Calving 2023

[lithuanian farmer]

Starting a new thread of the new calving season.
Not a nice start. The only pure lim cow and even lost her first heifer due to bloat two weeks ago. Now second calving- dead twin bulls. Found one born dead already. Second had his water bag out, got him out quickly, but he was dead too. 279 days gestation. Will keep a cow dry. She lost a significant amount of weight during the last week or so, so there's no point in putting a new calf with her if we want to have her back incalf quickly.

She had no signs yesterday that she was so close to calving.

 

[A.J.]

I'm sorry to hear about you losing those the last few weeks. It's hard to see them licking and talking to their calves when they are trying to get them up like that. I'm glad the cow is ok at least. Hopefully she will be able to breed back soon for you and have a healthy calf next go round. Hoping for better outcomes for you in your upcoming calf reports.

 

[coachg]

Tough start ! Always a sick feeling to lose them . Biggest calf crop we've ever had last year with about 75 . Lost 7 . Not a good percentage.

 

[moses388]

Bummer... You are not alone. A feeder heifer tipped over and did not make it.

 

[CowboyRam]

That sucks. Last spring I lost six calves, and during that cold snap last week I lost one of my weaned calves; she was a big calf weened almost 60 days.

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

We lost a heifer calf last week from our best cow that was inseminated with a really great bull.
Looks like momma laid on her.
Really tough for my wife as that was her 1st successful AI.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

It totally sucks to lose any calf. Twins are usually the start of calving season. Most always early.
I have 30 due in Jan/Feb. 15 are due from 1.1 to 1.6. All are right outside my window. Been putting a few in the barn at night, expecting/prepared for early ones.

 

[Down in Dixie]

Had one today. Glad she waited for it to warm up. Should have at least two more next week. Only lost one calf this year. Can't wait to have a year of no losses.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

It's always those, who are abit more special than other... Going to be some work to get the cow into a better health too. She doesn't look too well.
Weighed both calves today- 66lbs and 82,6lbs.
In general it was quite a rough end of the year. Lost one weanling bull calf, one bull calf had to be butchered as he started being bloated often and couldn't cure him, another weanling heifer got sick, but managed to cure her, fortunatelly. Then lost this cow's first born heifer and now, her second calving and both dead calves...
Noticed that sometimes there just arrives such time, when what can go wrong will go wrong. Remember one year, when from approx 30 calvings lost 10 calves... Very various reasons, only two due to difficult calving. Had a case of navel infection, a calf being layed on, etc. That was a severe loss. But next year everything came back to normal. Hopefully it will be a better time next year.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Had one today. Glad she waited for it to warm up. Should have at least two more next week. Only lost one calf this year. Can't wait to have a year of no losses.View attachment 24268

Nice to see them well. I will have only four calves in January, so won't be too busy. It will be a different story in March-May, but the weather will be nicer and usually it means less problems

 

[Dsth]

A bad start to the calving season hopefully means a good ending. regardless it sucks to lose any livestock. I generally expect problems when the vet says twins when we ultrasound for preg checking. give me one good healthy calf at birth and that is always a good feeling. Good luck with the rest of your calving season.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Finally, girls decided to calve today. Two half an hour apart roughly.
Belgian blue sired bull calf from limxcharx 3rd calver. 296 days gestation! Assistance provided as she wasn't progressing quick enough. Added pic with the sire.



Next charolais sired heifer from 3/4lim, 1/4 dairy cow. Calved quickly unassisted. 4th calf to the cow, but the first heifer. Up quickly. 288 days gestation.


Both calves will be weighed tomorrow.
Now there is one cow on 281st day, one on 280th and one due on the 5th of February. Then a break until March and then will have way more calves coming.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

However, adding to the misfortune list. Had a first calver abort yesterday in the morning. Was due with AI Charolais calf on the 17th of March.

 

[coachg]

Not your year Lfarmer ! Hate it for you . I always love seeing your calves and cattle. Hope you luck changes for the better !

 

[Travlr]

Starting a new thread of the new calving season.
Not a nice start. The only pure lim cow and even lost her first heifer due to bloat two weeks ago. Now second calving- dead twin bulls. Found one born dead already. Second had his water bag out, got him out quickly, but he was dead too. 279 days gestation. Will keep a cow dry. She lost a significant amount of weight during the last week or so, so there's no point in putting a new calf with her if we want to have her back incalf quickly.
View attachment 24227
She had no signs yesterday that she was so close to calving.

I had a big, beautiful cow that I loved too much... She had a single calf the first time and twinned the next three calvings. I think I got two live calves from those six twins and one of them was a heifer that had twins the first time out. I've never kept a cow that delivered twins since. IMO twins are trouble and financially a bad idea.

 

[Travlr]

Finally, girls decided to calve today. Two half an hour apart roughly.
Belgian blue sired bull calf from limxcharx 3rd calver. 296 days gestation! Assistance provided as she wasn't progressing quick enough. Added pic with the sire.
View attachment 25142
View attachment 25144

Next charolais sired heifer from 3/4lim, 1/4 dairy cow. Calved quickly unassisted. 4th calf to the cow, but the first heifer. Up quickly. 288 days gestation.
View attachment 25143

Both calves will be weighed tomorrow.
Now there is one cow on 281st day, one on 280th and one due on the 5th of February. Then a break until March and then will have way more calves coming.

I'd like to see more pics of the BB calf as it develops. I've played around with Belgian Blues quite a but and I love how they put meat on anything and everything.

 

[Josher]

Hope your luck changes. Nice to see some live ones coming too. As others have said seems like the trouble ones come first. I really dislike twins. Nice when they live but usually means more work, and cows often are late or open the next season.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

I'd like to see more pics of the BB calf as it develops. I've played around with Belgian Blues quite a but and I love how they put meat on anything and everything.

Certainly. There should be four more blue cross calves this year. One will be 75% blue

 

[lithuanian farmer]

I had a big, beautiful cow that I loved too much... She had a single calf the first time and twinned the next three calvings. I think I got two live calves from those six twins and one of them was a heifer that had twins the first time out. I've never kept a cow that delivered twins since. IMO twins are trouble and financially a bad idea.

I only had one cow have twins more than once. One year she raised one calf, another year both dead. Others only had one set of twins in their lifetimes. But sure would love to have no twins as they often cause unnecessary issues

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Not your year Lfarmer ! Hate it for you . I always love seeing your calves and cattle. Hope you luck changes for the better !

Not the first time, not the last one. Just would be nice to get misfortune as rarely as possible.