pics from maine

[PATB]

picture of current herd bull bred 30 plus animals since 12/24/10

hay feeder/transporter picture taken in december

 

[Anonymous]

Looks about as white as our country....One thing about those black cows- they're easy to find in winters like this :wink:

 

[Ben H]

But Pat, you can't do that here...

Here's a couple more Maine pics

1/15/2011 Yearlings bale grazing

12/28/2010 Cow/Calf group the day after a Nor' Easter

 

[PATB]

Ben

The weather dictates how much of this I can do. The ground froze before snowfall and we have had no major snow storms with 12 plus inches of snow. The frost free waters we installed last fall are the key to keeping the cows in this area. I am hoping to be able to continue feeding in different areas all winter as it will improve my grazing in future years.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

It's pretty neat that all the ranchers, I mean both the ranchers,I mean Pat and Ben from Maine post here.

Those cattle look do be doing great, getting the cattle out of yards and using that natural shelter will sure help spread the nutrients around and should help the grass produce.
Again low cost producers, producing healthy well cared for livestock.

 

[per]

I would love to have a few of those trees out here on the flats. Things look pretty good there. What kind of snow pack can you expect?

 

[Anonymous]

I would love to have a few of those trees out here on the flats.

Thats the first thing I thought too..

 

[burnt]

I would love to have a few of those trees out here on the flats. Things look pretty good there. What kind of snow pack can you expect?

So what is stopping you from planting a bunch of shelterbelts? Ya, I know, I just exposed my ignorance of things western . . .

 

[PATB]

I am looking to remove another 30 acres of trees and convert it to mainiac pasture. I envy your large expanses of open ground with no trees.

Per This has been a light snow year so far, most years we have 2 plus feet of snow cover. We have been lucky so far with the noreaster's (storm that comes from the gulf of maine with 25 plus knot winds out of north east and plenty of moisture) that there has not been major snow event 12 plus inches with major drifting.

There is no way to stock pile forage to be grazed thru the winter do to lack of land base and snow cover. Since I have to feed the cows hay for 5 months they can be raising a calf during that time and provide me with stocker cattle for spring grass. Our normal hay/haylage has enough nutrients to supply a lactating cow without supplements besides mineral.

some more pictures from this afternoon heat checking. I like to record when animals get bred if possible.

possible next herdsire, 004 grandson mated to a 004 daughter tracing back to 4 of the foundation females.

several yearling heifers

calfs

 

[bverellen]

Are those Marshmellows? :wink:

Cattle look good.

bart. †

 

[PATB]

Yes the white plastic cover haylage bales are called marshmellows by some. Some folks single rap dry hay into long rows with a inline bale wrapper.

 

[per]

I would love to have a few of those trees out here on the flats. Things look pretty good there. What kind of snow pack can you expect?

So what is stopping you from planting a bunch of shelterbelts? Ya, I know, I just exposed my ignorance of things western . . .

Thin black soil with tight gumbo clay below. Some areas can grow decent trees and some cannot. We plant them where it is conducive. Our foothills has deep black loamier soil where the trees grow more than we want. It averages out I suppose. :? The grass is always greener somewhere else. PATB likes the idea of big open spaces. So do I but a few trees on a miserable windy -20 day look pretty appealing. Looks like a nice set up PATB and those little ones are pretty cute.

 

[PATB]

I would love to have a few of those trees out here on the flats. Things look pretty good there. What kind of snow pack can you expect?

So what is stopping you from planting a bunch of shelterbelts? Ya, I know, I just exposed my ignorance of things western . . .

Thin black soil with tight gumbo clay below. Some areas can grow decent trees and some cannot. We plant them where it is conducive. Our foothills has deep black loamier soil where the trees grow more than we want. It averages out I suppose. :? The grass is always greener somewhere else. PATB likes the idea of big open spaces. So do I but a few trees on a miserable windy -20 day look pretty appealing. Looks like a nice set up PATB and those little ones are pretty cute.

I rotate the area the cows are fed according to the weather nasty winds or storms the cows are fed close to house in the tree shelter areas.

Per you should try some eastern white pine for shelter belts it grows in some pretty poor soil here. The only challenge may be lack of moisture.

 

[Ben H]

Pat, I was being sarcastic. It's other people who say "you can't do that here." What you're doing is very similar to what I am. I often put a weeks worth of feed out at a time, but limit access to 2.5-3 days worth at a time with polywire. That way I can feed them without starting a tractor before/after work.

The wrapped bales in the pictures from the other post are balage. When I feed without the tractor, I cut the plastic around the base of the bale leaving plastic under the bale. When I do the next feeding I pick that piece up, the cows leave it alone and it is all in one piece with a little hay on top of it.

The picture from my other post shows the cows shelter for the winter. I took the following picture this afternoon as I was leaving the field after feeding. It's the same group as the picture with the pines.

To the left you'll see the next feedings "marshmellos," they have polywire around them for now.

This is their water source, enough flow to not freeze.

 

[BlackCattleRancher]

Looks like some fairly young calves. How do you keep the ears on them?

I had an "accident" calf arrive around Christmas, and have had the pair up at an open barn with bedding. It has been cold a few nights, but I figured having a bedded barn would work well, but the little fellar's ears are already shrinking in size.

 

[Faster horses]

I know one thing for sure, calves ears freeze inside a metal barn
(not insulated) when they would be fine in a wooden barn.

 

[Anonymous]

Looks like some fairly young calves. How do you keep the ears on them?

I had an "accident" calf arrive around Christmas, and have had the pair up at an open barn with bedding. It has been cold a few nights, but I figured having a bedded barn would work well, but the little fellar's ears are already shrinking in size.

I've never had a problem with a calfs ears freezing once they get all dryed off good... Sounds like he may have had his nipped before you found him- or they didn't get dried good...

I was just going thru junk today in the closet and found a roll of wide duct tape I'd bought for taping ears to the head....If the weather pattern stays the way it has been with a storm every 2-3 days- I might need it and and a whole bunch more this spring...

 

[PureCountry]

Have to ask what makes you calve in fall?

 

[PATB]

Have to ask what makes you calve in fall?

PROFIT I have a sweet market for heavy weight feeders in the fall in a very limit marketing opportunity area. The market for lite weight calves (sub 500 lb) stinks at best in the fall and winter in this area. We have far fewer weather and sickness challenges with fall calfs then winter or spring born calves. It also fits better with my haying enterprise. The majority of the hay that I put up meets or exceeds the requirements of nursing cows. The low quality hay is used as supplement for the spring and fall pastures when the grass is extremely washy.

I am convinced that the nursing cows are not consuming more $ worth of hay than a bunch of lite weight calves eating top quality second cut hay or haylage as they are carried thru the winter for the spring market. I can wean the calves when we get the July/august pasture slump.

I know it is opposite to what is preached by some but it works in my case.

 

[PureCountry]

I know it is opposite to what is preached by some but it works in my case.

Then that's all that matters. :wink: