Night Calving

[Dakota Plainsman]

The only difference I've seen with feeding in the afternoon is that the cows walk more of their feed into the mud. We feed on the frost in the morning and the majority of our calves are born in daylight hours. Also if there is a breakdown I can repair it in the daylight and not be finishing feeding at midnight.

I'm with you gc. IF I didn't start feeding till late afternoon, I would be feeding in the mud and working till late nite. Then if something would go wrong I'd be working all nite. I won't argue that the practice of feeding late doesn't cause more daylight calves. I'm just not sure the benefits are worth the trouble for me.

I was thinking along the same lines for the way I'm set up to calve.
The way my luck goes, I start feeding on hard ground and end up fininshing on mud. With breakdowns, barn chores, and all, I could
start feeding on mud and finish on hard ground. I have always fed
in early mornings and at night, brings the heavys into a smaller lot
by the barns, leaving the new pairs in the bigger erea, for the just in
case problems, easier to get in if I have too. The next morning, move
sorted pairs to there new area and turn the heavys back out. Easy way
of pairing out for me.

 

[movin' on]

I have no idea since my cows are able to eat all the grass that they want to, at any time of the day or night, for the month leading up to their calving. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Big Swede]

I agree with you movin' on. I really don't care anymore what time of day my cows calve. It's kind of up to them. :wink: