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I’m not much of a cowboy, our small cow herd is an afterthought relative to our dirt farming operation. There are a few small pastures on ground we own or rent that aren’t fit to farm, so we’ve always had 50-60 mama cows. If there is a problem with the cows, I call a vet as I’m pretty worthless on my own. I had never kept back any of my own heifers until the last couple years. My father-in-law died and my wife inherited a few cows, so I’ve been keeping heifers from his cows to carry on his blood lines just for sentimental reasons. So here I am calving heifers going into the coldest 7 day forecast I can remember, and now my wife, one of two daughters, and I have tested positive for Covid in the last 2 days. So far pretty mild symptoms for us. If my cows go early at all, they could start before we get back up close to normal temps as well. Just thinking about what could happen in the next week makes me want to sell all the cows right now. I know we aren’t nearly as cold us you northern guys, but we’re not prepared for negative temps during calving in any way.

Hopefully you'll all have a light case of covid and calves will drop with no problems or need for assistance.

I got all out of whack the last couple of years on when my cows would calve. We have been doing some fencing projects the past couple of years, and had not had a place to take the bull out of the herd, so just left him in, and the calves began to come earlier each year. Since the first of the year all but two have calved, but we've had good weather up until now. The other cows aren't due until April, which is ideal for me.

Hopefully, I've remedied the situation, as we've loaned the bull to a neighbor and won't breed back as early this year as we've been doing. Cold weather and baby calves are a bad combination.

I know about caving troubles, we lost forty calves in two years. The Best of luck with it!

What is the reasoning on calving in February? High weaning weights?

Forty calves in two years, that is a whack in the pocketbook!
Weather related?

Folks here have calves dropping all the time and some hit the bad spells of weather like we are having now.
Course it is kinda like spring weather up Nort!

I calve in late February because March is often very busy farming time and I don’t want to be messing with cows while we’re busy in the field. I’ve been breeding my heifers for Feb 1 to give them a few extra weeks before breeding back. If we’re not busy farming in March, it’s usually because we’re wet. My uncle calves in late January and early February because he says he’s lost more calves in cool wet conditions than cold and dry. Our average high/ low temps for today are 47/25. I have an open sided barn to put a few in when temps are colder, but when the forecast is to be single digit highs for several days, windy and snow, with a low of -14, that barn is not going to save a calf. I guess it’s all in what you’re used to and prepared for. The Covid is certainly adding to my anxiety. I’m now 3 days into Covid symptoms. Still mild, but I’m afraid of making it worse by being out and working much in such cold weather. I was out and about for 2.5 hours this morning, but laying in bed now. Good luck to everyone else out working in this weather.

Lewis, Bad April weather. Late season blizzards. cold mud snow. One Sunday we had 12 calves in the house at once.

Holy [bleep] . Not near the environment you are but this year we're pretty cold here I've got a hundred on the ground basically since the first of the year 6 weeks or less old lost2 both kind of my fault because I knew they weren't getting probably as much milk for mamas they should but hoping it would work out and that didn't

We've started calving in late April since 1984. cold may rain can be bad enough.

Imo 35 to 40 degree cold rain will kill more calves from hypothermia and you will freezing to death when it's cold. Around here the last few years I started January one is Target day not lost a calf yet for weather conditions. This year's a bit worse than most at the moment. We will see. But like I say you're a lot colder climate than we are so

If you have sheds, and bedding, and want to calve in cold weather, it can work of course.

Kenney Angus start calving in December, to have good size bulls for their March bull sale.

Well that was fun. Just back from a calving call, C-section on a heifer. It's minus 6, light snow and 14 mph breeze.

Shouldn't complain, she was in a shed with lights. The steam from her abdomen made it hard to see what I was doing. My instrument bucket had ice before I got started.

The heifer pretty much cooperated once I numbed her and we got a nice strong baby. Momma should be fine, Hope that's it for the night.

"Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowdocs!"

Good job, Doc.

I have several cows showing heavy now, right as this damned norther is coming in...

Of course.

Supposed to get down in single digits with snow and ice.

Never fails.

Anything to cows liking to calve when a low front comes in?

crc,

I hope you don't get too sick, and get over it soon, Amigo!

We try to start our spring calving late Feb. early March, our grass comes on in April so the cows milk production ramps up when the calves can start handling the heavier milk flow. Usually wet then but we try to have enough rough hay to roll out a bale or two a day (along with their good hay) for the calves to lay on. I believe they have less respiratory problems this way rather then letting them crowd up in the barns.
It sound as if you are a farming family, if so I doubt this is the worst you have faced, you'll get through it. We're halfway through February, couple more weeks we'll have this winter whipped.
God bless the farmer.