Author: Leslie

February in Missouri is usually not a nice month. This year was no exception. Rain and cold temps is the worst weather combination for new calves. I would prefer snow and frozen ground instead of mud, endless mud!

When weather conditions are bad (35 degrees and under with precipitation or dry with temps in the teens or single digits) we check through the cows and heifers every four hours round the clock. Typically we check heifers more often because the birth process for a heifer takes longer, meaning a stressed calf, and heifers don’t do a good job licking the calf off. We have thermometers-simple 10 dollar Walmart thermometers – in our pockets and every new calf gets checked unless it is up and nursing. A calf’s temp should be 100 to 102 so anything lower than that comes inside to warm up. We have found out the hard way that waiting to see if the temp will come up does not work!

Cold calves are put in one of the plywood boxes in the warm garage with heat lamps on them. We give them replacement colostrum (115 IgG) with a stomach tube when they come in, we usually split it into two feedings a couple hours apart. We also dry them off with towels and a blow dryer. It can take a couple of hours or sometimes half a day for a calf’s temp to get back to 100. It all depends on the calf and what his temp was when he came in. Thermometers only register down to 89 degrees after that it reads L for low. That is not a good sign and we’ve had several of those this year. When the calf’s temp is up, he’s had colostrum, and he’s standing on his own he goes back to his mother.

We have learned how to pick up and return the calf so the cow takes the calf back every time. We let the cow lick the calf for at least 15 or 20 minutes then we slip in as calmly and quietly as possible, check his temp, pick him up if necessary and leave. Cows will stay at the spot where they last saw their calf. Sometimes they wander off, but they always come back to that spot. Taking the cow to the pen is usually a mistake because when the cow gets worked up it is hard to get her to take the calf back. Putting the calf down in the same spot will bring the cow running, especially if Mitch does his very convincing calf bawl.

I can only image what the cow is saying. Something along the line of, “Do you want to go to time out young man? I’m so glad you’re back! Don’t you ever run off with those two legged things again! Stranger danger! You’re grounded for the rest of your life!”

Or my favorite “I love you so much!”

Until next time.

Don’t forget to shut the gate!

We headed out the door at daylight to see what had happened overnight. It’s 57 degrees, an extremely balmy February morning in Missouri. Checked on the heifers first. All quiet except for the heifer walking around with her tail up and a bag of waters showing. We’ll give her some time. Time to check on the older cows. Surprise! The first set of twins. Two nice little heifer calves. We worked one and loaded the other one in the ranger. We never leave twins with a cow, even one who takes both of them, for two reasons; cows can’t count so we would have to make sure the calves stay together for a couple of weeks and it’s hard on the cow. She might raise two 400 pound calves, but she would probably be open in the fall so we let her raise one and put the other one on a nurse cow. Then we have two 600 pound calves and she will be bred next fall.

We start back through the cows and immediately spot a problem. There is a cow walking around with a calf leg sticking out of her. Two feet with the bottom of the feet pointed toward the ground and the head laying on the front legs would be a correct presentation. The bottom of this foot is pointed toward the sky meaning the calf is trying to come back legs/butt first and there is only one leg showing. This is not good.

Back to the house, put the twin in the warming box, set the gates, and grab the four wheelers. We get the cow pulled out of the pasture and to the barn as quickly and calmly as possible. Mitch gets the other leg up,chains on and hooked to the calf jack. It only takes a few minutes and we have a live calf. Time is critical with a backwards calf. The cord breaks as a calf comes out, but because he’s coming backwards he can’t breathe so you have to get him out quickly.

Back to check on the heifer. No progress there. We give her about thirty minutes and check her again. Still no progress. It’s time to see what the problem is. The heifers are in a pasture that is not easy to pull from, but she is very cooperative. In the chute we find that the calf is positioned correctly, but he is bigger than we like for a heifer. It’s a tight fit, but another live calf!

Okay, now we can go in and eat breakfast! Welcome to calving season where you never know what might happen.

Until next time.

Don’t forget to close the gate!

It’s snowing! When you are a kid the words “snow day” means no school, sled rides, snowball fights, snowmen and snow ice cream. When you are an adult “snow day” means slick roads, melting snow on the floor, wet coats and gloves, frozen car doors, and trying to keep the kids entertained in between forays out into the snow. When you are a rancher or a cow it means cold and wet.

Cattle handle cold really well. They put their heavy coats on in the fall and don’t take them off until spring. They are equipped for the cold, but Missouri weather is known for it’s rapid and extreme changes. Image if you had to wear your heavy coat outside on one of those beautiful 65 degree winter days that we had recently. Those days are harder on cattle than a really cold January day, but snow means wet and being wet means the cows need extra energy to stay warm.

We figure how much hay the cows need by their weight. Since we can’t weigh each cow or each bale of hay we have to use estimates and experience to come up with the right amount. We estimate that the average weight of the cows is 1200. 1200 x 3% = 36 lbs. Again estimating that each bale weighs 1200 lbs Mitch will unroll 9 big bales for this set of 276 cows. On a cold wet day he will add a bale. That amount allows for waste and there will be waste. Nothing they like better than standing on their food. If tomorrow when he goes to feed there is still hay on the ground he’ll cut back a bale.

If you think your grocery bill is high just image watching these girls eat their way through 9 bales at $45 each. Every day!

As I was watching him roll out the hay I saw a cow come out of the woods late and by herself. I decided to back track her trail in the woods to see what had held her up. It looks suspicious.

This is what I found at the end of the trail. An early calf, thanks to the neighbors bull. Everything looks fine. It was a nice surprise on a snowy day and I got to take a walk through the quiet snow covered woods!

Get out and enjoy your snow days!

Until next time.

Don’t forget to close the gate!