Calving 2024

That's great hard to beat a whitehead heifer in fairness always had a soft spot for them. Would you keep a whitehead on to be a cow? I have 3 whiteheads left but they are being cut one after the other not sure I will have them again.

I will see what she turns out like. She is a red whitehead but showing more friesian traits than hereford.

What bull is she off?

Was thinking the same,As dry as a cork

Calving cows out in the fields is ideal when all goes well but when the cow gets into bother it’s not much fun especially at night and it bucketing down.

With Fiston gone a lot of farmers are using Lapon, he’s a good bull, generally easy calved but he has a tendancy to throw an odd big calf also. Yeah, i’ve stopped using Sim bulls, used them for a few years to put milk back into the cows and they did that job, have some nice cows off Direct debit, Derreen Declan, fifty cent and Earp but i’ll use Saler and Lim bulls from now on for replacements, Simx’s make nice cows but tend to have more feet problems and are harder fed. I always sold the Sim bullocks as stores and was happy enough with how they sold but i can see how they’d be harder finished alrite.

Suckler cow here who starts kicking her calf preventing sucking in last few years, so far calf has been old enough to best her and/or sneak some off other cows. Started much earlier ( almost from immediately after calving ) this year and calf was drinking from only one quarter and looked a bit thin. Put them in and tie up cow and let calf suck and turns out cow doesn't have much in 3 other quarters. Started giving calf milk from carton ( may get some from dairy farmer if this works ) but how much should calf get per day? (Hoping to leave calf on cow and let her get some there too) I know obvious option is to put calf on milk replacer but awkward mixing for one calf.

I have never seen the white head be a draw back to any cattle I sold and top price heifer in Roscommon on fri was a lim with a white head. I think it looks well on them tbh

You're right about Lapon CH4321. Pulled a very big Lapon calf for a neighbour last night. He thought calf was dead when he called me. Head half out and tongue swollen up. Both head and legs were stone cold. I've never seen this before. I though it was dead too. Came handy enough with just the ropes.

Couldn't get beastings anywhere so had to milk 3 lts from cow in crush tru the bars. Crazy but luckily she never kicked. A quiet simmental.

I’ve never used him but i’ve heard some farmers say he can be a bit unpredictable. Your neighbour might be better stick with Lim bulls if he’s unable or unwilling to use a jack. Don’t suppose you know who bought the €17K bull in Roscrea yesterday?

I've a nice bull call off a DEP heifer and MONTESQIEU as the sire, 3 weeks old now and showing no sign of horns. Don't think either are polled. Is it possible he don't got none?

Need to correct this. Cow was supposed to be AI'd to Curaheen Earp, so don't know what went wrong. Either AI guy gave wrong straw or some charolais bull got to her. He's a massive char bull, that's for sure.

After noticing a newborn calf just 24 hours old is very scoury here. Never seen them to have scour that young before. Yellow runny stuff and fairly stink. I gave her some bimastat for now and will contact Vet in morning.

Is there anything else could give her - I have some engemycin and promox would they be any good ?

Is scour common in that young of a calf. She sucked the mother within an hour of being born and been lucky up to now scour wise with rest of calves.

Thanks

Calf in good form this morning jumping around the shed but I'll still pop to the Vet later and get something for her to dry her hopefully.

Will post an update later.

In the thick of calving at the moment her. 10 sucklers out of 25 calved since Sunday. Into single digits left now

Normally would be calving outside, but tough going shuffling them around in sheds. Everything is going out the door as they calves within 24-36 hours. I'm finding a few bits of difficulty this year, 2 with legs down, 1 backwards, and a few calves took a bit longer than normal in the oven.

It has been a rough few months on stock and farmers

Small groups of 5-6 cows with calves to a full paddock. Yearling stock are back in with the weather and to allow the cows and calves out

So calf got a bit weaker this afternoon so ended up bringing her to the Vet. Vet gave her steroid and some other injection maby an antiinflammatory as she was a bit chesty.

She got a Synulox bolus and is now on electrolytes also for dehydration.

Hopefully she improves by morning as not interested in sucking cow this evening.

How's the international going?