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Spring Blizzard

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
Oldtimer said:
Now I see they are predicting another wet spring snowstorm coming off the west coast about this weekend- but think this one will miss us- and take its normal course across southern MT, WY, SD, NB and the midwest...

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/47442/snow-threats-to-continue-beyon-1.asp
Click to expand...

I hope so, BRING IT ON!!! :D. We could really use the moisture :wink: .
 
Oldtimer said:
I Luv Herfrds said:
OT is that Gary delivering up there?

3words at 3am this morning I checked our first group of cows. Nothing going on that I could see. Went to the barn and checked the next group, took around 15 minutes. By the time I got to the first group one old cow had slicked out a calf and it was sliding down the hill and into a snow bank.
Got them into the barn, calf was pretty chilled so she went into the hot box.
Click to expand...

Joe from Billings WR... Yep in these wet storms it doesn't take long for a calf to get chilled.... I'd love to have a barn big enough to house them all in before or even when they calve-- but just don't have it... I had a room set up to warm them with a propane industrial space heater-- but it just doesn't do the job drying them out like a hot box...And I was always worried about fires with that heater....For years I warmed a lot of calves under the pickup heater....

I don't think I or anyone I've talked to can remember a winter/spring like this one...
Now I see they are predicting another wet spring snowstorm coming off the west coast about this weekend- but think this one will miss us- and take its normal course across southern MT, WY, SD, NB and the midwest...

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/47442/snow-threats-to-continue-beyon-1.asp
Click to expand...

That makes sense,i guess i'm just use to all the guys that use to calve around here all had barn.We would bring in the cows that we thought would calve that night,and then we had pens to put the pairs in for the night.Now that i got my camera system i calve everything outside,doesn't matter if it is minus 40 out or not.The only time i do calve in the barn now is snow storms.
 
3words said:
Oldtimer said:
I Luv Herfrds said:
OT is that Gary delivering up there?

3words at 3am this morning I checked our first group of cows. Nothing going on that I could see. Went to the barn and checked the next group, took around 15 minutes. By the time I got to the first group one old cow had slicked out a calf and it was sliding down the hill and into a snow bank.
Got them into the barn, calf was pretty chilled so she went into the hot box.
Click to expand...

Joe from Billings WR... Yep in these wet storms it doesn't take long for a calf to get chilled.... I'd love to have a barn big enough to house them all in before or even when they calve-- but just don't have it... I had a room set up to warm them with a propane industrial space heater-- but it just doesn't do the job drying them out like a hot box...And I was always worried about fires with that heater....For years I warmed a lot of calves under the pickup heater....

I don't think I or anyone I've talked to can remember a winter/spring like this one...
Now I see they are predicting another wet spring snowstorm coming off the west coast about this weekend- but think this one will miss us- and take its normal course across southern MT, WY, SD, NB and the midwest...

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/47442/snow-threats-to-continue-beyon-1.asp
Click to expand...

That makes sense,i guess i'm just use to all the guys that use to calve around here all had barn.We would bring in the cows that we thought would calve that night,and then we had pens to put the pairs in for the night.Now that i got my camera system i calve everything outside,doesn't matter if it is minus 40 out or not.The only time i do calve in the barn now is snow storms.
Click to expand...

what's the range on your cameras? wireless? low lite? thanks!
 
3words said:
Oldtimer said:
I Luv Herfrds said:
OT is that Gary delivering up there?

3words at 3am this morning I checked our first group of cows. Nothing going on that I could see. Went to the barn and checked the next group, took around 15 minutes. By the time I got to the first group one old cow had slicked out a calf and it was sliding down the hill and into a snow bank.
Got them into the barn, calf was pretty chilled so she went into the hot box.
Click to expand...

Joe from Billings WR... Yep in these wet storms it doesn't take long for a calf to get chilled.... I'd love to have a barn big enough to house them all in before or even when they calve-- but just don't have it... I had a room set up to warm them with a propane industrial space heater-- but it just doesn't do the job drying them out like a hot box...And I was always worried about fires with that heater....For years I warmed a lot of calves under the pickup heater....

