First Calf Crop

[Nebrfarmr]

Shaggy, I'll tell you my story, and you can see if it will encourage him

I had a similar experience, I was given a bottle calf, a little Herford heifer, way back when, that I raised as my first cow.   Her first calf, was a heifer, which I kept back, as a breeding heifer.  In 2 years, my cow herd had doubled to 2 head.
From that point on, I ALWAYS lost a calf, every year.   I could calve out 100 head for myself and my dad, and if a calf would die, it was one of mine.  Until I got a 3rd cow, I literally had a 50% calf crop.

Sometimes, that is just the way it is.

Also, in my experience, for some reason, the early calving heifers, and the late calving heifers, are the ones that are most likely to lose one.   I think the early ones, are smaller, and maybe not so hardy in the cold (or maybe just born earlier makes them more likely to be born in a cold snap).

Tell him not to be discouraged, that you know of a guy who had a 50% calf crop, for 2-3 years in a row, and he's still kickin'.

Neb.

[bikinkawboy]

When you raise livestock, you're going to lose little ones, there's no way around it.  You can't save every one and not everyone should be saved.  My mom has raised dairy goats for 48 years and with attention and her mixture of cheap whiskey, raw eggs and honey, she can save every kid born.  True, she has gotten a few drunk at one time or another, but anyway, even though she can save all, the weak ones end up dying later in the season.  Especially for first timers, breeding them to calve later when the weather is warmer will give the calf a better chance of getting up and nursing before it freezes to death.

Several years ago we had some New Zealand livestock producers touring Missouri and at one central MO farm, the owner was talking about the difficulties encountered when calving occurs during a blizzard.  One of the Kiwis replied, "We don't have blizzards, but if we did, I darn sure wouldn't breed to calve during one."  That's a bit extreme, but there's certainly merit to calving when the weather stands a better chance of being nice.  People like to calve early to get bigger calves come fall, but for every calf you lose due to cold weather, that's 500-800 pounds of calf weight the remaining calves have to generate for you to break even.  There comes a point where it's impossible.

There's a ranch in this county with around 1,000 cows.  A couple of years ago, we had a long spell of rain, ice and snow and during that time, the ranch lost 200 newborn calves.  If they would have normally produced 1,000 calves at 700 lbs each (700,000 lbs), with only 800 calves left, each one would need to weight 875 to equal the same numbert of calf pounds come fall.   

Especially for heifers, bulls that throw small calves are the way to go.  A lot of people like to brag about the big calves they have, but I tell people that a small live calf is worth a lot more than a large dead one.  Oftentimes the really big calves are lethargic deadheads, no doubt from being cut short or oxygen during a long difficult birth.  The little ones are usually spry and up and nursing in short order.  Another thing is it's one thing to have to pull a calf from a first time heifer, but these people that have to set up camp in the barn because their cows need assistance are fools.  One guy I know had mostly Charlois at one time and he had to assist approximately 75% of the cows, which is plain crazy.  I'm not saying that's typical of Charlois, but since birthing difficulties tend to be highly heritable, this guy retaining his own replacement heifers was selecting for calving problems.  Human intervention can be the greatest enemy of profitable livestock production; left up to nature, those animals unable to calve on their own would die, eliminating their lousy genetics from the gene pool.  But when you pull the calf and save it for a replacement, you are selecting for problems.  

[Shaggy98]

Don't even recommend skipping school, like I said, he is all farmboy and would be more than willing to do it.  I'm trying to talk him into vet school after high school, but 1 thing at a time.  He's only a sophomore.  His stepdad (great guy) would be home during the daylight hours so shouldn't be an issue.  He would sleep in the barn if his mom would let him, I have no doubt he will have success with his cattle career.

I really appreciate all the input fellas, I will point him to this thread.  Who knows, maybe a future contributor.

[Nebrfarmr]

Another thing to think about, when it comes to how early/late to calve.

If you calve early, and need to feed a cow, with a calf on her for 3 months, before you go to pasture, you burn through a lot of hay.   A cow with a nursing calf, eats 1/4 to 1/3 more hay, than a cow just starting her 3rd trimester.

If you own your own pasture, you will be able to have more pairs on the same acres, or leave them there longer, as the bigger the calf, the more grass is consumed both by the cow, and the calf towards fall.

If you have cornstalks to graze, and younger calves, you can graze pairs on the stalks, it is cheap gain on the calves, and the corn they find in the field, gives them a taste for it.  If you top dress a litle corn in the bunk, they will eat quicker than calves off grass.

Lastly, if you have lighter calves, but more of them, your calf check won't be as much smaller as many think, because lighter calves bring more per pound.

Of course, it all depends on the weather.   Right now, in Nebraska, it is about 19 degrees, and windy.  This morning, when I got up, it was 12 degrees, with the wind gusting to 45+ MPH.   Maybe other places, don't get the cold/wind this late, but many places do.

[buckfarmer]

I never liked having or helping someone who had cows in the barn. I like to let her choose her location. Just keep an eye on them so they don't choose a real "bad" one, like near a ditch or in the muddy feed lot. Since no one brough this up, do most of you guys bring them into the barn for calving. When we had more cows heifers were the only ones who got a second chance. Old cows that had trouble once had trouble somewhere else the next time.

[Shaggy98]

When I was growing up, we had a small 2 acre area directly behind the barn that was right adjacent to the feeding pen. As the individual cows got closer to calving ( you can generally tell within a day or two) dad would attempt to walk them into this little pen. They could easily be run in the barn if we needed them to. We didn't waste a bunch of time, but it was generally the same critters each year. Animals are smart, they usually knew what we were doing and they just penned themselves. USUALLY

[Shaggy98]

Nephew has first calf on the ground. He had several helpers including his vet wanting to help him pull it, but the kid refused any assistance until he needed it. His first calf was also the first calf he ever pulled. His mom said he was a real trooper and we are all proud. The lost calf is nothing but a bad memory now.

[Nebrfarmr]

GREAT!!!

[buckfarmer]

Are these high dollar show cattle. I'm happy the young guy has had a successful birth. I'm concerned that he had to pull it. Did the vet who breed these heifers or whoever helped him select a bull pick one that was to big. Or is helping them calve like bringing them into the barn for your part of the country. Is it that common. I'd like to hear from people from around the country on that one.

[Shaggy98]

No not show cattle. I'm not sure of what they were bred to. I pretty sure their purebred Angus. No info as to why they pulled it.