Big Swede
Well-known member
Big Swede said:
Besides I've got nothing else to do this time of year!
Food for thought for winter calving
- Thread starter Big Swede
- Start date
Besides I've got nothing else to do this time of year!
Big Swede
Well-known member
Geez Steve, how old do you think I am?
OK you convinced me, I'm going back to winter calving. :lol:
OK you convinced me, I'm going back to winter calving. :lol:
Soapweed
Well-known member
Big Swede said:
What was the "rest of the story" on that flood incident? How long were those cows and calves separated before they got back together?
littlejoe
Well-known member
Soapweed said:
was there a bearded jew and big ol' wood boat involved in this deal?
Soapweed
Well-known member
littlejoe said:
Noah, there wasn't. :wink: Just a bid of bad luck that took place.
I wonder why it is that these discussion are always started by the late spring calvers? There seems to be some need within themselves to make excuses for their behavior. 
Kinda like vegans actually, you don't have to ask a spring calver when they calve, they will tell you in no time flat upon meeting one!
:shock: :lol:
Kinda like vegans actually, you don't have to ask a spring calver when they calve, they will tell you in no time flat upon meeting one!
:shock: :lol:We have discussed getting rid of the fall calving cows and going to a Feb/Mar and an May/Jun calving season. From April 1 through May 15 we are too busy with field work to spend time with cows. Not that we need to be there to babysit but I have a huge pet peeve about not having calves tagged.
Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
Silver said:I wonder why it is that these discussion are always started by the late spring calvers? There seems to be some need within themselves to make excuses for their behavior.
Kinda like vegans actually, you don't have to ask a spring calver when they calve, they will tell you in not time flat upon meeting one!
Cause we are enjoying our relaxing time not wrung out out calving in the cold..
Are getting a little testy with the lack of sleep? :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:
gcreekrch
Well-known member
Silver said:I wonder why it is that these discussion are always started by the late spring calvers? There seems to be some need within themselves to make excuses for their behavior.
Kinda like vegans actually, you don't have to ask a spring calver when they calve, they will tell you in not time flat upon meeting one!
THAT'S RIGHT! :lol:
Justin
Well-known member
Silver said:I wonder why it is that these discussion are always started by the late spring calvers? There seems to be some need within themselves to make excuses for their behavior.
Kinda like vegans actually, you don't have to ask a spring calver when they calve, they will tell you in no time flat upon meeting one!
that's only after those that calve early have already explained to you how cold and miserable calving has been and how hard they are working. :wink:
gcreekrch
Well-known member
R A said:My favorite time to calve is 1 week before the grass starts to grow...
gcreekrch
Well-known member
R A said:My favorite time to calve is 1 week before the grass starts to grow...
At this point you might need a faster horse and longer rope. Just don't come here to practice! :lol:
gcreekrch said:R A said:My favorite time to calve is 1 week before the grass starts to grow...
At this point you might need a faster horse and longer rope. Just don't come here to practice! :lol:
Ah, you already have a lot of cows and are getting more....you'll never miss them.... I just need 10 more and I'll be good for a bit as I adjust to running them...just chalk me up as a white dodge black trailer bay horse wolf.... C Thompson
Well-known member
This is usually something that I should leave alone because and especially on some topics like this only some of us can have opinions and only then if they match those of the stronger personalities in the group. I mean no offence when I give an opinion and hope it is taken in a way that is just something that is different that might be considered in the same way I came upon it myself.
However if this is really a discussion group that is interested in sharing ideas and can enjoy the different ways we do things that is what brings me here. I choose to calve later because it makes good sense for all of the reasons I listed earlier and I feel that some others can and have made strong economic arguments here as well. If we can't get our point across in a proactive way it makes no sense to take it to the next level where it makes everyone defensive. Even if the argument could be made that both methods or practices were economically even I could never go back to to winter calving just for humane reasons alone. I suppose I should apologize ahead of time for this last statement but this time of year I am still haunted by the memories of that look the cow gives you as you drag her dead frozen calf to the trash. We still have the odd calf die when we calve on grass but I usually don't have to feel as guilty because I managed to provide the best possible environment for it to happen in. Anyone that can make a good argument for winter calving versus calving on grass has likely missed their calling and should sell the farm and go to work for Big Tobacco. I am sorry I just got caught up in the moment and if this post is offensive to some I guess I am not very proactive either.
