When given a chance cows can do most things on their own. I am their employer but I have to give them a fair chance to be my employee. We have three hundred acres of river bottom with live warm water streams and lots of trees and brush. There's also a tall bluff to the northwest. A great place to calve - but not in the winter.
Food for thought for winter calving
- Thread starter Big Swede
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Soapweed
Well-known member
Big Swede said:
I just called F.S. to get the scoop. The cows belonged to D.O. and were calved in the lots by the big meadow south of F.S.'s house. The cows were in the corral waiting for trucks, and the calves were loaded onto stock trailers and hauled to D.O.'s main ranch. The trucks were late arriving, and couldn't get down to load because of all the rain. It may have been two days later when the pickups pulling the trailers were able to go clear around by Rosebud, Kilgore, and Cody to get the calves reunited with their mothers.
Big Swede
Well-known member
I gotcha now, I actually hadn't heard about that episode. Sounds like a real wreck.
What I do and why ;-}~
WE direct market Beef. I feel it means I need to have Beef available through the year versus calves finishing seasonally and all at once.
I sell my calves and I also get some neighbor calves I put on my pastures and feed until I sell. The majority around here turn cows onto Allotments and calve Jan/Feb time periods. Since they are supplying that group, I calve other times.
I picked May and later because the irrigated pastures I go to. I can get them on there and then start this bunch after they are out. I can really "Mineral them up" before turnout. It has worked well. I also don't have the time to winter calve.
My second group is in September/October. I feel the calves can have some size before the weather hits and this spaces them before the calves I am buying in the marketing.
Quite honestly, everyone has their own situations and preferences. I have one friend who really fights Feb calving around here. It would be worth his time to have a barn to put the close ones into IMO. These calves are worth a lot of money right now and saving every one pays IMO.
WE direct market Beef. I feel it means I need to have Beef available through the year versus calves finishing seasonally and all at once.
I sell my calves and I also get some neighbor calves I put on my pastures and feed until I sell. The majority around here turn cows onto Allotments and calve Jan/Feb time periods. Since they are supplying that group, I calve other times.
I picked May and later because the irrigated pastures I go to. I can get them on there and then start this bunch after they are out. I can really "Mineral them up" before turnout. It has worked well. I also don't have the time to winter calve.
My second group is in September/October. I feel the calves can have some size before the weather hits and this spaces them before the calves I am buying in the marketing.
Quite honestly, everyone has their own situations and preferences. I have one friend who really fights Feb calving around here. It would be worth his time to have a barn to put the close ones into IMO. These calves are worth a lot of money right now and saving every one pays IMO.
My uncle once told me the best time to calve was after the mud and before the flies.
Of course that is kind of a moving target and pretty much non- existent.
For sure as we get older we think get smarter. Or maybe just less willing to work for nothing?
An old friend of mine once told me he didn't mind working for nothing. He just didn't want to go broke doing it.
Of course that is kind of a moving target and pretty much non- existent.
For sure as we get older we think get smarter. Or maybe just less willing to work for nothing?
An old friend of mine once told me he didn't mind working for nothing. He just didn't want to go broke doing it.
High Plains
Well-known member
My partner calves our heifers in late February and cows I March. We feed out our calves and want them to finish in April to get the high April fed cattle market. This year there has been a $10/cwt. difference between the April futures and June futures for live cattle. That's how we price the fed cattle. If there weren't enough help, facilities and will-power then the system would have to change to get easier. Seems the partner's work ethic is that if you've got all day to ranch you might as well ranch all day. 8)
Big Swede
Well-known member
Your partner must be young and full of energy. I remember those days 
gcreekrch
Well-known member
Big Swede said:Your partner must be young and full of energy. I remember those days
You must be awfully bored to keep stirring the pot. :lol:
3words
Well-known member
gcreekrch said:Big Swede said:Your partner must be young and full of energy. I remember those days
You must be awfully bored to keep stirring the pot. :lol:
Thats exactly what i've been thinking!!
PureCountry
Well-known member
Well it has been a little quiet on here lately. LOL No drama or fightin.
PPRM, I'm curious why you say you don't have time to winter calve. That's not a common statement, most say the opposite because they're in the field to much to spring calve. Do you work out in the winter? Just curious.
PPRM, I'm curious why you say you don't have time to winter calve. That's not a common statement, most say the opposite because they're in the field to much to spring calve. Do you work out in the winter? Just curious.
PureCountry said:
I work out all year round ;-}. I travel with my fulltime job and spend a lot of time doing deliveries of meat 3 hours away.
My haying I have contracted out. I don't personally "farm". Even at that, my cows have to pretty much do it on their own. I have come away with two thoughts from this. I like moderate birthwts. I suspect low birthwt is just selecting for shorter gestation. Just my thot.). Also, I feel like if I stop making excuses for cows, In the long run, I stop having to make excuses for them.
Given these conditions, The one thing the cow doesn't have much control over is freezing temps. I have to take those out of the equation.
