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twins

  • 12-08-2011 12:17am
    #1
    Tora Bora
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,258 ✭✭✭


    Charolais cow had twins yesterday. Not enough milk to do any kind of reasonable job on both.
    What's the best strategy, sell one calf at a few weeks old, or try to keep the cow paddocked separate from the main bunch, so I could try to get the calves creep feeding as quickly as possible, without them having to compete with older calves.

    T. B.


Comments

  • #2
    Grecco
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,007 ✭✭✭Grecco


    Well you have a couple of weeks to play with. A small drop of milk will rear the calves at the start. Just make sure they both get some.
    A bag of dairy nuts wouldn't go astray either :D


  • #3
    pakalasa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭pakalasa


    I had a 2 yr old Lim heifer calve to twins about a month ago. I'm giving her a Kg of Dairy Nuts twice a day. So far so good. I wont break them up unless I really have to. I'll try to get them eating meal as soon as I can too.


  • #4
    bob charles
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,343 ✭✭✭bob charles


    twins are just a pain in the behind, one live calf per cow please:D


  • #5
    pajero12
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 1,495 ✭✭✭pajero12


    If we have any milk problems we have a few old montbeliarde Milkers that a local dairy man was going to cull. We had planned to get rid of them after they reared the calves but we decided to keep them on as they did such a good job, and 4 years on they have successfully calved and reared 3 e.t calves each :)


  • #6
    tismesoitis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 858 ✭✭✭tismesoitis


    had a set of twins ourselves on tuesday lucky mother is a sim did'nt bag up fully but reckon she just has enough for both.


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  • #7
    Bizzum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Bizzum


    bob charles wrote: »
    twins are just a pain in the behind, one live calf per cow please:D

    I often said this myself, but when the cow can rear both it's not too bad. It does take a lot out of a cow, and calving interval can go out the window.
    We have a big BAX cow at the moment that has had 3 sets in a row, last years set one arrived malformed, more like a 6mth term. Twin heifers at foot now both super calves, I dunno where she is getting the milk from.
    We did feed her nuts once calved and even at grass for a while, but she's in flying form and the twins are doing well. I must take a pic of the three!


  • #8
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    just wait for the dept inspection :p is it after the second set they come out ?


  • #9
    Bizzum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Bizzum


    whelan1 wrote: »
    just wait for the dept inspection :p is it after the second set they come out ?

    Been there, done that..........Didn't bother with the tee shirt though!

    But wait 'till tell the full story.
    We bought 3 BAX heifers about 5 year ago as replacements, off a farmer that I know, all by the same BA bull off Sim and Lim cows.
    Of the 3 heifers, all cows now, each one has had at least one set of twins.


  • #10
    weefarmer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 141 ✭✭weefarmer


    A neighbour had 3 sets of twins in the one week, I didnt believe it until I seen it myself, all excellent calves too and he onlt keeps 8 cows :)

    Edit: he never had the department inspection either!


  • #11
    mjcom4d
    Closed Accounts Posts: 145 ✭✭mjcom4d


    I'm only a young lad with a small amount of my own stock is there any breed in particular that's likely to have twins just wondering


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  • #12
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    think its just the luck of the draw unfortunately


  • #13
    Grecco
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,007 ✭✭✭Grecco


    mjcom4d wrote: »
    I'm only a young lad with a small amount of my own stock is there any breed in particular that's likely to have twins just wondering

    Some of the Pedigree animals tend to have more


  • #14
    mjcom4d
    Closed Accounts Posts: 145 ✭✭mjcom4d


    Grecco wrote: »
    mjcom4d wrote: »
    I'm only a young lad with a small amount of my own stock is there any breed in particular that's likely to have twins just wondering

    Some of the Pedigree animals tend to have more

    Never remember my grandads pedigrees having twins but it's just luck I suppose what if I have a twin (2 heifers ) would they be likely have twins


  • #15
    Bodacious
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,274 ✭✭✭Bodacious


    Bizzum wrote: »
    Been there, done that..........Didn't bother with the tee shirt though!

    But wait 'till tell the full story.
    We bought 3 BAX heifers about 5 year ago as replacements, off a farmer that I know, all by the same BA bull off Sim and Lim cows.
    Of the 3 heifers, all cows now, each one has had at least one set of twins.





    Bought set of twin bulls there off of a neighbour in Sept and put them on a FR cow, do any of ye lads with experience of twins ever notice the second calf, the smaller lad does better?


    this is the case with these two anyway.. second buck is far better now, heavier, more muscled, hairier etc


  • #16
    Bizzum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Bizzum


    Bodacious wrote: »
    Bought set of twin bulls there off of a neighbour in Sept and put them on a FR cow, do any of ye lads with experience of twins ever notice the second calf, the smaller lad does better?


    this is the case with these two anyway.. second buck is far better now, heavier, more muscled, hairier etc

    Can't say I've noticed it. But why not. We've two sets at the min, and the heifer/heifer set had a stronger one and she stayed a shake ahead of her sibling, her sibling went incalf earlier than herself, so in the long run it'll be interesting to see how they both end up.

    The other set is a bull/heifer, and the bull was always ahead, and still is at ten mths old!

    I suppose the bigger question is the correlation between birth weigh and ultimate performance.


  • #17
    Bodacious
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,274 ✭✭✭Bodacious


    Bizzum wrote: »
    Can't say I've noticed it. But why not. We've two sets at the min, and the heifer/heifer set had a stronger one and she stayed a shake ahead of her sibling, her sibling went incalf earlier than herself, so in the long run it'll be interesting to see how they both end up.

    The other set is a bull/heifer, and the bull was always ahead, and still is at ten mths old!

    I suppose the bigger question is the correlation between birth weigh and ultimate performance.


    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056212709&page=418


    they very different but in terms of weight at birth the big calf was as big as any good single from a good mature cow (you wouldn't carry him far!), other lad was a good bit behind but @ 3 months he is a better made, heavier calf altogether.. I tried to post pic but photobucket seems all screwed up now


    maybe when they hit grass in april the big lad may shoot up but at the moment he well behind and looking at them at birth id never would have expected it


  • #18
    towzer2010
    Closed Accounts Posts: 533 ✭✭✭towzer2010


    Bodacious wrote: »
    Bought set of twin bulls there off of a neighbour in Sept and put them on a FR cow, do any of ye lads with experience of twins ever notice the second calf, the smaller lad does better?


    this is the case with these two anyway.. second buck is far better now, heavier, more muscled, hairier etc

    I haven't noticed that either but with limited experience of twins. I have twins this year and the better calf at birth is still better.


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