Hello from Eastern Europe

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.

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.

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.

You learn how to deal with the weather. Not a fan myself sometimes, but can't do much.

Most popular and common breeds in my country are Charolais, Limousine, Angus, Aubracs, abit less Simmentals, Hereford, Highland, Galloway. Know that a couple farmers have Tyrols, but just a small number and one farmer brought some Chianina from Italy a couple years ago. Belgian Blues are widely used by dairy farmers, but no pure alive animals in the country.

Looking at that, most breeds I use are considered exotics.

Too many wolves. Main problem now. Especially for sheep, goat farmers, but cattle were killed or injured as well. And too many people trying to protect wolves... Many lies about the true size of wolves population.

We do have some bears walking somewhere, no problems with those. And quite many lynxes.

Boars cause more problems with destroying fields.

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 🤦‍♀️

Born and raised here, my parents and grandparents too.

Try not to. Heifers strictly start calving in April, usually finishes by June. Cows start in December, sometimes January. Don't want many winter calves, but needs to have some, so usually have +-10cows calved in winter and all other start in spring. Want to have all calves born before June, but sometimes there are some summer calves. Those cows usually are moved to winter calving.

Bull starts work in April, leaves the herd when all are moved home, so usually in October or November.

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.

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:

I think I searched for something on google search and one of the results was this forum. Mostly I search about farming related stuff, so it brought me straight to this part of the forum.

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.

Not too much. Also use the damaged layer for bedding, so not that big of a loss. Everything is used.

We had some wolves showing once in a while before too. Neighbour's sheep were killed last year and two years ago. But earlier saw tracks only of one, sometimes two wolves. Now it sure looks that a new pack has arrived. A couple days ago saw tracks of several wolves going around our cattle winter paddocks. Not a good sign. Very likely they are going to live here as it was a free teritory.

There is a limited number of wolves allowed to be hunted during their hunt season. It starts at the 15th of October, if I remember correctly, and continues until February or March.

Several wolves can take down a cow easily. One person from another region had a 1400kg Angus bull injured by wolves, so yeah, they can attack fully grown cattle.

Winter weather here. The temperature is close to 0°, but have a strong wind and snow falling.

Heifers not very bothered by the whole winter thing.

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.