I don't think I or anyone I've talked to can remember a winter/spring like this one...
Now I see they are predicting another wet spring snowstorm coming off the west coast about this weekend- but think this one will miss us- and take its normal course across southern MT, WY, SD, NB and the midwest...

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/47442/snow-threats-to-continue-beyon-1.asp
Click to expand...

That makes sense,i guess i'm just use to all the guys that use to calve around here all had barn.We would bring in the cows that we thought would calve that night,and then we had pens to put the pairs in for the night.Now that i got my camera system i calve everything outside,doesn't matter if it is minus 40 out or not.The only time i do calve in the barn now is snow storms.
Click to expand...

This is not our normal weather...Usually it's 50 degrees and the cows are grazing the hay meadows and stubble fields by now.. A lot of winters the cows can graze most/all the winter...We may get a spring storm- but it only lasts a day or two and then gone...And the wet snow ones like last week usually go south of us....This has been an extremely unusual winter...Just storm after storm after storm-- with record amounts of snowfall....I think we are approaching 9 foot of snowfall for the year now... (106 inches)...

And years ago we did calve later- when we calved at the north place on the summer pasture- never turned bulls out til the 4th of July....But that is 40 miles away and no one lives there anymore- and actually we lost more calves in a first week of May spring storm than we did any other year... And that 40 miles closer to the border usually means that country melts off weeks after we do down here on the bottom...
 
3words normally if we can we get the cows into our barn and let them calve there.
Trouble here like OT said is snow storms. We had a couple of melts, but the gates leading to our corrals are frozen in blocks of ice and the cows won't walk on the ice.

I tried to get one cow in that was in labor a couple days ago and nothing I did would get her near a different gate.
finally gave up and just got them in after she had the calf.

I did design our dream barn and I really wish we had it now. Got my milk cow and her calf in the barn and a heifer that had to have a c-section. lost a calf that was born yesterday because the cow laid down on it in the pen they were in.
 
Range during the day i can easily see a 1/4 mile 360 degree's and tell you if there is a cow calving in the field where i feed.I put the cows in the corral for night,pen is around 150 feet wide by 400 feet long and during the the night i can see every cow in there does not matter on where there location,and tell you exactly what she is doing,just as if i was standing behind her in person.Yes it is wireless.As for lighting in the corral,it works the best if all the lights are turned off at night in the corral.The darker the better,camera has infared.The neighbour and i decided to buy these camera systems at the same time,now that we know exactly what these camera systems are capable of.If our camera systems went down,there would be new ones ordered right away,and if we weren't able to buy them anymore,we would sell our cows instead of going back to calving the old way.
 
I can't even imagine that much snow,it must be really frustrating already :mad: .I sure hope your weather turns around soon and you get rid of all that white stuff!! I would imagine with all that snow,you guys are going to have some serious flooding this year?
 
3words said:
I can't even imagine that much snow,it must be really frustrating already :mad: .I sure hope your weather turns around soon and you get rid of all that white stuff!! I would imagine with all that snow,you guys are going to have some serious flooding this year?
Click to expand...

Milk River is running bank full- and is predicted to have a first crest tomorrow- just above flood stage... This cold weather has slowed melt so it may get a chance to drop some before it warms up enough about Mon/Tues to start again...

Before this last wet storm we thought we would avoid most of the flooding as south of the river had gotten a good melt and the creeks had already ran a lot out-- but now- who knows? Nothing has ran from north of the river yet...

And I know that when the snow finally goes up north- I'm going to have a bunch of fence to fix on the creek crossings.... As deep as the snow was- probably be broken wire and downed fence everywhere...
 
Snowing here again.
*sigh*

Almost had the Missouri River in the town and the Marias River tore up a bunch of trees and took out some banks with the ice jam.
pretty nasty looking.
The areas where some melting has happened have had flooding.
 
gcreekrch said:
OT, are there any records of the killer winter of 1906-07 to compare the winter you are having now?
Click to expand...

I think this record snowfall goes back further than that- but I know a gal that is the boss lady at the local NOAA- so I will find out....

