Starting suckler farming...advice needed

Buncha Fives

I am calving down a few suckler cows this autumn and spring for the first time and I could do with a bit of advice on a couple of things:

What is the best precalver mineral to use...is better to go with a bucket lick or mineral powder? I have heard a bit about life line and its suppose to be fairly good has anyone used it?

I need to buy a calving gate, anyone got any advice as to which is the best one on the market and within a resonable price, 400 to 500?

The heifers have already been done for lepto, what other preventative measures should I be talking?

Thanks in advance!!

redzerologhlen

Buncha Fives wrote: »

I am calving down a few suckler cows this autumn and spring for the first time and I could do with a bit of advice on a couple of things:

What is the best precalver mineral to use...is better to go with a bucket lick or mineral powder? I have heard a bit about life line and its suppose to be fairly good has anyone used it?

I need to buy a calving gate, anyone got any advice as to which is the best one on the market and within a resonable price, 400 to 500?

The heifers have already been done for lepto, what other preventative measures should I be talking?

Thanks in advance!!

Go with the bag minerals, the buckets are only lollipop's for them.

rancher

redzerologhlen wrote: »

Go with the bag minerals, the buckets are only lollipop's for them.

Sprinkled on the silage is the only way you're sure that each animal is getting some

grazeaway

rancher wrote: »

Sprinkled on the silage is the only way you're sure that each animal is getting some

Yeah best way to go. Make sure you have enough space to lock off a section as a calving pen, and a second section to act a pen for keeping a cow and young calf or if two cows calf at the same time (you can never have enough pens. Cavling gates are good alright but if you tight on cash get a second hand skulling gate and hang a gate off it.

when it comes to calving time give every calf 5cc of betamox LA and 2cc of barium selenate and spray the naval with iodine as soon as they are calved. A few pence spend then will save a lot more if they get sick or pick up an infection.

Black Smoke

grazeaway wrote: »

rancher wrote: »

Sprinkled on the silage is the only way you're sure that each animal is getting some

Yeah best way to go. Make sure you have enough space to lock off a section as a calving pen, and a second section to act a pen for keeping a cow and young calf or if two cows calf at the same time (you can never have enough pens. Cavling gates are good alright but if you tight on cash get a second hand skulling gate and hang a gate off it.

when it comes to calving time give every calf 5cc of betamox LA and 2cc of barium selenate and spray the naval with iodine as soon as they are calved. A few pence spend then will save a lot more if they get sick or pick up an infection.

Jayzuz, I'm not with the times at all. What's the basis for giving betamox to a new born calf? And the barium selenate for that matter?

pakalasa

Sprinkle minerals, 100g per cow per day. A head rope halter is a cheap and effective way of restraining a cow too during calving.;)

49801

pakalasa wrote: »

Sprinkle minerals, 100g per cow per day. A head rope halter is a cheap and effective way of restraining a cow too during calving.;)

At out btap walk yesterday. Minerals are very low in silage samples this year. Personally thinking of bolusing 6 weeks prior to calving with a mineral bolusing
Normally use sprinkle on minerals but was thinking of trying bolusing anyway as am concerned about our fertility. Infact will prob still sprinkle on as well as bolusing for good measure

Using antibiotics in the manner suggested above with new born calves is highly irresponsible and unnessisary!!!

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

Black Smoke wrote: »

Jayzuz, I'm not with the times at all. What's the basis for giving betamox to a new born calf? And the barium selenate for that matter?

Id be interested in this too. seems over kill

Rovi

grazeaway wrote: »

when it comes to calving time give every calf 5cc of betamox LA and 2cc of barium selenate and spray the naval with iodine as soon as they are calved. A few pence spend then will save a lot more if they get sick or pick up an infection.

Anything like this should ONLY be done following consultation with your veterinary surgeon. That's the only legal way to acquire Betamox anyway, and if hygiene levels in the calving facilities are so bad that blanket treatment of newborns with antibiotics is even considered, a powerwasher and a can of disinfectant might be a worthwhile investment.

Barium selenate is used to treat selenium deficiency, and would be an utter waste of money and effort without veterinary advice and lab tests.

Buncha Fives

Thanks lads:

Here is the type of calving gate I was thinking of...I think about 500 will buy it
http://www.flickr.com/photos/built2lastgalway/5317126528/

I will for the mineral powder...the only concern that I have is that if I throw the powder on the bale that the half of it will fall through the bale and on the ground; the grass in the bales is quite long and is also fairly dry.

leg wax

Buncha Fives wrote: »

Thanks lads:

Here is the type of calving gate I was thinking of...I think about 500 will buy it
http://www.flickr.com/photos/built2lastgalway/5317126528/

I will for the mineral powder...the only concern that I have is that if I throw the powder on the bale that the half of it will fall through the bale and on the ground; the grass in the bales is quite long and is also fairly dry.

its the one gate do not get if you take any advice from me,how the hell are you going to get a cow into that if she goes a bit cract as she starts to calve,you need a gate that you can stand behind,open,walk into the pen keeping the gate between you and the cow,and so you can force her into the bail .

