Is she heavy enough to have twins? Pic included.

redzerologhlen

I dont know whats going on this week lads. Havnt had a set of twins here in years and we have 6 cows calved and 2 sets already (only 3 calves to show for it) but thats my own fault. The pic is a 2 year old heifer I bought off a neighbour and the bull had been running with my own heifers for 5 weeks before she was let off. A good few of my own were bulled before here but she is going to be the first of them to calve by a few weeks. I dont have a date for her but she definatley shouldnt be the first on to calve out of them. Shes poorer than she should be compared to the rest of them, extremely heavy looking and will calve before the end of the week. What do ye think?

just do it

redzerologhlen wrote: »

I dont know whats going on this week lads. Havnt had a set of twins here in years and we have 6 cows calved and 2 sets already (only 3 calves to show for it) but thats my own fault. The pic is a 2 year old heifer I bought off a neighbour and the bull had been running with my own heifers for 5 weeks before she was let off. A good few of my own were bulled before here but she is going to be the first of them to calve by a few weeks. I dont have a date for her but she definatley shouldnt be the first on to calve out of them. Shes poorer than she should be compared to the rest of them, extremely heavy looking and will calve before the end of the week. What do ye think?

Pictures not displaying on the android for some reason....

Bizzum

You've hit on the few things that I'd be lookin at too: Springing early, condition falling off her, heavy looking..........Yeah twins alright. Or a big bull calf:). Could she have been bulled before you got her?

redzerologhlen

Bizzum wrote: »

You've hit on the few things that I'd be lookin at too: Springing early, condition falling off her, heavy looking..........Yeah twins alright. Or a big bull calf:). Could she have been bulled before you got her?

She wasnt near a bull where he had her Bizzum. If its a single calf I would think im in trouble to be honest, time will tell I suppose.

Bizzum

redzerologhlen wrote: »

She wasnt near a bull where he had her Bizzum. If its a single calf I would think im in trouble to be honest, time will tell I suppose.

No use meeting the devil halfway, and worrying yourself. I've often seen it that the one you expect trouble off will get down to business no bother. It's the ones that don't forewarn ya that'll catch ya out.
I hope she's lucky for you.

just do it

redzerologhlen wrote: »

She wasnt near a bull where he had her Bizzum. If its a single calf I would think im in trouble to be honest, time will tell I suppose.

Can see them on the PC. Have to agree with what's said already. Looks like she's softening to calve. Of course you've one advantage in your favour, being outwintered she's fit and the calf(s) shouldn't be any bigger than it should be.

Fingers crossed for you;)

Kovu

Has she calved yet? I'd say a big calf over a bull, she doesn't seem as slung as most I've seen. That being said, she is a heifer so she's a bit firmer;)

redzerologhlen

Kovu Murr wrote: »

Has she calved yet? I'd say a big calf over a bull, she doesn't seem as slung as most I've seen. That being said, she is a heifer so she's a bit firmer;)

Not yet Karen, I'll update here when she makes a shape.

redzerologhlen

redzerologhlen wrote: »

Not yet Karen, I'll update here when she makes a shape.

Well she calved yesterday with a big single bull. She was missing yesterday morning at 7am and it took 5 hours of walking through bushes to find her, I was fully convinced I was going to get her belly up but she was alright. Brought her down the road to the nearest crush and pulled the calf, one of the easiest pulls I ever had, only took a minute and she should have calved herself no problem but it was plain to see the calf had enough of it. As can be seen in the pics his head was fine and swollen. Went to milk the springer than to tube 2 liters of beastings into him...4 tits and nothing but blood in them so drained her and went to milk another cow that had calved in the morning and tubed him. Got a few shots of the vet for him then and hes much better today. He sucked a bottle for me this morning which I wasnt expecting and the swelling is gone down a lot, still a bit wobbly on the front legs but he will come out of that in a few days. Had another cow calved at 11 lastnight in the winterage with a sizeable lump of a bull calf so it was a long day yesterday.

just do it

redzerologhlen wrote: »

