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Hello from Eastern Europe
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02-01-2022 1:22pm#1
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Beef prices went up starting in September. It was 3.15eur/kg carcass weight for U grade animal, in December the price was 3.7eur. Sold some weanlings (bulls and heifers) for 2.45eur/kg liveweight. Saw that prices were in 2-2.6eur/kg range a that time, pure animals get higher price.
About outwintering, here's a photo taken in December:
On the left side incalf heifers, on the right- cows. You can see a shed on the hill. Both herds have access to it. A cow very close to calving or just freshly calved is put in a pen in the shed for a week or so, that the calf would get strong and then both are let out with the whole herd. Young heifers, bulls have their own sheds and pastures, weaned bulls will be put in an old barn close to home and weaned heifers will stay closed in the main shed.
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First two photos- incalf heifers enjoying some nice weather in December. The last photo- newborn heifer born on December 12th. Weighed 54kgs! 😳 She stayed in the pen for ten days nad then was introduced to the herd.
Here's her most recent photo. Not so lovely weather unfortunatelly, but she is growing well.
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The sire of the newborn heifer. Our own crossbred bull, sired by french limousine bull called Fable. The heifer herself is more of an oops calf. The bull was weaned abit to late and managed to breed one cow. I did knew she was bred when she stopped coming in heat, but decided to let her have this calf.
Ok, so some more cattle pics with some more background.
Two heifers sired by Tweeddale Lookout. The white is out of limx charxdairy cow incalf to charolais, the yellow is out of limxherxdairy and incalf to Tomschoise Onslow. Actually, really liked Tweeddale Lookout's calves. Not easy calved, most calves were 50+kg, but all were growing really well, had good kill out. As I'm not chasing after easy calving bulls, he was really great choice for some cows. Pitty that he's no longer available here. Have sold two of his sons for one farmer to fatten and he was very happy with them. Bulls easily gained 2kg/day on the same ration as other gained max 1,5kg, and both bulls were well over 700, one even over 800kgs at 15months age.
Have these two his daughters, one for breeding this summer and one weanling heifer from him.
Pic with one of his daughters. This one is 7/8 Charolais from 13years old cow.
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Some of 2021 calves
Bazadaise sired heifer, dam is mainly angus with abit of charolais, limousine. Nothing special, but she looked way heavier than most heifers her age from other breeds.
Blondex bull calf from limxangusx cow.
Lodge Hamlet sired heifer from angus, lim, char mixed cow.
Limx heifer from limxangusx cow.
Limx heifer from tiny limx second calver.
Limx heifer from limxangusx third calver. Probably the most favorite heifer. Have an incalf simx heifer from the same dam calving in April with Tomschoise Onslow calf. Good family line.
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And here are this years future calves sires:
First time trying Dutch improved red and white. The first calf due this year should be by the first bull.
There also is one piedmontese bull, charolaise bull, blonde bull, belgian blue bull, two simmentals and two more limousines: Tomschoise Onslow and Tweeddale Lennox. Plus a couple calves by a limousine herd bull and one our crossbred bull piedmontesex limousine cross for a couple cows, which weren't showing heat and they were falling out of the calving season.
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If year is very good for grass, we might get the first cut by the end of May. Usually the first cut is made by the end of June. Grazing season can start anywhere from the beginning of May to the beginning of June. Alot depends from the spring. In a good sown grass field you can make 3, maybe 4 cuts, if the weather is good for grass growth. Our land mostly is natural grass, so in perfect conditions you can get maybe 3 cuts, but just in some parts.
We started reseeding some of the fields, mostly, because that some were just for grazing, also there usually was very poor grass.
Usually we get 10 bales from 1ha (~2,47acres). That's actually a good result in a natural grass field. In sown ones we got around 20bales per cut from 1ha. There are some parts in my country, where results are better, they have better land, sometimes weather is more favorable.
Grazing season ends in October. Sometimes we already get some snow then.
A photo taken at April 19th last spring.
Another photo taken on the May 17th.
And a photo from June 3rd.
For example, this year we had a good 1,5 month with temperatures rarely going lower than 30C°. It was a nightmare for breeding with AI and not a helpfull thing with grass. Luckily had a winter with lots of snow, so the land had good amount of water from all the snow melting. Otherwise, we would have had no grass to cut. Second grass had burned down in some fields, so it was quite a hard time with it. We sometimes have year when we are able to make enough feed with just the first cut, but had some years, when hardly made half of needed amount, luckily made enough with the second grass then.
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So here's what I'm actually really proud of. The docility of our cows. Well, some tend to become quite reactive towards other people, but all are well behaving for me.
Here are two pics how I AI my cows. Rarely for some individuals you need to put a halter on, but most are AI'd like this and the steel pen is more of a protection from other cows coming for the bucket and to secure that cow wouldn't walk away if she didn't liked the procedure.
It's abit of a different story with heifers, but I did AI one this fall just with her nose in the bucket and my mom protecting the bucket from other heifers. Once they turn into cows, they tend to change their behaviour alot. I did almost all AI by myself alone, rarely had anybody by my side helping. Noticed that cows were way calmer this way and were more interested in eating the meal from the bucket than what I was doing behind their back.
