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Author Topic: New member of the farm.  (Read 3801 times)

Offline BeeMaster2

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New member of the farm.
« on: June 27, 2017, 12:56:36 am »
We have a new baby calf born this week. He is a pure black angus bull. He is real fire cracker and keeps his mother trying to keep up with him. She was trying to graze and he keeps running ahead of her and she has to chase after him instead of it being the other way around as it is with most week old calves.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Acebird

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2017, 08:11:47 am »
Is it going to be beef or breeder?
Brian Cardinal
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2017, 04:56:29 pm »
Is it going to be beef or breeder?
I'm hoping it will be someone else's breeder one day. We have a steer that is just now finally putting on the weight. I'm looking for a trailer now to be able to take the steer to the butcher.
Jim

Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2017, 05:03:52 pm »
Right now he is out in the pasture with the herd. He has his nose down in the grass trying to figure out what the other cows are doing.
He is going to be trouble like his grandfather. His mothers father could open a hair pin type gate snap in a few seconds. He destroyed 3 12 foot gates by rubbing his head on the ends of them. I had to put a telephone pole for the open position or he would fold them up like they were made of paper.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline 220

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2017, 01:49:03 am »
We should have a few new additions starting in the next week, angus cows are due to start calving from the 1st July and dorper ewes should start lambing around 15th.
Spent 5hrs yesterday looking for 12 heifers we have kept as replacements, they weren't in the paddock they should have been. Quick check revealed a tree over the boundary fence and they had decided to go for a walk. Not a problem normally but the fence that was down borders state forest that borders more state forest and national park. Over 2 million acres for them to walk through without a fence.
Lucky they had kept pretty well to the forestry tracks so I managed to track them for over 5 miles before locating them. I don't know how far they had gone as I last saw them Sunday so they could have been out for nearly 3 days and  when I found them they were actually heading back in the direction of home.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2017, 02:23:58 pm »
Glad you were able to get them 220. That would have been a big loss.
Our other cow is getting ready to drop a calf any day now. Her milk is coming in and her tush is starting to stretch.
Our third cow would be having a calf also but she miscarriages about a month ago. It was the first time I have ever seen a cow cry real tears. She cried all day and then has not cried since. She is a good mother, has had several calves. Has anyone else ever seen a cow cry over loosing a calf. I know they will moo for about 3 days but I have never seen the tears.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline 220

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2017, 06:10:30 pm »
Still waiting for our cows to start calving, should have started early this month but nothing on the ground yet. Not overly concerned as they were all preg tested in calf. Joined for 7 weeks so looks like the bull was a bit slow getting started but we will be getting a calf or two a day once they do.
Moved the sheep last weekend, had a single lamb and a set of twins the day before they were due to start. Not unusual for them as dorpers tend to have a gestation period a little shorter than most sheep breeds. Ram was very keen to work when we joined and was working before I had even driven out of the paddock when we put him in with the ewes.
Noticed one of the lambs has both front feet rolled under, walking on it wrists. Not overly concerned as it is having no trouble keeping up with the mob, I have seen sheep and goats born previously with the same thing and it usually corrects itself. If it doesn't I will look at splinting it for a week or so,

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2017, 08:28:54 pm »
We now have 2 young bulls. I was hoping for females but oh well. We will just traded them both off for females.
220,
The reason the lambs legs have not straightened out is usually because they are larger than normal and could not straighten them out in the womb.

I just bought a 2 horse trailer. I had to weld in a new spring support bracket, replace the lights and wiring and several other items. I still have to replace all of the tire valve stems.
I really wanted a cattle trailer but I have not found one for what I am willing to pay. I will have to modify this one by changing the ramp to side doors.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline 220

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #8 on: July 18, 2017, 09:55:51 pm »
We don't transport any cattle ourselves we use contract carriers. we really only sell twice a year. All the weaners get sold at the annual local weaner sale, we usually have a full load so easy to organise. Cull cows and those that don't preg test in calf go to the weekly fat sale a bit over 100km away. Carriers often only have half a load so we can usually organise something although it might be a week or two either side of the date we were planning to sell.
Only other regular movement is bulls, we don't run any bulls we lease them for the joining period. Delivery and return is usually in the lease price.
Sheep are easy I have a crate that fits the back of my pickup, does the job for the few we transport about.

Offline 220

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #9 on: July 19, 2017, 12:40:36 am »
Miserable day today, switching between misty rain and sleet with snow predicted.
Don't know why but livestock seem to wait until foul weather to give birth, 4 calves so far since dark last night.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #10 on: July 19, 2017, 12:58:44 am »
Miserable day today, switching between misty rain and sleet with snow predicted.
Don't know why but livestock seem to wait until foul weather to give birth, 4 calves so far since dark last night.
It may be because it is harder for predictors to smell them with the rain washing the air. 
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline 220

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #11 on: July 22, 2017, 11:14:40 pm »
Latest addition born this morning, number 7

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #12 on: July 22, 2017, 11:51:48 pm »
Congratulations.
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline 220

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #13 on: August 07, 2017, 12:38:37 am »
Still waiting for around 20 cows to calve, most of the sheep have already dropped lambs on the ground.
In the shop today but have had a few customers in this morning saying it is snowing up higher where the farm is so I expect a few more calves when I check tomorrow morning.

Offline GSF

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Re: New member of the farm.
« Reply #14 on: August 10, 2017, 08:37:44 am »
Love the country life!

Living one acre at a time

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When the law no longer protects you from the corrupt, but protects the corrupt from you - then you know your nation is doomed.