Snowing here again- blowing again-drifting again... Temp is holding pretty steady at 20 degrees...Our county road is drifted shut a couple miles from the house- and my road is getting kind of tough getting thru...I almost got stuck on the last cow check when I spotted a new calf in the spotlight- and stopped right in the middle of the drift..

Stupid heifer- dropped her calf right in the trees next to a pond which is now solid ice....And naturally the calf apparently slid down onto the ice- and was just lying their flopping because he couldn't get any footing...Lucky it thru its head up or I never would have saw it... Then I about knocked myself out when I ran into a tree limb that I didn't see while dragging him off the ice... He earned a night in the calf warmer now...
This nasty weather isn't predicted to break until Mon/Tues...

I may be ready for a toddy about then.... :wink:
 
What kind of luck are you having with the mothers taking the calves back after they are warmed in that kind of weather. When we had that kind of weather a few years back many guys had trouble with the cows claiming their own calves after being warmed, The cows were just to worn out frm the snow and cold to care.
 
Oldtimer said:
gcreekrch said:
OT, are there any records of the killer winter of 1906-07 to compare the winter you are having now?
Click to expand...

I think this record snowfall goes back further than that- but I know a gal that is the boss lady at the local NOAA- so I will find out....

Snowing here again- blowing again-drifting again... Temp is holding pretty steady at 20 degrees...Our county road is drifted shut a couple miles from the house- and my road is getting kind of tough getting thru...I almost got stuck on the last cow check when I spotted a new calf in the spotlight- and stopped right in the middle of the drift..

Stupid heifer- dropped her calf right in the trees next to a pond which is now solid ice....And naturally the calf apparently slid down onto the ice- and was just lying their flopping because he couldn't get any footing...Lucky it thru its head up or I never would have saw it... Then I about knocked myself out when I ran into a tree limb that I didn't see while dragging him off the ice... He earned a night in the calf warmer now...
This nasty weather isn't predicted to break until Mon/Tues...

I may be ready for a toddy about then.... :wink:
Click to expand...

You might be ready for several between now and then. :wink:

Sorry about your harsh winter and monumental amounts of snow. It sure makes the life of a cowboy difficult. Cheer yourself with the thoughts of all that green grass that will be waving in the gentle breezes of May.
 
gcreekrch said:
OT, are there any records of the killer winter of 1906-07 to compare the winter you are having now?
Click to expand...

I chatted with the Weather gal- and she said these current records go back to 1916... She said most measurements prior to that were pretty hit and miss- with no consistency for record keeping...But she is going to check to see if their is anything on record for 1906-07....
 
Larrry said:
What kind of luck are you having with the mothers taking the calves back after they are warmed in that kind of weather. When we had that kind of weather a few years back many guys had trouble with the cows claiming their own calves after being warmed, The cows were just to worn out frm the snow and cold to care.
Click to expand...

So far good...I've been bringing in the calves in in a sled- usually behind the 4-wheeler and most mommas have followed me right up to the barn- and I just corral them next to or in the barn (if I have room) while their baby is warming...

The heifer last night followed me right to the barn- but then got distracted by another bellering cow and took off...But this morning after I took the calf out of the warmer after about 8 hours being in it- I corraled her- and as soon as the calf let out a beller she was all over him licking him- and he was ready to get a full tummy....

Something I do with all the new calves we warm is give them a tube of that Nursemate ASAP either when I stick them in the warmer- or under the pickup heater... To me it seems it gives them a quick shot of energy- and really makes them ready to suck when they are strong enough..
 
Were probably having a more normal winter is all up here-I have a picture of a mare with a new foal in April/1972 and way more snow than usual. It is getting tedious though-we start calving at the Waldorf in a couple weeks just getting a plan of action in place in case it doesn't break much by then. We have a bunch of stockpiled grass that is under refrigeration at the home place-it all will come out in the wash just wait and see.
 
Larrry we have also had good luck with our warmer. Had a cow the other night just stand there staring at the warming box while her calf was in there.

we give ours Nursemate as soon as we get them out of the box.
stuff tastes pretty bad. Sweet, but bad. :wink:
wish the caps would come off easier.
 

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