However if this is really a discussion group that is interested in sharing ideas and can enjoy the different ways we do things that is what brings me here. I choose to calve later because it makes good sense for all of the reasons I listed earlier and I feel that some others can and have made strong economic arguments here as well. If we can't get our point across in a proactive way it makes no sense to take it to the next level where it makes everyone defensive. Even if the argument could be made that both methods or practices were economically even I could never go back to to winter calving just for humane reasons alone. I suppose I should apologize ahead of time for this last statement but this time of year I am still haunted by the memories of that look the cow gives you as you drag her dead frozen calf to the trash. We still have the odd calf die when we calve on grass but I usually don't have to feel as guilty because I managed to provide the best possible environment for it to happen in. Anyone that can make a good argument for winter calving versus calving on grass has likely missed their calling and should sell the farm and go to work for Big Tobacco. I am sorry I just got caught up in the moment and if this post is offensive to some I guess I am not very proactive either.
Big Swede
Well-known member
Soapweed said:
I guess I'm out of the loop. I'm not sure who you are talking about. Give me a hint or some initials and maybe it will jog my memory. I remember that rain though.
Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
C Thompson said:
It always seems the early calvers and the Hereford guys are alway a little touchy. :wink: :lol: :lol:
You are right about this being a good place for discussion and the best we can do is share ideas. Most on here that do calve later have moved the date for a reason and those that calve early still do it for a reason. NO right or wrong at least not that somebody else can decide.
Many that do calve early have facilities to do a good job of it. Ourselves changed from a yearling operation to a cow herd so didn't have pens for 20 to 30 pairs. Where we ranch our cows run out from home and generally get more hay in the early part of my calving then they get all winter.
For some it spreads the work load by freeing up time for field work but for others it's more labor then they can handle when the weather gets bad.
But it makes for a great discussion and I'd bet some newer ranchers that might be reading this will have food for thought.
Big Muddy rancher said:C Thompson said:
It always seems the early calvers and the Hereford guys are alway a little touchy. :wink: :lol: :lol:
You are right about this being a good place for discussion and the best we can do is share ideas. Most on here that do calve later have moved the date for a reason and those that calve early still do it for a reason. NO right or wrong at least not that somebody else can decide.
Many that do calve early have facilities to do a good job of it. Ourselves changed from a yearling operation to a cow herd so didn't have pens for 20 to 30 pairs. Where we ranch our cows run out from home and generally get more hay in the early part of my calving then they get all winter.
For some it spreads the work load by freeing up time for field work but for others it's more labor then they can handle when the weather gets bad.
But it makes for a great discussion and I'd bet some newer ranchers that might be reading this will have food for thought.
Well said BMR
bearvalley
Well-known member
I figured out why Gcreek calves in April.
April in Anahim Lake is like January/ February anywhere else in the world other than Siberia. :wink:
April in Anahim Lake is like January/ February anywhere else in the world other than Siberia. :wink:
Big Swede
Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:C Thompson said:
It always seems the early calvers and the Hereford guys are alway a little touchy. :wink: :lol: :lol:
You are right about this being a good place for discussion and the best we can do is share ideas. Most on here that do calve later have moved the date for a reason and those that calve early still do it for a reason. NO right or wrong at least not that somebody else can decide.
Many that do calve early have facilities to do a good job of it. Ourselves changed from a yearling operation to a cow herd so didn't have pens for 20 to 30 pairs. Where we ranch our cows run out from home and generally get more hay in the early part of my calving then they get all winter.
For some it spreads the work load by freeing up time for field work but for others it's more labor then they can handle when the weather gets bad.
But it makes for a great discussion and I'd bet some newer ranchers that might be reading this will have food for thought.
That's a good point BMR, the young guys reading can learn from us old guys that have made all the mistakes.
I remember one of the last years I calved in March it was one of those cold, wet, snowy months with a blizzard about every 5 or 6 days. It was 25 below on the 25th of March. We were getting 25 calves a day, putting them all in the barn, but you only have so much space so as soon as they sucked you had to kick them out. We all know how hard it is to push a calf out of a warm barn into snow up to their belly. The weather was just too tough for some of those poor little suckers and we lost some of them after all that work plus the real tragedy was was the ones that froze their back feet that I had to shoot later. Yeah boy that was ranching. At that point I was pretty sure there had to be a better way.