Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living Anybody calving?

Sitting here by the fire, sipping some good Scotch and being very, very grateful that I'm not out in the blizzard pulling a calf.

Mid March start here in northeast MT.

Start early to mid February.

I'm heading to Nebraska tomorrow afternoon. How are things there now? I am headed to the Thedford area to work.

Tarkio,

Call ahead!!!

I can't speak to the weather in North Central part of the state but the Northeast got pounded. Snow of 10-15" and 40mph winds. It's supposed to warm up tommorow and Wednesday...I'd give it a day or so before I would try the roads in that part of the world.

Good luck and safe travels!

Not calving but have a few nannies that should be dropping kids soon. They were missed in the first cycle so were a little behind the main group.

It's really not hard to know when they are going to drop kids. Simply check the 10 day weather for the coldest, wettest day...and it will be that night.

will start calving the 1st. of march, about done lambing. should have about a months of rest before the calving

Shudder!

Got the wife checking all the routes for the best.

Leaving here tomorrow midday and then probably driving a good chunk of the night to get to my job on Wednesday. Client there said snw was expected to stop this am. I am assuming/hoping roads will be decent by tomorrow night.

Thedford!

If you're headed to Thedford from the south, I would recommend that you buy food, drink, books, fuel, and anything else that you might need in North Platte, since Thedford is, well, rural. If you're staying at the Roadside Inn bring ear plugs, as the Burlington Northern main line is across the street and passing coal trains are almost an hourly event. I don't know where you can buy breakfast in Thedford and the lunch and dinner options aren't all that good either.

I'd expect RT-83 to be clear by the time you get to North Platte.

We should start about March 1st.

How was your trip?

No. Thank God.


First of May.

I never was a 'big time' cattleman, but I did grow up on a farm and when I sold out, I had about 45 head all total. Reading these type threads and seeing the pics reminds me of what I did different. I'm not saying my way was any better, just different, and I realize being in the south made a lot of difference.

For instance, I preferred fall calves. Milder winters, bigger calves to sell in the fall, and plenty of hay, made it work better for me. I would put the bull in with the cows around Dec 1st and remove him about March 1st. Any cows/heifers that didn't calve by Dec. 1, meant a little extra Christmas money (only happened a few times). FWIW, I fed plenty of hay and always kept a 3 to 1 cotton seed meal and salt out for free choice feeding.

There was a thread about banding calves the other day. I banded them (my wife did too, when I was working away from home) when they were a day or 2 old, for years. But I got to noticing that those calves had more of a feminine look and didn't bring as good a price. Since I was going to work the cows in the late spring anyway, I started cutting them, at that time, and I liked it better. Call me old fashion, but I always cut calves by-the-moon (plant things by-the-moon, too).

Most of the cattlemen, where I lived, preferred spring calves, and I understand why.

Not implying my way was any better, it's just what worked for me.

Calves are starting to hit the ground now. 14 lives ones in past 2 weeks. Only 30 or more so to go...Hoping the warmer weather holds on for a bit.

At the higher elevations of WY and the higher latitudes of Montana we don't often have calves drop before mid March. Sometimes---but relatively rarely.

That would SUCK to be calving right now...

Calves should start dropping here in March during a big snow storm or ice storm.

Weather is hard to guess nine months out. We calve in late April, even that is too early some years.

That's the one advantage to having not many cows,and being in PA, is that we can bring them into the barn during the nastiest weather if needed..I prefer to leave them outside. A lot less work than carrying calves into barn and having momma on your tail wondering where you're taking her little one

Got one early one the other day...

Mine are just starting to come. This is from this morning.