When's calving starting 2022

Mr..

Its great when patience pays off.

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118663325#Comment_118663325

You’ve given me hope. Going to go out and try my lad this evening. 3 weeks old on Tuesday coming. Going to try the chocolate and the honey.

minerleague

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118659973#Comment_118659973

Would want to be milk chocolate not dark ( Sorry couldn't resist , thought of this today, thought it hilarious at the time 😎 )

patsy_mccabe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118664099#Comment_118664099

Last night I put the heat lamp out side a gate, but pointing in at an angle towards the calf. This morning I put the calf across a small bale with cow in the calving gate. No way would she drink, tried honey on teat, milked into the mouth - no joy. Put calf back on straw and as I set to milk cow, calf got up and came to the back of cow with tongue going. Brought her to the side and she latched on. No injections or any sort of medicine given to either. Don't know if you can learn anything from that.

It would drive you mad, I know, but that switch has to go on in the calf's head whatever it is.

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118664136#Comment_118664136

I might as well have made the hoor rice crispy buns. Had the honey, the chocolate but not a chance. He’s nearing three weeks now and I’m coming to the bottom third of the bag of bloom too……..

kollegeknight

F8E21DFA-3175-49B5-BD11-C94A8F45F3DB.jpeg

Calf number 16 for this 2005 NVI cow.

I changed calving pens and she wouldn’t settle so was a long time progressing. I had to pull the calf and cow standing.

so far six calves this year- 5 red heifers and one red bull all off my stock bull.

alan10

Pulled this loki bull yesterday, not hard pull just he was big and cow exhausted. Tubing him beastings last night and today. He finally stood this evening and looking for cow, won't suck bottle.

Cow has mastitis in 3 quarters, on antibiotics. I'm milking her out. Hopefully she comes good soon...no milk at moment just stink puss. Giving her nuts, silage, hay...not going mad for anything...even the calf.

tellmeabit

Screenshot_20220227-105259_Wansview Cloud.jpg

Twin (heifers curaheen earp) from my saler/ch 2nd calver.

Happy out with 2 smallies.

Was on the road all day and came back to meet her tongue swelled. Pulled her out and was groggy. Fine after a few hours do. I'm a lucky boy , swing's roundabouts as they say!

dodo mommy

I had a cow calf outside this evening, unexpectedly would normally calf all cows in doors time of year and make sure the calf got a suck.

I tryed to bring them in but she was having none of it, she was on the point of charging so I siad fcuk that for a game of soldiers and had to leave the out and hope that mother nature takes care of the calf. I'm working tomorrow morning very early too so won't see them until around 4 tomorrow evening fingers crossed all goes well for them. What's yere experience in these situations?

Lime Tree Farm

Always find calves that are born without assistance are the ones that get up within the hour and feed themselves.

tanko

The only cases where i’ve seen a calf unable to suck was an old cow with a big low udder and big bottle teats that the calf couldn’t fit into his gob and a couple of first calvers that kept running away from the calf when it tried to suck, the calf will just get exhausted and lie down then. If your cow has a tidy udder and stands still for him there’s a 99% chance he’ll be ok.

Drains around the field the calf could walk into wouldnt be good tho.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118716123#Comment_118716123

It’s a good feeling when you come out and see the calf stumbling and latch on within their first 30 mins

endainoz

Had this beaut of a Droimeann bull yesterday, unassisted, up in 20 mins. He's a right looker though some markings on him.

Anto_Meath

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118715959#Comment_118715959

If all was ok at the calving then there wouldn't be a bother on them. I calf most of mine outside in a wee padock beside the sheds. I am able to keep an eye on them that way, calf usually up drinking within an hour. Then for a day or so he would be hid in a the butt of the ditch in a nice snug spot, cow coming into the yard to feed but knowing exactly where the calf is hid. After 3 -4 days the calf will be trotting around the padock with her, that's when I usually move them to a better field with grass or that.

Albert Johnson

@endainoz Do you keep many Droimeann and what do you do with the progeny. I know there a rare breed so bloodline conservation is the main objective in the medium term. I'd be interested in keeping a few Droimeann or Irish moiled in the future but I'd imagine you'd need an end market for the finished product. There not going to break any records in the mart compared to the conventional breeds.

