Started here today. Only brought her in from field yesterday. Heifer calf.
Putting charolais on any first calver is madness. Age or not they need to push the first calf out to widen up . That’s just my opinion and nothing technical but I’d always go saler or easy calving limo. I tried a few easy calving Simmentals but the y were trouble too. Combine the breeding and ad lib silage feeding and you are nearly guaranteed hassle.
I also go with Angus for first calving… you’re not a fan? I’ve often had a good lump of a saler even though they easy calving.
25 heifers incalf here to an Angus bull. They’ll be getting a kg or 2 of rolled oats for a month before calving. Massive help.
Used him plenty over the years on LM, SIM, CH, AA, HEX and never any bother. Came out easy (maybe even small) but put on nice shape after few weeks and then took off. But never used on heifers, all above were 2+ calvers
I don’t mind Angus in the right situation but they just don’t fit into what I’m at so I stay away from them. I calve my heifers down to saler and lim and if I get nice heifers I keep them on for cows. I run a Charolais bull as main breed on farm and anything with Angus doesn’t suit me. The colour is the main thing and they usually lack any sort of decent power or confirmation. The closest I’d go to Angus is stabiliser as I’ve seen a few lads get class results with stabiliser cows put to a ch bull.
This was the cows 7th calf.
sorry I thought it was a heifer. But in general he’d be a very easy calver.
was the cow dry for a long time?
have a cow with twins , 2 weeks old. One twin wouldn’t suck the cow for the first week. Have him going now but have to put her in head gate with nuts, she’s kicking him away when in the pen. No problem with the other lad as she lets him suck away. It’s her 4th calf and is normally a very quiet cow
Any suggestions?
She’ll never take to him, you’ve got yourself a pet calf.
possibly, I’d try closing both away and let sick morning and evening first
that’s what I’m doing at the moment.
If you can get them to a couple weeks old the second calf will learn to suck from behind cow when they see first calf sucking, happened here before. As long as they don't get kicked so much they get afraid to try
Since Nov 1st
Is she viciously kicking or just to stop him sucking? Sometimes the best option is in a pen with other cows and close calves away except to suck a few times a day, in the commotion of all calves going in to suck at the same time the cows often dont care what calf or how many of them sucks her.
not viciously kicking but what I noticed on Saturday if I let in the weak lad first in his own, she’s grand with him but then kicks away the second lad when I’d let him in.
Anyways, have both taken away and let in twice a day. Give her nuts through the calving gate and she lets both suck without a bother. Will leave it like that for a few more days and then give her the nuts without the head gate and see how she goes. 🤞🤞
Last year I noticed that if the cows were left short on silage, once they had feed pushed to them that all calves scrambled to find a teat, any that would do and the cows were none the wiser.
I'd say in time the cow will twig that she has 2 calves and be grand again
I’d say land one of the calves in to the mart in a week and collect your €500.
better chance of Bass getting into sucklers than that happening 😂😂😂
I’ll persevere amongst many expletives and then forget all about it next summer when I’m happily herding in the long glorious summer evenings…….
It's a question of who is more stubborn, you or the cow? Stick with them. Maybe try and keep the stronger calf nearer her head, so she only see's him, when she looks back.
I’ve had that issue a couple of times with cows having twins or first calvers not taking to the calf. Pure stubbornness, put cow in crush for a few weeks to let the calves suck. Throw meal into trough and a few big stones so she has to work to get the meal and stretch it out longer. Unless the cow is an absolute b**** they’ll come good after a couple of weeks
How about putting a jacket on the calf she likes would that make a difference or vinegar on both their backs so they smell the same
Vet job here this morning pedigree angus calf coming backwards. All good
Was it a case of not being able to reach the calf, or was it just to big?
Too big. Big arse on it. Alot going on here atm so I just got vet. I'd never have calved it
Right decision so. Some times it is impossible to reach the calf, even for those with long arms.
I find it is always a good call to get the vet and they land a live calf when you are any bit unsure.
it’s always the temptation to chance it. I’ve got away with it a few times but probably should have called vet. No fun with calf stuck at hips and man and beast under pressure
@Dunedin How is the 2nd twin doing now.
Haven't tried it but read somewhere that pouring some of her own urine on their bums helps the cow recognise her own calves when she sniffs them.
Calf that was born this morning