And here's my own first cow. Pictured as an incalf heifer. Now she'll be 9 years old and still going strong, not missing a year without a calf. Can do the same thing with her any time I want. She's my first one and I already decided to let her live her own life untill she'll pass away naturally. Many would say that I'm naive, etc., but she's very special to me and there is a strong sence of trust between us both. Can AI her with just a bucket of meal, can put a halter anytime and walk her wherever I want, have milked her two times in the field when she calved- one time, when she lost her calf and gave her another calf, which she took as her own on the first day, and second time when her calf was quite stubborn with nursing, but it appeared after 2 or 3 days that he's nursing very well himself 🤦♀️
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Ok, so a little bit of update to the whole story.
What I've told so far was about my and my parents farm. I officially do not have any cows under my name, but there are some, which are unofficially mine. Will try to build up some numbers in my own herd and maybe even finally be able to officially become farmer myself.
My husband is a farmer too. He has a couple beef cows, but mostly is focused on dairy farming. With my constant pushing, he finally started milking his own cows under his name, and finally started getting some money from them. Until last October, he has been working for his parents, which have a completely different idea about farming, has no interest in some investment into the farm and no interest in improvement. They were just constantly unhappy about their son, how he was ungrateful, how all money were earned by them and not him, however almost all work at farm was done by him alone. I was very against working with them, so made him decide, either we start working for ourselves, or we'll need to take separate paths.
So things seem pretty good so far. Managed to increase milk quite alot. His parents milked all cows only once a day, no meal, usually not enough of grass, so cows gave only ~5-6l a day. Also most cows had high SCC and ofter occuring mastitis. Managed to increase milk up to 15l+ for all, a couple freshly calved cows are doing some good job with our care. One with three quarters working is going close to 40l a day. Well, lots of work needs to be done- genetic improvement, overall care, but the result is there.
So today had the first calf born on my husband's dairy farm. Holstein sired heifer calf.
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Finally, the first one hit the ground! Born at 285th day, sired by Dutch improved red beef (VRB) bull, out of a mature cow (mix of angus, charolais, limousine). Will weigh in the morning, but he looks to be quite heavy. Not much muscles on rear, but has a wide body.
Sure cow chose the coldest night this week. - 15C° at the moment.
The sire:
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Better pics of the newborn. Nothing too exceptional about him at the moment, but he should change quite a lot in a month time. 47kgs before feeding. Very strong and lively calf. Dam is 9 years old. Never assisted a calving, very nicely tempered, plenty of milk and good fertility, always tooks AI on the first try. Had her calf on the 30th of January last year, two years ago on the 8th of March. I missed her one heat last year as I didn't have my AI equipment at that moment. So it's actually the first calf from my AI work.
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Weather here is playing somekind of game for sure. In one week time you can have - 12C or lower and +5C. Plus lots of snow one day and all melted in two days. Today's weather in the pic. Going to have - 11C after two days, then going to +2C in the two days after that.
All works as usual. Finally finished weaning calves. Left just a couple for the spring.
Dad found some wolves traces in the near by forest. Seems that a new pack has arrived. At least 5, if not 7 wolves. It's going to give some extra work for us. Have to have no cows calving in the fields as they are next to that forest. Going to move all cows and heifers calvings to the winter and spring. It should take about two years, but have to do it. Better no calves born near wolves. Going to have lots of work with AI and thankfully two new bulls should arrive by the mid of February.
On a better note, an update pic of the newborn calf. He is 10 days old and grows quite well.
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Had a heifer calf born a couple days ago by AI limousine bull Faisceau. Very easy calving, 282days gestation, 37kg birth weight.
Next calf is due on the 8th of February, another on the 11th and one more on the 27th.
Going slowly this year. I do know that I had some hard time with a couple AIs, but with practise it got easier. The best teachers were heifers. When I got a held of how it is done with them, cows became pretty easy.
We actually had a bad snow storm last night. Many people without electricity, roads full of snow.
A pic is from 6 days ago. One of the most beautiful winter views. Probably only the third time this winter.
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A lot has happened since the last post. A spring might be not that far away, but we still get temperatures below 0°C at the night.
Had two new heifers born until now. One blondex, another belgian bluex. Some more calves are due very soon. Going to get a couple from the last herd bull. He only bred 7 cows before his injury. Four are due this month.
Had some delay with bulls semen ordering as some bulls weren't available and had to choose some other bulls to replace those, so still waiting for the delivery. Have a couple cows for AI at the moment, so just going to use leftovers for them. Got 10 straws of Lodge Hamlet by accident. Hopefully, this time he'll click better with a different selection of cows. The first try was on first calvers. Despite very easy calvings his calves appeared to be shorter in height and I wasn't that impressed with them.
Have bought a new bull. Brought him home yesterday. Not overfed, seems very calm so far. Not showing much of stress after a good 3 hour journey and the whole environment change. He's 21 months old, 760kg. His job will be mostly as a clean up bull for cows. He should get at least 20 this year hopefully.
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Another heifer was born this morning. Only one bull calf from 11 calves so far. Lovely heifer tho. Sired by previous limousine herd bull, mom is 50%lim, with some angus, charolais and blue in her. The 3rd calf for her. 285 days gestation, approx 45kg.
The weather is nice these days. Some light cold, but lots of sun everyday. Calves are enjoying it alot.
Heifers are getting closer to calving bit by bit.
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