Livestock/General Farming photo thread ***READ MOD NOTE IN POST #1***

just do it

whelan1 wrote: »

my dad had a cow years ago that had twins , one a fr and one a hereford:eek:

There's a cow who knew how to enjoy herself!!!

just do it

The last calf this Spring. All went well t.g.


Some of the calves

pakalasa

That's a fine bunch of calves. Good square backs on them. You're doing well to have them all calved by now. What are you doing right?

just do it

pakalasa wrote: »

That's a fine bunch of calves. Good square backs on them. You're doing well to have them all calved by now. What are you doing right?

Thanks Pak.
After a few bad years I was due a good one . Have been playing around with my calving period and am settling on a 9 week period starting in dec 20th. Cows get well feed post calving and also get All sure boluses. None needed assistance calving due to bull selection and adding straw to pre-calving diet for 6 weeks. AI due to start on March 12th so calves are let in to suck twice daily. Fingers crossed I've two good years of fertility in a row.

johnpawl

just do it wrote: »

Thanks Pak.
After a few bad years I was due a good one . Have been playing around with my calving period and am settling on a 9 week period starting in dec 20th. Cows get well feed post calving and also get All sure boluses. None needed assistance calving due to bull selection and adding straw to pre-calving diet for 6 weeks. AI due to start on March 12th so calves are let in to suck twice daily. Fingers crossed I've two good years of fertility in a row.

What breed cows have you and what breed ai do you use?

Western Pomise

whelan1 wrote: »

my dad had a cow years ago that had twins , one a fr and one a hereford:eek:

,

Can easily happen if two separate bulls served her while she was in heat.

bogman_bass

just do it wrote: »

Thanks Pak.
After a few bad years I was due a good one . Have been playing around with my calving period and am settling on a 9 week period starting in dec 20th. Cows get well feed post calving and also get All sure boluses. None needed assistance calving due to bull selection and adding straw to pre-calving diet for 6 weeks. AI due to start on March 12th so calves are let in to suck twice daily. Fingers crossed I've two good years of fertility in a row.

starting christmas week? would you not wait 2 weeks and enjoy the festivities?

Milton09

just do it wrote: »

The last calf this Spring. All went well t.g.

Very nice, how do you keep everything so clean !!!

Kovu

More twins! Sugar & Spice this time. I don't think I'll ever grow out of naming cattle:D



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Richk2012

Kovu Murr wrote: »

More twins! Sugar & Spice this time. I don't think I'll ever grow out of naming cattle:D



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Great run of twins for you . well done ...
Do you have your cows scanned or did you know they were carrying twins?

Kovu

Richk2012 wrote: »

Great run of twins for you . well done ...
Do you have your cows scanned or did you know they were carrying twins?

Don't say that....you'll bring more of them! If there's something in the air I'll have to watch myself hahah:eek:

No we don't scan, we go by judge of body condition behind the front shoulder, dry hair on the back and a slung belly. Usually can tell within a month of calving so we give them extra pre-calving minerals and hold back on any nuts if possible. The pre-mineral is excellent, we had used the buckets up to this but after seeing the calves trying to get up within mins and (trying to) play at 3 hours old we won't go back.

just do it

johnpawl wrote: »

What breed cows have you and what breed ai do you use?

A real mixed bag in the cows. Alot of LM with a mix of SI, CH, and FR in the back breeding. For AI I'm settling on LM and CH just because they've established markets. For heifers and some replacements I've also used SH and SI, particularly where there's a lot if LM in the cow/heifer already.

just do it

bogman_bass wrote: »

starting christmas week? would you not wait 2 weeks and enjoy the festivities?

I don't have that many so it's not much extra workload. Discussed it with OH and decided this suited us because I'll be at home for busiest 3 weeks of calving (I travel a good bit with day job) and we intend going abroad on holidays during Spring mid-term break.

Of course that assumes all goes to plan!

just do it

Milton09 wrote: »

Very nice, how do you keep everything so clean !!!

Lucky timing of photos! I'd just put out fresh straw

just do it

just do it wrote: »

A real mixed bag in the cows. Alot of LM with a mix of SI, CH, and FR in the back breeding. For AI I'm settling on LM and CH just because they've established markets. For heifers and some replacements I've also used SH and SI, particularly where there's a lot if LM in the cow/heifer already.

Just to add I also ordered some AA straws from a gene ireland bull as he's good milk and growth rate figures. The plan is to get a 5 star terminal stock bull when I've built up stock numbers in 2 to 3 years time and only use AI for replacements.

