When Calving Starting

mahoney_j · 23-01-2015 2:51pm

frazzledhome wrote: »

They're holding on here. Calving sheds full to brim with springing heifers but only 1 calved so far.

I'd say we'll start Sun or Mon. One problem is that our frozen store of colostrum has been raided by a few neighbours lambing and suckling. Checked this am and only 10 litres in freezer. No cow calving till Feb 1 at earliest so I need to hunt some down.

Found a dead calf in the cubicles this am a Je bull so all not bad. Cow 2 wks early so will milk and hold for a week

All calf pens ready, limed and bedded. A new guy started last week and I'd say he did more work here in that time than we'd do in a month. He is a yard man (his words) loves calves but won't be milking. Told me this am that he'll do 2 nights calving per week for us when dam bursts.

We are expecting a busy time as 50% of herd are due in the first 2 weeks. Loads of coffee should do the job.

Santa bought me a nespresso machine for Xmas,will be going overdrive for next few weeks !!.calving more or less ready to go now started adding iodine to water last Monday calving pens disinfected bedded and ready to go.last few days at slurry and may chance urea tomorrow or Monday.then full attention to fresh cows and calves.even have the first paddock set up for cows.few weeks off I. Winter has its advantages

frazzledhome · 23-01-2015 3:01pm

mahoney_j wrote: »

Santa bought me a nespresso machine for Xmas,will be going overdrive for next few weeks !!.calving more or less ready to go now started adding iodine to water last Monday calving pens disinfected bedded and ready to go.last few days at slurry and may chance urea tomorrow or Monday.then full attention to fresh cows and calves.even have the first paddock set up for cows.few weeks off I. Winter has its advantages

Nespeesso, the dose is too small:)

This is the baby one in the kitchen and one in parlour dairy

td5man · 23-01-2015 6:50pm

frazzledhome wrote: »

A new guy started last week and I'd say he did more work here in that time than we'd do in a month.

He mustn't be on boards or twitter so.

visatorro · 23-01-2015 7:04pm

many lads intent calving many outdoors? they bulk of mine are march calving and will be calved outside. use shear grab to bring calves in and cows follow us in.

mahoney_j · 23-01-2015 7:09pm

visatorro wrote: »

many lads intent calving many outdoors? they bulk of mine are march calving and will be calved outside. use shear grab to bring calves in and cows follow us in.

Fook,the shear grab,any accidents.think I'd prefer the bucket

mahoney_j · 23-01-2015 7:12pm

frazzledhome wrote: »

Nespeesso, the dose is too small:)

This is the baby one in the kitchen and one in parlour dairy

Smaller shot but bigger caffeine hit,can't drink the instant stuff anymore!!

visatorro · 23-01-2015 7:35pm

mahoney_j wrote: »

Fook,the shear grab,any accidents.think I'd prefer the bucket

found they can wriggle outta the bucket. just when loading calf have shear grab closed, tilted back to the last and a couple of feet off the ground. lift calf into grab, their legs dangle down between the tines. i find the calf cant go anywhere. then just open grab and let them slide outta grab onto straw bed. never had an incident yet. used to try walk them in or use wheelbarrow but when calving paddock gets mucked up abit found this a disaster

frazzledhome · 23-01-2015 7:38pm

mahoney_j wrote: »

Smaller shot but bigger caffeine hit,can't drink the instant stuff anymore!!

Get yourself a Bodum travel mug. Jeeps coffee hot for 2-3 hrs, essential calving/milking kit

yellow50HX · 23-01-2015 8:00pm

Have 40 to calf this year, 10 down already but I know the next 30 will likely to come in batches.

whelan2 · 23-01-2015 8:55pm

visatorro wrote: »

many lads intent calving many outdoors? they bulk of mine are march calving and will be calved outside. use shear grab to bring calves in and cows follow us in.

calve all the autumn ones outside, gives them a great start. Will hopefully calve the april/may ones outside too

Greengrass1 · 23-01-2015 9:00pm

10 April calvers here incalf to AA.
I'd say they will be calved out side .
Task this yr is to pull them back and have no April calvers.

mahoney_j · 23-01-2015 9:15pm

Greengrass1 wrote: »

10 April calvers here incalf to AA.
I'd say they will be calved out side .
Task this yr is to pull them back and have no April calvers.

We'd all love no april calvers ,but we will all have them.certainly something to aim for but hard to do when expanding

Deepsouthwest · 23-01-2015 9:42pm

whelan2 wrote: »

first one calved during the night an angus calf from a heifer that nearly died from summer mastitis last year

How many quarters is she milking in now having had summer mastitis?

Greengrass1 · 23-01-2015 9:44pm

mahoney_j wrote: »

We'd all love no april calvers ,but we will all have them.certainly something to aim for but hard to do when expanding

Looks like I'm finished AI in winter herd.
If we can do that much with the herd in 3 yrs I'll definitely be able to get rid of April calvers.
6 WK spring calving??

whelan2 · 23-01-2015 9:53pm

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

How many quarters is she milking in now having had summer mastitis?