James2022

Good start here this year. AI tech recommended I use the Aubrac bull - Turloughmore Magnificent - AU4683

I've had 4 so far and very happy with them. All calving relatively easy and up on their feet suckling unassisted in 20-30 mins. Very friendly too but a bit early to tell on shape.

Curaheen Earp - SI2152 - Heifer from one of my best cows. Lovely shape and colouring so far.

Clonagh Frosty King SI4083 bull. The catalogue says he is easy calving but he might be one of the biggest calves I've ever had. This is her 7th calf and it gave her quite a bit of trouble. I wouldn't sleep well if I had heifers in calf to him like they recommend. A little but of encouragement to stand and was very lazy to suckle so needed a bottle.

Another Frosty King SI4083 bull. Big calf again, not enough room to turn around so he came backwards. His back legs were giving him a lot of trouble so some physiotherapy needed to get them straight. He's a week old now and walking perfect. Again a sluggish calf, maybe it's a characteristic of the Simmental breed. Saw him one day go up and puck the udder in annoyance a few times and then walk away not willing to put in the work to suckle.

I'm sure everyone knows this tip at this stage. If you milk colostrum out of a cow store it in sealable plastic bags and never in a bottle. I like to put 700ml in at a time. Label it clearly with the cow, date and what it is(you don't want someone thinking its stewed apple for a pie!!!!). Lay it flat in the freezer. This way it is much easier to defrost and also quicker. Another big mistake is people putting a hairdryer or even boiling the colostrum in a pot to thaw it out. That reduces the effectiveness and nutritional value of colostrum so you have to let it thaw out slowly.

30 more cows to go here.

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118720273#Comment_118720273

Lovely calves and best of luck with them. I never actually thought of putting colostrum into zip bags and it is a brilliant idea. I do thaw 2l bottles of it in a water bath (when needed) in a 16l saucepan that I use to cook the ham for Christmas. I use a milk/water thermometer (for mixing cmr) and keep the water bath temperature at 37C which prevents the colostrum from overheating. It takes appox an hour to defrost 2ltrs.

endainoz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118720185#Comment_118720185

I have two cows and had a bull up to last year so hanging on to the heifers from him. The idea was that they should make some very good replacements with the continental mother and the milking ability of the Droimeanns. The second calfer cows have serious milk this year so hopefully the theory will prove correct for the others.

endainoz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118725567#Comment_118725567

Not yet, but a premium for every cow with a pedigree cert is in the works I believe.

alan10

Si heifer calf from SI cow. Had to pull, this lady is too posh to push. Lost the calf last year...she didn't push either??? so went in earlier this time.

Quietest one I have, very easy to work with. Calf took 3L from bottle straight away.

James2022

Walking around the pen in circles refusing to lay down and push? I don't get why cows do that. It's infuriating. Just when I thought I'd be getting an early night my worst cow for doing that has just started calving. Lovely calf!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118721249#Comment_118721249

No need to change anything then! I must look into that way to get it defrosted quicker. You don't always know when you'll need it.

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118727842#Comment_118727842

I think it must be something physical, like scar tissue from a previous year.

Put a third Calver in today at midday - she got stitches when she put out the uterus after her first calving. watched her from 2pm making a few attempts, same last year. Gave her assistance, just a handy bull calf.

bogman_bass

Cracker of a PT2165 bull calf around 2am last night. Thawed out out beastings and fed the calf. Happy days.

Wake up this morning to the cow lying on top of a dead calf. Not a happy boy today.

Morris Moss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118730134#Comment_118730134

Sorry to hear, that'd sicken ya.

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118730134#Comment_118730134

So sorry to hear that. A neighbour says that too deep a straw bed can fool a tired cow.

whelan2

Never happen a bad calf

bogman_bass

Isn’t that the truth!

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118730134#Comment_118730134

Jayus sorry to hear that.

same thing happened to a heifer of mine once upon a time. Took calf with jack and perfect healthy calf. Middle of the day and in the days before calving gates so calf was jacked in the regular crush and then let back in the pen - on concrete so no straw. I went out 20 minutes later for a look and cow happy as Larry lying on dead calf.

I was 12 years old. A lot of 🥲🥲🥲 that night.

Sugarbowl

This happened to the old fella years ago as well. He always talks about it. Since then we never leave a cow and calf together after a middle of the night calving. After the calf stands and sucks we have a little straw bed pen besides the calving pen separate with a gate. The cow settles down once she can see it. Leave it back together at first light. They can be awkward after calving as it is.