GoodMan55985

just do it wrote: »

I don't have that many so it's not much extra workload. Discussed it with OH and decided this suited us because I'll be at home for busiest 3 weeks of calving (I travel a good bit with day job) and we intend going abroad on holidays during Spring mid-term break.

Of course that assumes all goes to plan!

Just wondering how do you manage calving and general feeding of cows if you are away with work for a few days or if you abroad during the spring. Do you have someone reliable and trustful to step in? You are very lucky if you have. Lots of guys have no person to rely on now

just do it

GoodMan55985 wrote: »

Just wondering how do you manage calving and general feeding of cows if you are away with work for a few days or if you abroad during the spring. Do you have someone reliable and trustful to step in? You are very lucky if you have. Lots of guys have no person to rely on now

For the most part I manage it myself. Usually I'm only away for 36 hrs at a time. Some times cows get fed at 5 or 6am with plenty put in front of them and have to wait till the following evening before they see me again. For calving between night time and weekends you'd be surprised how little you miss. With AI you know the due dates and I match bulls to cows in order to avoid hard calvings at all costs. The calving camera this Spring has been a Godsend.

Then finally I'm very lucky to have a lad to call on when I'm not around. I take good care of him as he's invaluable. I usually get him to do a few handy hours here and there a well, fertilising for example. A few bob cash for such jobs and a pint from the other side of the bar when I see him out goes a long way. On top of this I've a friend who's very competent to call in when I'm stuck. All in all I appreciate I'm lucky to have good lads to call on.

Rovi

I thought it was about time I made up a proper splitting block, so I knocked this together today.

I picked out a suitable lump of Sitka Spruce I had about the place:



...cut off a 30" chunk, and cut a slice off the thick end to make it sit level and square:



I then carved a 'bead' around the top to fit a tyre:


The tyre popped on nicely:



...and held an ugly chunk of Willow stump nice and snug:



Splitting it was the easiest thing ever, with everything staying in position and no repeated picking up of the pieces that usually fly away when doing this:



I'm kicking myself that I didn't make one of these years ago!

Bizzum

^^^^^ Good job that Rovi. Simple and effective looking. How did you come to settle on 2'6"?
I'd have thought 18", off the top of my head.

Rovi

Bizzum wrote: »

^^^^^ Good job that Rovi. Simple and effective looking. How did you come to settle on 2'6"?
I'd have thought 18", off the top of my head.

The old one was 24" and I always considered it to be a bit low, so I figured I'd go up by 6" and see how it goes.
It's easier to shave an inch or two off it if needs be than trying to build it up or scrap it and start again.

RobinBanks

Went out late last night to have a look around and got a lovely picture. Its lovely to see them so content.



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just do it

RobinBanks wrote: »

Went out late last night to have a look around and got a lovely picture. Its lovely to see them so content.

Smashing looking calves there Robin.

Muckit

Rovi wrote: »

I thought it was about time I made up a proper splitting block, so I knocked this together today.

An axe AND TWO chainsaws.... ohhhhh!!!.... no recession there!

Only jokin'. nice job with the block! Now into the shed with those saws......what's ur address again??????!!!!!!!

Richk2012

ADX heifer calf .
Very small when calved but has done well so far .
She is much quieter than the CWI calves that are here.


Last two pics are of 3 day old BBQ calf . Sprinting around the field like a greyhound this morning to keep warm

Kovu

Richk2012 wrote: »

ADX heifer calf .
Very small when calved but has done well so far .
She is much quieter than the CWI calves that are here.


Last two pics are of 3 day old BBQ calf . Sprinting around the field like a greyhound this morning to keep warm

Lovely cattle Rich! Is the wee blue favoring the front spin on the cow though?:pac:

Rovi

I was thinking there might have been the slightest hint of an internal leak in the ram on the log grab:


:eek::eek::eek:

johnpawl

http://imageshack.us/a/img46/4589/photomar09170908.jpg

tanko

johnpawl wrote: »

http://imageshack.us/a/img46/4589/photomar09170908.jpg

Fine animal, what is she in-calf to?

Richk2012

Kovu Murr wrote: »

Lovely cattle Rich! Is the wee blue favoring the front spin on the cow though?:pac:

She is indeed.
Cow will adjust in a couple of days and she be on the back one then.....i hope

johnpawl

tanko wrote: »

Fine animal, what is she in-calf to?

That photo was taken yesterday, this one today calved down to PT, bull calf. Her last years calf off same bull in last photo.
http://imageshack.us/a/img854/4742/photomar10175219.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img15/3526/photomar10175649.jpg
She's a piedx cow.