Calving 2025

I'd usually give the incalf heifers rolled oats and hay for the last 6 weeks of gestation. PB limo for the most part so wouldn't have a problem usually with low BCS, they'd usually be too high if were on adlib silage TBH. Not sure if there is any science behind it but the calf to me is usually a bit livelier and have seen a decrease in hard calvings since I started too. Might be as much to do with the hay as the oats though. Get about 1kg/head/day with adlib hay

I'd usually give rolled oats and middling silage to suckler cows here. They would be out wintered so different to most, so it's not apples with apples we are comparing, The oats to me, gives the cow/calf energy but not weight gain. As funky_farmer said the calf's seem a bit hardier when born, better ability to just get up and suck without intervention and have more energy when fresh out of the oven.

I wouldn't be feeding any nuts what so ever for fear of pushing the calf up into the section/problematic calving category. They will have plenty time to grow once there out on the ground. And you can bull the cow with nuts to get her back in calf again once she has calved.

Do they need a vitamin drench as they have been on pre-calver since housing. Be longer than 3 weeks from calving.

I’d give it. Check with your vet if you want.

I know its probably been asked many times but how soon could you or do ye let calves creep in and out of the slats to the cows ?

With no sign of grass growth they could be in for a while yet.

That strategy should help getting them back in calf quickly too - out of interest how long would you leave them with the cows morning and evening ?

About 30-40 mins, I let them out l, do the chores and then put back in

We've six calved in the past week to ten days and thankfully no problems - four heifers and two bull calves and all are thriving. We used the jack on one AA/FR heifer but only to assist her iykwim. Four of the cows/calves our out in the field and have access to a dry bedded shed with silage and meal. I didn't get a chance to photograph any except for this little fella that was born last Thursday outta of a CHx cow by our SH bull.

I try to keep them off the slats for ten days, some go in after a week but they get on better with a couple of extra days behind them. You’ll always get an odd one that won’t leave the slats and gets very dirty looking.

Better off out and supplement with ring feeder if needed

best place for them is out. Mine are out 2 weeks now.

Bit of a tough run. Had to do 2 sections on 2 heifers last week (and should have done a 3rd also on another heifer as lost the calf (EBY also) - got stuck at hips)

Usually use Dovea LM2014 (Ivor) on heifers - never had trouble with him, wasn't available with A.I man so we put in EBY. I didn't realize at time he is 6.8% difficulty on heifers. Heifers ~26 month.

think combination of few things

1. Heifers too fat (cows also for that matter) - have to go to the jack more than normal even for cows
2. Heifers too small?
3. Wrong choice of AI bull for heifers

Vet feedback on the two - tight pelvis on both also

Section1: EBY bull calf

Section1 after a week

Section2 - at birth, EBY bull calf

after a week

General cow - Bull calf, BB4494 - 4 hrs

I used jack here also, she might have got him out but very slow going, 3rd time calver

Cow2, BB8019, had to pull this heifer calf also. Cow gave up after head out. Cow about 5th calver.

Calf is a little bit bigger than pic portrays but not huge I think for the cow?

What folks think?

Never heard as bad a reports as this year for problems. I'm only ready to start calveing this week, well apart from a premature calf last week, and I'm half dreading it.