Something unrelated to COVID, climate change, politics, etc......

It appears the other forum has gone to the Dodo birds...........

This is what I was up to today. Just supplementing the cows as they finish up the corn. Just curious how everyone is making good use of this beautiful weather we have? It’s been a little above freezing the last few days and looks to stay that way for a while.

My sidekick is enjoying it too. Ironically I spend more of my awake hours with him than anyone else.

Besides finding a bred heifer turtled and dead, blowing a rad hose on the bale truck, dead batteries and a failed block heater on a tractor, and a bunch of yearlings that escaped by climbing over a low fence it went fantastic............

At least it’s not 40 below. Anyone calving yet? 🍀

It appears the other forum has gone to the Dodo birds...........

This is what I was up to today. Just supplementing the cows as they finish up the corn. Just curious how everyone is making good use of this beautiful weather we have? It’s been a little above freezing the last few days and looks to stay that way for a while.

My sidekick is enjoying it too. Ironically I spend more of my awake hours with him than anyone else.

Besides finding a bred heifer turtled and dead, blowing a rad hose on the bale truck, dead batteries and a failed block heater on a tractor, and a bunch of yearlings that escaped by climbing over a low fence it went fantastic............

At least it’s not 40 below. Anyone calving yet? 🍀

You won't get me to admit that BL don't M.

Not calving until April. Too old for the February calving. Good luck to those of you who are.

Do you know about the recovery position for compromised newborn calves?

https://www.tsln.com/news/tips-for-smoother-calving-and-healthier-calves/ https://www.tsln.com/news/tips-for-smoother-calving-and-healthier-calves/

Hanging them compresses their lungs.

Makes sense when you stop and think about it. We all know that older animals don’t do well with their head down and organs on their lungs. Just never really think about it when all you’ve known is hanging them on the gate.

One of those extreme Oh duh moments when I first seen the recovery position 😂

Cattle tend to really tank up on food BEFORE the cold weather gets here. A good indicator that it's coming.

Cows smashed the cold snap. Didn’t even phase them at all. Other than they seemed to drink like elephants right when water was getting to be a pain!

Now that it’s warmed up it’s like they’ve fallen off the edge. It always amazes me how much they eat when it’s cold and then how much they don’t when it warms up. They are not cleaning up their bales with any enthusiasm this week Lol

They’ve been around the side of the house for a bit now, working on fertilizing the front yard. I like being able to peak out the front window and see them. They follow a similar schedule to me and don’t really get out of bed very early.


I have a fairly spread out calving block considering there’s only about 8 to calve but I don’t mind. Spreads out the cost of buying fosters! First to drop is going to be the Simmental on the far left. Should go in the next couple weeks. Then at least 2 of the 3 heifers are end of March. Don’t know when the 3rd is due. Cows were at a different pasture so no wooing was seen to know their dates but they should be March/April as well.

Pretty cool picture of your cows Woodland, that's a lot of bunks.

Hot and heavy lambing here, havent got much sleep last few days, all seem to wait till nighttime this year. Should be down to just stragglers in a few days. Then I'm on whelping duty, my helper is due for a batch of pups in 10 days. Cows start mid March. Baby central here for 3 months as usual.

That calving article, basically what we do here for the most part, been sitting babies up like that for a long time, then rub them on either side of their spine, or sometimes "pump" their back leg towards their body, seems to work well. Dont generally have much issues with calving, lambing presents more problems. Always like when the vet suggests to do a c section early. Havent needed one for 20 yrs myself but a friend did one a couple years ago, bill was over $1200 with mileage, after hour charges etc. Vets have lost touch with reality of livestock farming and have pretty well become equine and small animal vets. Still know a couple good ones, they just aren't close enough to me when you need them.

Was gonna add some lambing pictures but Agriville keeps saying there is an error???

I know my friend likes calving now so the bulls can start breeding in the corrals. That way they can keep track of which bull gets which cow on what day. I suggested a DNA test might save time but they are kinda resistant to change. As long as our cows get bred within three cycles I’m happy. What are foster calves worth these days?

It really seems like the odds are stacked against us at keeping water flowing at -30. The axe is my weapon of choice to open up the waterers.

The way our yard is setup if I see cows out the window when I wake up I know there’s a open gate or fence to fix.


Fun times😎

400-500 has been the normal for fosters the last few years. Some want higher, I just be patient for others to appear. Or can go to the auction and take a chance on a calf there. Also got a couple dairies I’m in touch with that do Beef bulls on the cows so I can get them for a little less if I need a bunch of calves in a short time span. Currently trying to have a cow need a calf at the same time a dairy has a Belgian Blue cross calf available as I’m interested in seeing how that cross does.

My waterer is alright. Bigger trough with a floating de icer but at past -30s it can’t keep the whole top open. The hole gradually gets smaller and smaller 😂

Since my bull is with the cows year round I could have calves anytime (like the surprise Christmas calf...) but usually they’re close enough to home that I can see some sort of action going on to know when they’re due to start calving. They do seem to have mostly congregated into April so I just leave them to their own thing the last few years. The heifers it’s nice to know when they’re due though, just because they’re heifers!






GDR does feeding sheep in the evening have the same effect as feeding cattle in the evening; mostly day time births, less night time ones? I thought I read somewhere it does. Might be something to try next time if you aren’t already doing it, just to help nights not be so busy!

GDR does feeding sheep in the evening have the same effect as feeding cattle in the evening; mostly day time births, less night time ones? I thought I read somewhere it does. Might be something to try next time if you aren’t already doing it, just to help nights not be so busy!

What kind of issues do lambs run into? Haven’t been around many of them as they’re pretty scarce around here.

Screenshots of pictures will upload but not right from the gallery, maybe file size too big??

I better not show those pics to my kids or my daughter will be pestering me steady to get a flock........😉

Definitely cute👍
And the fact your panels are very easily moved by hand is a bonus compared to the moo moos.

Crazy question...... Do you pasture your ewes? A guy a few miles over runs 700 or so but they live year round in a small field getting fed bales. He claims he has to deworm them monthly otherwise.

GDR. Those look like north country Cheviot influence at least? If we were doing wool they were the breed we were looking at closely.

Some one mentioned ultra sounding.

Missus bought a machine for scanning horses.

Paid for it in one year.

Screen and probe shows foetus well.

I do pasture the ewes, lambs get fed out in the corral, mostly gone by mid summer. Flock in the corral all winter. If I were to run a large flock I would keep them out of confinement year round. Would have to move though which is most of the reason I dont have a big flock. We built on the edge of a coulee with a creek in the bottom on a mostly bush quarter. Too many places for coyotes to hide.

Sheep graze a bit different than cattle, have heard lots of guys say when you run them together the stocking rates for each dont really decline. They for sure eat grass but often prefer weeds and woody type plants the cows don't. They control any young growth of trees or shrubs and even some big trees they will peel the bark and eventually kill them.

There are a few barns around where the sheep see very little daylight, managed intensively like a chicken barn and are able to continuously lamb the ewes.

As for your neighbours comments doesnt make a bunch of sense to me. We deworm only once per year and honestly don't ever see a difference in the sheep or evidence in the manure.

C'mon woodland, get that little girl a nice bottle lamb! You will have that farm converted in no time!