3 quarters, nice aa bull calf, she was grand and quiet in the parlour, front quarter gone

Deepsouthwest · 23-01-2015 9:59pm

whelan2 wrote: »

3 quarters, nice aa bull calf, she was grand and quiet in the parlour, front quarter gone

That's a pity, had a heifer with summer mastitis here, who was so sick she lost her calf as well, good breeding behind her but have to decided to cull as I expect quarter is gone.

whelan2 · 23-01-2015 10:05pm

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

That's a pity, had a heifer with summer mastitis here, who was so sick she lost her calf as well, good breeding behind her but have to decided to cull as I expect quarter is gone.

will see how she goes, might be glad of her yet

Reggie. · 24-01-2015 1:30am

Not calving here till May-june

dh1985 · 24-01-2015 2:03am

Reggie. wrote: »

Not calving here till May-june

Why so late reg

oooge1 · 24-01-2015 3:12am

On paper Expected start day is 15th of feb but il be on alert the week before that.70 or so to calve before end of feb.with 30 in March and 4 in April .. Then il treat myself to several hundred pints before ai kicks off !!

Reggie. · 24-01-2015 8:40am

dh1985 wrote: »

Why so late reg

Oh the FIL let the bull out late last year. Awkward time to be calving as the silage will be in full swing

whelan2 · 24-01-2015 9:45am

a psz heifer calf this morning

CashCowsEB · 24-01-2015 9:20pm

whats the ebi's of your calves being born? first due here on 30th but like everyone here should come sooner with ai. springing up nicely and in good nic so hopefully goes ok.

Greengrass1 · 24-01-2015 9:50pm

Highest ebi 250 lowest 190

stanflt · 24-01-2015 10:42pm

CashCowsEB wrote: »

whats the ebi's of your calves being born? first due here on 30th but like everyone here should come sooner with ai. springing up nicely and in good nic so hopefully goes ok.

Had a 330 Ebi calf born at the start bloody bull

Lowest 170

mahoney_j · 24-01-2015 10:57pm

Lowest 180 highest 320..genotyping may raise or lower this.spent the last few nights on sire advice matching Bulls to cows and heifers for this years Ai season,my milk kg on last ebi report has dropped from 138 to 110,which I can't fathom so I'm working on getting this back up ,want this figure near 180 kg.some real nicely balanced Bulls in pg catalogue

Timmaay · 24-01-2015 11:29pm

mahoney_j wrote: »

Lowest 180 highest 320..genotyping may raise or lower this.spent the last few nights on sire advice matching Bulls to cows and heifers for this years Ai season,my milk kg on last ebi report has dropped from 138 to 110,which I can't fathom so I'm working on getting this back up ,want this figure near 180 kg.some real nicely balanced Bulls in pg catalogue

Lowest EBI 170 highest 270 here. Milk KGs here is +163kgs for the herd, but over 20% of the herd are above +300, highest is 450, I have ordered 20 straws of PHC for these ladies (details here), he was the best bull I could find to reduce milk but hold solids. I really really should consider JE on those ladies however!

Just looking at the EBI table for my herd, best cow on solids is a JEx with +43kgs of F+P! I'll do well to find a bull to maintain her level of solids. Gave her a sexed KSK last yr, she calved yesterday, the daughters solids are estimated to be +38kgs so not doing too bad at least!

CashCowsEB · 24-01-2015 11:52pm

thats some yields they are belting out. whats the average litres of your herd so. are you in the top 200 ebi herds?

Deepsouthwest · 25-01-2015 12:05am

Timmaay wrote: »

Lowest EBI 170 highest 270 here. Milk KGs here is +163kgs for the herd, but over 20% of the herd are above +300, highest is 450, I have ordered 20 straws of PHC for these ladies (details here), he was the best bull I could find to reduce milk but hold solids. I really really should consider JE on those ladies however!

Just looking at the EBI table for my herd, best cow on solids is a JEx with +43kgs of F+P! I'll do well to find a bull to maintain her level of solids. Gave her a sexed KSK last yr, she calved yesterday, the daughters solids are estimated to be +38kgs so not doing too bad at least!

Great strides being made there Tim. (no pun intended, but it does fit well with ur running etc!)

frazzledhome · 25-01-2015 8:49am

Timmaay wrote: »

Lowest EBI 170 highest 270 here. Milk KGs here is +163kgs for the herd, but over 20% of the herd are above +300, highest is 450, I have ordered 20 straws of PHC for these ladies (details here), he was the best bull I could find to reduce milk but hold solids. I really really should consider JE on those ladies however!

Just looking at the EBI table for my herd, best cow on solids is a JEx with +43kgs of F+P! I'll do well to find a bull to maintain her level of solids. Gave her a sexed KSK last yr, she calved yesterday, the daughters solids are estimated to be +38kgs so not doing too bad at least!

Tim, you make a great argument for crossing your whole herd:)
Kiwi cross f12 j4 on those xbreds. I think I know where they're from by those figures:)

When Calving Starting

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