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When's calving starting 2022

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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,418 ✭✭✭tanko


    No problem with antibiotics, can’t give steroids in advanced pregnancy afaik.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 533 ✭✭✭RD10


    Would a cow being induced last year have any effect on her calving away on her own this year?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,595 ✭✭✭Dunedin


    Wouldn’t think so. Maybe greysides could confirm.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 76 ✭✭alan10


    20220214_073128.jpg 20220214_073119.jpg


    Loki heifer calf, SI cow



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,595 ✭✭✭Dunedin




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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 337 ✭✭GiantPencil


    just in the door exhausted, a big and tall 2 year old simx heifer calving to Brooklands Marco. Calf got caught at the hips and didn’t survive. First time it’s happened to me, jesus hearing the calf roaring is awful. By the time we got her out she was gone, no amount of shaking or cold water could bring her back. It was my first time trying a LM on a heifer and reading fellas on here saying Marco was calving ok had me hopeful I’d be alright too Will probably stick to using Salers on heifers from now as I haven’t had an issue with them. Won’t sleep a wink tonight and those sounds of the calf will haunt me for a while, It’s all part of farming I suppose



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,595 ✭✭✭Dunedin




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,687 ✭✭✭✭whelan2




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 97 ✭✭Baalbec10


    Sorry to hear that. Never had anything happen like that here but I could imagine it wouldn't be good. Marco would be too strong for 2 year old heifers, fellas talking about him calving to heifers are calving down at 3+ years. Can't beat the salers for a hassle free first time.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 337 ✭✭GiantPencil


    No Didn't have one, always got away with some ropes at the most if ever I needed them. Haven't assisted a calving in 10+ years so I've been extremely lucky. My own fault for not having a calving jack around all the same. Got a foster calf this morning so seeing the heifer latch onto the calf has improved the mood around the place.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 337 ✭✭GiantPencil


    Ya it was my first time trying 2 year old calving too and I chanced him because the heifer was a big frame for her age so I thought I'd be ok but sure the calf had plenty room in there to grow and was very long when it came out. Stick to what you know is my biggest takeaway from this! Ya it's an easier life calving to Salers for sure, have a bbx foster calf now so it's nice to see something in there with her.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 97 ✭✭Baalbec10


    That will raise the spirits no end. That is farming for you. Best of luck with the rest of calving.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,418 ✭✭✭tanko


    I wouldn’t put anything else only Saler bulls on heifers, i wouldn’t be a fan of them calving at two years old either, it’s great when it works out but i tried it and found it hit and miss, some heifers grew on well after it but others stayed too small after, it was too hard on them. I looked at two Saler x Lim bullocks off heifers i sold to a neighbour last September the other day, they didn’t look out of place with ten yellow Charolais he bred him self. He’s very impressed with them. Was watching Carnaross on Monday, saw a Saler x Lim bullock 700kgs make €1800, they make great cows for margainal land too. I’m going to ring the Saler society now to see if i can get paid for this🤔🤔



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,026 ✭✭✭Lime Tree Farm


    Found that calving at 2 years often resulted in they going in calf the following year but not for the third calving. Remember Dr Dan Ryan saying saying similar in Farming Independent for the dairy herd.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,390 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    What happened exactly? Was the heifer lying down when you were pulling? I've experienced the death roar here before but I managed to resuscitate the calf. It walked in circles for days but came right eventually.

    I remember Doreen Corridan of NCBC saying that the calf can't breath when you are pulling, so give it a break to let it breath. If it's hanging off the cow with cow standing and caught at hips then maybe that's why it can't breath.

    Post edited by patsy_mccabe on


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 337 ✭✭GiantPencil


    Heifer was standing for ages while we were pulling and we did take a break every now and again to give the calf a chance as it was already moving it's front legs. Got the head and shoulders out while she was standing but after about 5mins of pulling to get the hips out she had the legs go from under her in the calving gate and while on the ground after another few minutes of pulling we got the calf out but by then it had stopped moving so we knew we were up against it to bring her back



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,390 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    Ya, it's hard to know what to do at times.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 734 ✭✭✭ABitofsense


    1st thing I bought here was a jack once I moved the farm to sucklers and especially using LM bulls. Luckily only used for drying things now as very rarely needed last couple of years.

    I calve mostly at ~24mths but i wont be using LM bulls again at that age. Way to hard on them. I used Knell few years back on a few & wasn't worth the headache. Salers from now on.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,218 ✭✭✭Who2


    I would be having palpitations if the calving jack wasn’t here. I currently have two even if one of them is old and slightly worn it’s there as back up.

    any Marco calves I’ve had here have been exceptionally easy calved. Is your heifer wide enough of the pelvis? I had a run of torture here with curaheen apostle heifers that all looked the part but wouldn’t calve a mouse. The last calf I had to get cheese wired ( a good few years back) was a limo on a si apostle heifer that was first calving at 700kg.

    Aside from the calving, while it’s unfortunate you lost the calf a farmer once told me,”that if I couldn’t accept a loss every now and then, that I shouldn’t be at sucklers.” It was harsh but it’s all part of it.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,026 ✭✭✭Lime Tree Farm


    When the cow goes down is the easiest time to twist the calf's hips at an angle using the calf's front legs. The hips will come through pelvis at an angle.

    I was looking for IFJs Ennis video online today. I remember Doreen Corridon saying you could leave a calf hanging at the hips, without causing any damage, until Vet arrived.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,295 ✭✭✭Hard Knocks


    Agree with you, would you try the AA now with bonus increasing?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,390 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    .....



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,390 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    Look at 20:47 where Doreen talks about the calf not being able to breath, when you are pulling the calf.




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,595 ✭✭✭Dunedin




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,226 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    E44D52AB-0189-48ED-A39E-AA2C020CC964.jpeg

    Up and running here this is the second of 2 to calve in the last two days. She had twins when we were away and one was dead when we got back. Two great calves for twins just a shame cos she’d have no bother feeding 2 or even 3



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,270 ✭✭✭Good loser


    Read calving tips there in IFJ two weeks ago.

    It said calf could breathe when head is out as long as lungs weren't too compressed. So, if jacking, strain should be relaxed now and then to let calf breathe. That would explain why your last sentence makes sense.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,418 ✭✭✭tanko


    I dunno, hadn’t thought about them, how much is the Angus bonus now? It’s interesting to see what quality Angus cattle are making in the marts, will it last tho, had lots of them here years ago, they’d get mud fat on fresh air, no need for expensive meal with them anyway. Think i’ll stick with trying to produce good yellow and red cattle for now. Won’t change from Salers on heifers. Would you try any AA?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,643 ✭✭✭✭Base price


    How do you find the Salers temperament. I've seen lots of them in marts and they seem fairly stormy in the ring.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,418 ✭✭✭tanko


    I find them grand, no different that the Lims, Sims or Charolais cattle i have here. The Salers here are mostly off Highfield Odran and Knottown Roy, good docility off those bulls anyway.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,643 ✭✭✭✭Base price


    So if you had a couple of quality SHx/CHx heifers would you use a easy calving LM or Saler. I have a couple that will be ai'd later in the year and I asked previously on F&F about recommendations for a easy calving LM bull as I hadn't even thought of use a Saler.



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