Well she calved yesterday with a big single bull. She was missing yesterday morning at 7am and it took 5 hours of walking through bushes to find her, I was fully convinced I was going to get her belly up but she was alright. Brought her down the road to the nearest crush and pulled the calf, one of the easiest pulls I ever had, only took a minute and she should have calved herself no problem but it was plain to see the calf had enough of it. As can be seen in the pics his head was fine and swollen. Went to milk the springer than to tube 2 liters of beastings into him...4 tits and nothing but blood in them so drained her and went to milk another cow that had calved in the morning and tubed him. Got a few shots of the vet for him then and hes much better today. He sucked a bottle for me this morning which I wasnt expecting and the swelling is gone down a lot, still a bit wobbly on the front legs but he will come out of that in a few days. Had another cow calved at 11 lastnight in the winterage with a sizeable lump of a bull calf so it was a long day yesterday.

Good stuff redzer, glad to hear it worked out. Were there legs out when you found her? Just too heavy for her to push out by the sounds of it, rather than she not having enough space.

Is he by your own bull?

just do it

Just read your first post again. Sounds like she was bulled before you got her?

redzerologhlen

just do it wrote: »

Just read your first post again. Sounds like she was bulled before you got her?

I wouldnt think so jd, it looks like a blonde calf anyway and I bought her of my next door neighbour and she wasnt near any form of a bull. She must have been bulled straight away when I let her off with the bull and with a big calf then I suppose she didnt bring much time with her. Ya she had the legs out when I found her eventually, dont know how long she was at that stage for but it was long enough, You can see yourself in the first pic that the calfs head was very swollen. Thats one stroke of luck used up for the year anyway however many more I have left I duno

vanderbadger

redzerologhlen wrote: »

I wouldnt think so jd, it looks like a blonde calf anyway and I bought her of my next door neighbour and she wasnt near any form of a bull. She must have been bulled straight away when I let her off with the bull and with a big calf then I suppose she didnt bring much time with her. Ya she had the legs out when I found her eventually, dont know how long she was at that stage for but it was long enough, You can see yourself in the first pic that the calfs head was very swollen. Thats one stroke of luck used up for the year anyway however many more I have left I duno

his front legs look a bit swollen too do they, nice looking calf anyway, be interesting to see how the blondes go

redzerologhlen

vanderbadger wrote: »

his front legs look a bit swollen too do they, nice looking calf anyway, be interesting to see how the blondes go

Ya they are alright, he's standing on his knuckles aswell.

adne

Howd you fair out with the blood in the tits, what you feeding the calf on?

saranac1

Stunning calf there redser, fair play

freedominacup

adne wrote: »

Howd you fair out with the blood in the tits, what you feeding the calf on?

Don't take too much milk from her. The more milk in the bag the greater the pressure and the sooner the blleding will stop. We'd only take a bare drop from cows with blood in the milk to stop them dropping. Milk going out is a route for bacteria to get in.

just do it

redzerologhlen wrote: »

Ya they are alright, he's standing on his knuckles aswell.

2cc Vitesel (Selenium) will do him good.

redzerologhlen

adne wrote: »

Howd you fair out with the blood in the tits, what you feeding the calf on?

Milked beastings from another fresh calved cow. Her milk was a good bit clearer this evening and the calf sucked it out of a bottle.

johnpawl

Have you many calves off the blonde bull and what do you think of them? Have e few kilmoney Bruce straws ordered for this year myself. Do you intend keeping any of the blonde heifer calves as replacements?

redzerologhlen

johnpawl wrote: »

Have you many calves off the blonde bull and what do you think of them? Have e few kilmoney Bruce straws ordered for this year myself. Do you intend keeping any of the blonde heifer calves as replacements?

