Calving time on the farm

bordercollie

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Since things are a bit slow, just a few pictures of the calves here. One picture shows 2 cows and a calf with the RTV in the background. Thanks to the RTV on which I have everything on but the kitchen sink , I grabbed a piece of temporary electric fence wire from it and ran the wire around them . Then we just backed up the trailer and slowly encouraged the one that we needed ,to get in. Then we put the calf in and off to the barn . Another picture shows the young frisky calves running around and playing while the mothers eat at the troughs. Another picture shows the cotton field they will be grazing after it is picked. One of the last pictures , I took with my cheapo phone while sitting on a calf and holding it's head, getting ready to tag it (for identification). bordercollie
 

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pepr

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Always enjoy calving season! Curious to why the cow/calf needed removed from the herd? Hope all is well.

I finished my fall calving season one day in September. Just one! I'd purchased a bred hiefer in April that was due in the fall. The rest of my huge cow herd (20) will begin calving in February.

My cows would really enjoy some of that Mississippi grass. We finally received rainfall; however, just a bit late for good warm season grass growth.

Are you sure that cotton had been picked? Looks like a huge amount left behind. I sure hope you turned the cows in on the right cotton patch!!!!!!

Gloves and a coat. You must have received the same cold front we did. Two nights of freezing temperatures here.

Enjjoy yhe day because tomorrow it will be gone.
 

bczoom

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VERY COOL!!! Your RTV has an "Escape" button.

And the cows/calves are cool too. :)
 

muleman RIP

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Just shipped my finished steers to the butcher yesterday. We sure don't have grass like that up here. I fed those 2 more hay than I ever have due to the drought this summer. Fine looking animals you have there.
 

bordercollie

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Thank ya'll. We were blessed to have some summer rain so this year, we had some good grass.No Pepr, that had not been picked, It will be grazed after it is though. Cotton has a lot lot of good left on the ground after the picker goes through. This a picture I took that same day of the module maker packing the cotton as it is being picked.
We were taking out the calf because it's Mama wasn't being maternal. After a day and night enclosed at the barn, she keeps up and licks on it like crazy. They are back with the herd.
Muleman, those bovine know 2 things: How to eat a lot of food and how to get in trouble.We found a calf injured the other day by a freak encounter with a piece of pipe and a hole. It didn't make it despite our greatest efforts.(Never get suspended in a hole overnight with the rear legs dangling)

Bczoom, I need to use that" Escape" sometimes. It is a remarkable feature of the RTV. It is part of the calf weighing scale that the RTV has to lug around during the calving season.It is nounted to the roll bar with a piece of split PVC and a "T". I used some pipe insulation on the inner part in order to protect the paint on the RTV. I will add a picture of the scale calf sling soon for those of you that haven't already seen it on an old thread. Thanks, bordercollie
 

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bordercollie

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This a picture of the calf scale. We weigh all of the registered animals but not the commercial. Light birth weight registered bulls bring a premium.
 

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bordercollie

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Thanks Heatwave. This is never a dull moment here. Always something to do or repair or invent out of necessity or.... :)
Kanook, We sell our registered angus bulls( breeding stock) at 2 years of age. That is the age where they can do well and not fall apart when put out with the cows. When born with a low birth weight like around 65 , they will bring a premium because they will improve the chances of an easier delivery for first calf heifers . If a farmer were to use a bull that was born at a 90 lbs weight to breed his heifers, he would probably have to aid in the delivery of a higher percentage of the calves or have calves die during a difficult delivery. It really makes a difference in the bottom line to have more live calves and less pulls in the middle of the night. (Usually it is a cold , windy and rainy night with lightening popping when the difficult deliveries show up- or else you have plans to eat out etc... ) Ask me how I know. That is what made us decide to use low birth weight sires on our herd.Now, we very seldom but once in a while do, deliver a calf out of over 150 births. Grown cows can usually handle a bigger calf. The light birth weight bulls don't weigh much if any less when grown but do throw smaller calves at their birth. The weaning weights are not any lighter than others... just the birth weight of the off spring is the key.
We sell out of the lightweight bulls first and actually have old customers all want first pick so we ended up having to have an opening bull day "sale" where the bulls sell for the listed price unless 2 or more want the same bull and then they bid among themselves for pick.All of our registered Angus herd is AI'd ( bull in a can). That is a real pain but worth the effort. . My bil studies the docility, birth weight and all the factors that go into making a good animal - also carcass, marbling, and milking for the dames . Thanks for asking and feel free to ask anything about it. bordercollie
 

Kanook

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Thanks Bordercollie....I learned something today...and you are not only our RTV book of knowledge but an agricultural wizard to boot.

