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Weather and calving

S

Sandliserd

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
11
Well I dont know about the rest of you. I am sick and tired of this snow. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if it wouldn't get so dad blasted cold at night. Have been calving and have to doctor for phnumonia.
 
As long as the snow is all melted and gone by the middle of April I'll be happy. It's supposed to be cold in the winter don't you know? I'm just messin' with you, I know what it's like to calve in this crap and I don't envy you one bit. Spring will be here on March 21st, at least by the calender anyway. :roll:
 
We've been awful lucky here. Hasn't got below about -20C (0F?) at night for about 3 weeks, and warms up to around -5C during the day. Sure makes for an enjoyable winter for sure.
 
Much the same here Silver - what a beautiful winter compared to last year! That said we need a serious amount more moisture before grass time. We have had no significant snow since Christmas.
 
Sandliserd said:
Well I dont know about the rest of you. I am sick and tired of this snow. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if it wouldn't get so dad blasted cold at night. Have been calving and have to doctor for phnumonia.
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two options....start calving later or get use to it. :wink:
 
Justin said:
Sandliserd said:
Well I dont know about the rest of you. I am sick and tired of this snow. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if it wouldn't get so dad blasted cold at night. Have been calving and have to doctor for phnumonia.
Click to expand...

two options....start calving later or get use to it. :wink:
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As blunt as that is, I simply can't find a hole in the idea.

There is only one person to blame when a herd starts calving in February, the way I see it, and that is the person who turned the bull in when they did.

I know, I know, one time in the 70's there was a big ol' snowstorm that came through in May and it was the worst thing we've ever seen. I've heard it 100 times. The law of averages simply states that temperatures are warmer the later into the spring we get. With the exception of the aformentioned freak storm, a person's chances of having trouble free calving are greatly increased when temperatures are condusive to it.

I cannot think of any single concept that can eliminate grief and expenses easier and faster and less expensive than moving calving dates back.

I have done it both ways and can I assure you that I will never go back to calving in Winter. I am a simple man, but I cannot get my head around fighting nature.

That's how I see it. :tiphat:
 
AMEN Brother! However, a person can't be convinced of these things that you speak of. He must decide for him or herself that it makes sense to make the switch. The funny thing is as bad as last March and April storms were, this year could be worse, yet people still turned bulls out at the same time as the year before. To each his own I guess. Some guys are set up for it and don't seem to mind all the work. The ones that aren't set up for the worst that Mother Nature can dish out are the ones I wonder about.
 
I guess I would rather drage calves to the barn when it is frosen. Than try to drage them through the mud and snow. :roll:
 
I gotta agree with ya! But, sometimes frozen ground and snow beats mud, spring rains and the such. Scours pops up a little more later too. Atleast out here. Without saying I'm right, I do think if ya calve in February it has its benefits when your set up for it. Sheds, windbreaks, brush, any kind of cover. Adding pounds in the fall make happy wives with bigger calf checks! :wink: Our last two mortality rates for Feb. calving dates are 100% of better counting twins. Knock on wood! :D But whatever butters your bread boys! :wink:
 
With all due respect, gentlemen..........I do not drag calves to the shed. I could not care less about cover. I do not have scours in the herd. I do not wean 300 lb. calves. I do not wean in October. I do not have an upset wife, either. I do not feed hay at anytime of the year, with very, very few exceptions. I do not have to dip into my yearling check to pay for hay.

The above list slathers butter all over my bread, I must admit!

H, I don't want to come across as thinking that my way is the only way, either. However, there are few things in life that I am absolutely convinced about, and this is one of them. Calving later than most is far and away the wisest switch I have ever made.
 
So, if a guy wanted life real easy, why ranch in the first place? Wouldn't it be simpler to sell out, or lease a place out, move to town, and either get a dignified job or go on welfare? :wink: :-)
 
Soapweed said:
So, if a guy wanted life real easy, why ranch in the first place? Wouldn't it be simpler to sell out, or lease a place out, move to town, and either get a dignified job or go on welfare? :wink: :-)
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sounds like a hell of a plan, thanks Soapweed. :D

i'm outta here...... :wink:
 
Soapweed said:
So, if a guy wanted life real easy, why ranch in the first place? Wouldn't it be simpler to sell out, or lease a place out, move to town, and either get a dignified job or go on welfare? :wink: :-)
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Or, calve a little later! :lol: :tiphat:
 
For the life of me I can't understand why there is so much criticism of folks who calve a little early here on this board. Seems to me if a fella has the drive and ambition to calve in Feb. then kudo's to him. I don't believe there is a person on here including myself that wont complain about the weather from time to time regardless of the time of year. That's a perogative of those of us who work on the land.
The most successful operator I know calves in Feb. and averages nearly 800 lbs weaning weights around the first of Nov. His losses aren't any different than a summer calver and he doesn't have the expense of wintering then grassing them that most of us do to make those weights. It just happens that he's willing to put the time and effort in to do it year after year. So I say congrats to him. I'm not that ambitious however, and may bump my calving season up to Apr. 1 or so next year :wink:
 

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