No thats the first blonde calf ever to set foot in our place. Have 14 heifers in calf to him. I dont think I will to be honest, I was actually thinking of going to the other end of the scale altogether in relation to replacements and thinking about getting a few whiteheads, the continental cows are too hard to keep in the winterage compared to them and the few whiteheads we have are the first to calve year in year out and while they may not breed export quality calves they breed nice store cattle that are costing very little to keep. I must get the calculator out and see which makes more sense financially to do. Am open to opinions on this by the way.

just do it

redzerologhlen wrote: »

No thats the first blonde calf ever to set foot in our place. Have 14 heifers in calf to him. I dont think I will to be honest, I was actually thinking of going to the other end of the scale altogether in relation to replacements and thinking about getting a few whiteheads, the continental cows are too hard to keep in the winterage compared to them and the few whiteheads we have are the first to calve year in year out and while they may not breed export quality calves they breed nice store cattle that are costing very little to keep. I must get the calculator out and see which makes more sense financially to do. Am open to opinions on this by the way.

Hard to argue with your logic. Horses for courses.

Bodacious

redzerologhlen wrote: »

No thats the first blonde calf ever to set foot in our place. Have 14 heifers in calf to him. I dont think I will to be honest, I was actually thinking of going to the other end of the scale altogether in relation to replacements and thinking about getting a few whiteheads, the continental cows are too hard to keep in the winterage compared to them and the few whiteheads we have are the first to calve year in year out and while they may not breed export quality calves they breed nice store cattle that are costing very little to keep. I must get the calculator out and see which makes more sense financially to do. Am open to opinions on this by the way.

you could be onto something there for sure Redzer, handy sized, easy to keep, fertile cow to suit your system.. even if calf goes E100 less she costing you less to feed

pakalasa

And you'll keep more of them to.
Redzer have you ever thought of crossing back and forth with the Hereford and Limousin.

redzerologhlen

Bodacious wrote: »

you could be onto something there for sure Redzer, handy sized, easy to keep, fertile cow to suit your system.. even if calf goes E100 less she costing you less to feed

Well to be honest I wouldnt mind keeping on any whithead calves to year and a halfs rather than selling as weanlings. We are doing it with the limos at the moment anyway. I think you are at the same gig outwintering Bodacious, how do you find the hereford cross cows for it compared with the continentals?

pakalasa wrote: »

And you'll keep more of them to.
Redzer have you ever thought of crossing back and forth with the Hereford and Limousin.

Ya I was thinking about crossing to the better continental cows and cross the offspring back to a continental bull again pak, theres a pic here of one of my uncles cows with a week old whitehead heifer last week, lovely pair I thought.

johnpawl

How did your uncle get on with the yearling bulls he was feeding

redzerologhlen

johnpawl wrote: »

How did your uncle get on with the yearling bulls he was feeding

I think he still has them, havent been down in over a month. Might go for a spin this evening and get a few proper pics of them and I will let ye be the judge.

just do it

redzerologhlen wrote: »

Ya I was thinking about crossing to the better continental cows and cross the offspring back to a continental bull again pak, theres a pic here of one of my uncles cows with a week old whitehead heifer last week, lovely pair I thought.

I'd venture the limousin is the only continental suited to Burren style farming. I'd be slow to go beyond 50% continental in the cows.

Bodacious

redzerologhlen wrote: »

Well to be honest I wouldnt mind keeping on any whithead calves to year and a halfs rather than selling as weanlings. We are doing it with the limos at the moment anyway. I think you are at the same gig outwintering Bodacious, how do you find the hereford cross cows for it compared with the continentals?

Ya I was thinking about crossing to the better continental cows and cross the offspring back to a continental bull again pak, theres a pic here of one of my uncles cows with a week old whitehead heifer last week, lovely pair I thought.

Hi Red,

Thats a lovely calf, have only 2 whiteheads now, mother is a class act, big wide as a truck red white head of old breeding lim X SH X HR, daughter is 50 % lim then and no worldbeater on the milk front.

The mother will get CQA the sim for next couple of years as she is a better cow, great size, power, good to breed, good milk, easily kept etc, ive been giving her BB and lads have told me im crazy as a Sim heifer out of her and there'd be a queue for her... but

as we saying but for me as i dont have access to the kind of winterage that you have and im feeding Dec 01st onwards, ill always be keeping the best lim X cows and as my numbers are small i'd be using AI for the foreseeable future and aiming to get the best possible price in the back end