calving outdoors

Greengrass1

Thought came to me this morning as I was bringing in a cow and calf.
I've a dry farm and I've a field beside the yard that were going to reseed.
Thinking of closing this start if October and strip graze the dry cows on it from march when Feb is over with.
Weather dependent of course.
We calved outside before in spring and found it fine. You could bring in the ones on point of calving at night

einn32

We used dabble in a bit of out door calving. Weather is the big factor. Also if the cow needs assistance it can get messy. But it's great for grip for cow and calf. Also a cow can go off grazing and lose interest in calving!

Greengrass1

einn32 wrote: »

We used dabble in a bit of out door calving. Weather is the big factor. Also if the cow needs assistance it can get messy. But it's great for grip for cow and calf. Also a cow can go off grazing and lose interest in calving!

Have seen it all here alright. Biggest thing is weather. Generally 95% will calve on there own here

einn32

Greengrass1 wrote:

Have seen it all here alright. Biggest thing is weather. Generally 95% will calve on there own here

Probably would suit you by the sounds of it. Probably my imagination but I always felt the calves were healthier.

frazzledhome

Cal mag dust

onyerbikepat

I calve outdoors a lot here with sucklers. It depends on weather. Find it great when all goes ok. No cleaning uo to do. Cow can stretch out on the soft ground, plenty of grip for young calves trying to stand.
It's when things go wrong like calving problems. You'll end up running around the field after a cow with the calves legs hanging out. Not good. Also trying to bring in the calf so that it can drink the cow is dangerous with hormonal cows..

whelan2

Calving autumn ones outside. Have an acre paddock in front of housr. Fenced with sheepwire and electric fence. Leave window open at night . They get baled silage while they are there

Greengrass1

onyerbikepat wrote: »

I calve outdoors a lot here with sucklers. It depends on weather. Find it great when all goes ok. No cleaning uo to do. Cow can stretch out on the soft ground, plenty of grip for young calves trying to stand.
It's when things go wrong like calving problems. You'll end up running around the field after a cow with the calves legs hanging out. Not good. Also trying to bring in the calf so that it can drink the cow is dangerous with hormonal cows..

Ah you will get that alright, wouldn't be unlike the autumn system. It depends what weather is like if its a wet time i won't do it.
Won't be more that 25/30 I'd say. Must check. Would cut down on straw usage alot and I'd have an extra shed for calves.
Not the end of the world if it doesn't work, sure the milkers can graze it

Greengrass1

frazzledhome wrote: »

Cal mag dust

Have yet to use that. Will get some if I go ahead with it

tomieen jones

einn32 wrote: »

Probably would suit you by the sounds of it. Probably my imagination but I always felt the calves were healthier.

how do you guys tag the calves? Like catching them and safely away from the cow? I nearly got killed two years ago tagging a calf out doors very nervous of it since

High bike

Can be dodgy at times ,some cows are very protective with calves always safer to run em into a shed or crush for tagging and dehorning

whelan2

normally tag the milkers calf's handy enough, sucklers calves are a bit trickier, we give cow meal, drive jeep in grab calf pull calf into jeep tag, iodine etc and let him back out, needs at least 2 people

Feckthis

whelan2 wrote: »

normally tag the milkers calf's handy enough, sucklers calves are a bit trickier, we give cow meal, drive jeep in grab calf pull calf into jeep tag, iodine etc and let him back out, needs at least 2 people

Was tubing a calf one day and a cow went for me ever wasn't even the mother of the calf, since then I always separate when doing anything with the calf. I said it to a neighbour one day when I was watching him tag two calfs in with the cows. He laughed at me and called me soft ha.

whelan2

Feckthis wrote: »

Was tubing a calf one day and a cow went for me ever wasn't even the mother of the calf, since then I always separate when doing anything with the calf. I said it to a neighbour one day when I was watching him tag two calfs in with the cows. He laughed at me and called me soft ha.

some one on here before was saying to pull the calf in to round feeder or creep feeder, we try and tag them when they are very young, if we dont get them first day we will run them in to yard a few days later and do them then

onyerbikepat

Madness to go tagging a calf with the cow nearby. I always separate them, then calf into crate. No messing and no danger.

Mac Taylor

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Madness to go tagging a calf with the cow nearby. I always separate them, then calf into crate. No messing and no danger.

Same here, cow is only protecting her calf. Madness to tag a calf with the cow in pen. I was tagging a calf yesterday, the calf (only 2 days old) reared up on me and managed to knock me over, could have been messy if the cow was there aswell as the calf was bawling.

Mad4simmental

I tag everything in work and at home as they hit the floor. Mam dosent even get to lick them. The tagger is reddy and loaded beside the jack. Easier on man and beast.

Iv herd that they are suppost to be dry for the bvd but I must have tagged 250 calves this spring so far and only had 3 cum back empty.

grazeaway

As above very seldom tag the calves out doors, I usually wait a week or so before I tag them anyway as the ears can are still a bit too small. Anyway bring them into the yard an seprate the mother just to be safe. When they are indoors I let the mother out of the pen just to be on the safe side.

If they calf out side we would wait till there is at least 2 of us around when we are spraying the navel that way your less likely to get blindsided.

Basic common sense really.