flat to the ground with the calf held at the hips. Ropes cutting into my hands. Large lively bull calf by LM4027.

The things we do at times. Mad at myself for not putting her in the shed earlier.

Just checked them there. He was up walking around. She looks like he drank her. I made a mental note of her udder and fullness last night.

Best of luck with the twins.

No not really.

Was just asking in general as I always give then a sprinkle after they go out to avoid tetany and just curious if others do the same or feed a small amount over the summer.

Ya, it's weird alright. Or when you push them forward, they stick in their front legs and their back legs lift up. It's like a survival instinct or something. Predators can't push them around.

The second last calved yesterday. A good enough blue grey heifer calf. Calved unassisted, up and sucking by herself. The dam (3rd calver) is a AAx, sire is our own Shorthorn bull. The cow calved on the 21st of August last year.

Here's a tip that might be useful to someone. Had a cow calf here night before last. Watching her closely out in a small field beside the shed. She's normally quiet enough , even let me put Stockholm Tar on her teats in the field. Anyway I had to go collect calves for a neighbour just as she started calving. She had calved when I got back. A big bull. She was shaking the head at me, so I let them be.

Calf couldn't stand even after about 2 hours. Dark now and raining and he kept sliding down a slippery slope. Cow getting more agitated as I tried to get near the calf. Anyway I got the tractor and transport box and from the tractor seat, threw a small lifting strap over the calves head and pulled him up onto the box. Held onto him and drove into the calving pen and dropped him off on the straw. Cow came right in after him and I got her in the gate with some meal. Stood him up and got him to drink from one teat. No way could I get him on another. Fought me all the way.

Crazy as it sounds, it's a good safe way to take away calves like that from a potentially dangerous cow.

I had a cow here years ago, and the transport box trick was used every year without fail. I had a 165 back then, so the process was snatch the calf into the box, and leap in through the back of the cab. I remember the first year after I got a tractor with a closed in cab. I was wondering how I was going to manage it. I reversed the box up to the calf, who was standing at the time. I still don't know how it happened, but the cow hit the calf with her head, and knocked him straight into the box. I couldn't believe my luck. After that it was just the usual process of her doing two laps of the paddock before landing into the shed.....

I rachet strapped a ring feeder to the loader and dropped it over a new born calf in a field that I wasn’t sure if it sucked or not. Gave it a bottle of survivor and safe from the cow. Not ideal but kept the calf alive.

That was the plan but she wouldn't leave her calving spot.

If you are in scep don’t. I got stung a couple of years ago. Went to the trouble of getting tag number off my neighbour for his bull that did the deed and then got penalised because I couldn’t record docility etc of the bull because he wasn’t in my herd. Would have been better off just sticking down a random AI code