Have a great day way down there in the south.
 

Heatwave

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BC: What is that SR2000 gadget you have tie-wrapped to your RTV? Izzat part of the scale system on the front of your rig?
 

bordercollie

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I am sorry for the late reply but made a flying trip to Ark to check on things and got back just in time to tag and weigh calves. (It is a 2 1/2 hr trip)
Thanks Kanook The cow wiz part belongs to my bil - The research he does in regard to the "bull in a can " we use to AI with, is important to improve the herd. If a cow has bad udders, then you can actually pick a sire with good udders in his history of females and use him on that cow to have offspring(replacement heifers) with good udders. It really works and so does the docility. That I can attest to. We won't get between 2 fighting bulls , but we can walk all around them any other time. I always carry a "poking stick " though in case I need to show them who is boss.
Heatwave, yes,that is part of the calf scale . I have those cable ties on to keep it from hopping off the rack when I hit those bumps in the pastures and cotton field. Just punch in the calf # and push enter, then put the calf in the slings and it will show the weight .To have this weight recorded in the SR2000's memory just push enter again.Many years ago, we used an old slide scale hung from a frame in the truck bed stake hole. To use it ,we had to put the calf in a tote sack (tater sack) and it was a mess! Talking about upsetting the mama cow!! Back then, we just used any good looking bull as breeding stock and we would have to roll under the truck pretty often- because the mamas would be so unhappy with us weighing the calves. Docility was unheard of back then. I well remember using a leg catcher (shepherd's crop) from the back of the truck - trying to catch a calf - and falling out over the side more than once. I'm not that young anymore and am glad we have improved our lives by using the RTV,4whlr and improved cattle breeding with the docility factor. . bordercollie
 
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TWO GUNS

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I tip my hat to you bordercollie,

You have one professional operation. Folks who work around you and
does business with you, are very lucky. There are many people blessed
by your presence >>>>> God Bless !!!!




........ two guns
 

bordercollie

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Thanks Two Guns. I just work here (and am kin) too. ha ha. Thank you for the complement . This afternoon, the RTV and me had fence repair duties and Belle took herself a nap while patiently waiting on me to get the job done. I have a good buddy there.The picture shows 2 things that makes life better.. the rtv and sleephead Belle. bordercollie
 

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TWO GUNS

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bordercollie,
God has been good to us. God has been good to ALL !!!

Our little friends make life so nice and brings comfort to our hearts.

They give us ALL they have, and that is their love and devotion. They don't care who you are, they will be right there beside you !!!!!



...... two guns
 

bordercollie

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I thought ya'll might find this interesting.. We are about finished calving and have less than 20 to go . But anyway found this calf with his mama but his "ankles" were turned under in the front ,so he was having a hard time nursing and getting around.I keep about everything on the RTV so the bil asks me if I have duct tape, I say sure and reach under the hood and produce a roll. So we find 2 pieces of stick the right size and temporarily put a splint on each front leg to straighten them out and duct tape them on. He immediately tries to get on his feet and does , then goes straight for the supper. Later that afternoon, we go back over and take with us some split pvc and vet wrap and elasticon tape. ( we added a bit of padding so it wouldn't rub )and taped him properly. But the RTV comes in handy again because the pvc is too long , so I reach under the hood again and get out my folding saw and shorten the length a bit- also had some sandpaper in there to smooth off the rough edges. RTV's are sure great! One picture is of yesterday showing him running alongside his mama . We will remove them tomorrow . A few days of being straight will fix him all up. bordercollie
 

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bordercollie

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Thank you Heatwave and Two Guns. Those blessings are all that keeps me going some days.
It is rewarding to have a good ending to such things as this.. He is growing fast so the tape must come off tomorrow . You can see by that picture he has that tail all "wound up". That is because he is moving fast. He will be a handful in no time and hard to hold. :) bordercollie
 

Kanook

Active member
These RTVs are truly useful working utility vehicles....the owners are a pretty unique breed of individuals as well....duck tape,,don't leave home without it..way to go Bordercollie.

Kanook
 
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