Buncha Fives

leg wax wrote: »

its the one gate do not get if you take any advice from me,how the hell are you going to get a cow into that if she goes a bit cract as she starts to calve,you need a gate that you can stand behind,open,walk into the pen keeping the gate between you and the cow,and so you can force her into the bail .

I was thinking about that earlier and you probably right but that type of set up is fairly expensive to buy. What I was thinking was a normal skulling gate http://www.nugentengineering.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=262&Itemid=306 fixed to the wall on one side and a IPE 180 stanchion on the otherside, I could also hang a gate off the other side of the stanchion and then stand behind the gate and bring the gate around to push the cow towards the skulling gate. It would probably be the cheapest option as well.

leg wax

Buncha Fives wrote: »

I was thinking about that earlier and you probably right but that type of set up is fairly expensive to buy. What I was thinking was a normal skulling gate http://www.nugentengineering.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=262&Itemid=306 fixed to the wall on one side and a IPE 180 stanchion on the otherside, I could also hang a gate off the other side of the stanchion and then stand behind the gate and bring the gate around to push the cow towards the skulling gate. It would probably be the cheapest option as well.

better option alright,but would not put it up against a wall ,i would prefer to have access to both sides of the cow for dif jobs ,also if she goes down you have more room to work by opening both gates,you cant move the wall.

Buncha Fives

leg wax wrote: »

better option alright,but would not put it up against a wall ,i would prefer to have access to both sides of the cow for dif jobs ,also if she goes down you have more room to work by opening both gates,you cant move the wall.

There is a sheeted door on the other side of the shed so maybe I could use that side of the shed in stead and if shed feel or I needed access to the other side I could just open the sheeted door. Is a skulling gate ok for calving cows? in any of the calving gates iv seen online (like the link I posted earlier) they all have a simplier gate design.

Bizzum

Buncha Fives wrote: »

Is a skulling gate ok for calving cows? in any of the calving gates iv seen online (like the link I posted earlier) they all have a simplier gate design.

We have calved plenty in the skulling gate, but it's far from ideal. If a cow goes down in some of the skulling gates her head cant go all the way down to the ground like the calving gate. A calving gate is a far better job if a CS is required, and they are a great job getting a calf to suck.
The one we have, and are happy with was got from Performance Steel (I think that'as their name anyway!)

In relation to incalf cows we find Rotavec Corona vac a good job, 4-12 weeks pre calving.

pakalasa

leg wax wrote: »

its the one gate do not get if you take any advice from me,how the hell are you going to get a cow into that if she goes a bit cract as she starts to calve,you need a gate that you can stand behind,open,walk into the pen keeping the gate between you and the cow,and so you can force her into the bail .

I thought the idea was that, you get her to put her head through with a bit of meal. Once you have her locked, you can go into the pen then and close in the c-section gate. Tie gate in with rope and have knife handy to cut rope if cow goes down.

leg wax

pakalasa wrote: »

I thought the idea was that, you get her to put her head through with a bit of meal. Once you have her locked, you can go into the pen then and close in the c-section gate. Tie gate in with rope and have knife handy to cut rope if cow goes down.

have seen cows here and their tongue would be hanging out for me not to say meal,bad ones will only look deep into your soul as for a bucket:eek:.

vanderbadger

leg wax wrote: »

have seen cows here and their tongue would be hanging out for me not to say meal,bad ones will only look deep into your soul as for a bucket:eek:.

:D

pakalasa

leg wax wrote: »

have seen cows here and their tongue would be hanging out for me not to say meal,bad ones will only look deep into your soul as for a bucket:eek:.

Well stand in front of gate then let her come at you through the opening....:D

leg wax

pakalasa wrote: »

Well stand in front of gate then let her come at you through the opening....:D

hey that works for 2-3 years but then she remembers:rolleyes: and the red capes are whores to keep clean

grazeaway

Rovi wrote: »

Anything like this should ONLY be done following consultation with your veterinary surgeon. That's the only legal way to acquire Betamox anyway, and if hygiene levels in the calving facilities are so bad that blanket treatment of newborns with antibiotics is even considered, a powerwasher and a can of disinfectant might be a worthwhile investment.

Barium selenate is used to treat selenium deficiency, and would be an utter waste of money and effort without veterinary advice and lab tests.

Yes, it is advice from the vet. The cows are not I all winter so sometimes the cows calf in the channels, on the slats and out in the field. Each to their own I suppose.

simx

any calving here was done with a semi auto gate with a gate off it and it worked fine,id advise having it in a shed that has a bit of height in it just incase the cow goes down and you need to get in with a tractor

Bizzum

Another issue with any type of gate is to have ample room behind it. We have 15' behind the gate, and there are times with a big cow and the calving jack that every bit of space is needed!