# Wehner Homestead 2019 Calving



## Wehner Homestead (Jan 17, 2019)

Calving on the Homestead starts soon. The first two are due Feb 11. 

Our Calving schedule for this year:
2/11Georgia (Grand Fortune)
         Gatlin (Destiny) 
2/19Maxine (MWJ) 
2/23Scarlett (Grand Fortune) 
2/25 Maddie (Loaded for Bear) 
2/28Ember (Destiny) 
3/1 Bailey (Dakota Gold) 
3/5 Sydney (approx Otis) 
3/23Bailey (Dakota Gold)
4/1 Dolly (approx Otis) 
4/15Bailey (Fred) 
4/18Melody (Fred) 
5/2 Mabel (Fred) 

Open: Maizy, Moxie, Josie
         Mya (not ours but living at our house) 

Georgia and Gatlin are due first. Both didn’t calve last year. Gatlin is Georgia’s second calf so we can’t wait to see what she produces. (Sydney is also a Georgia daughter-her first calf, we also retained.) 

Georgia (this will be here fifth time Calving...she’s huge! A heifer from this breeding would be an answer to prayer!) 



 

Gatlin (this will be her first Calving. Just praying for an uneventful delivery with a healthy dam and calf.)


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## Rammy (Jan 17, 2019)

Good luck! Georgia is one big A cow. Gatlin looks more the size of mine. Looks like your going to be busy regardless.


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## Latestarter (Jan 17, 2019)




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## Wehner Homestead (Jan 24, 2019)

Melody was in standing heat on Saturday. Talk about frustrating. She’s not a successful AI option either. Combine that with her vaginal prolapse this past year and she will be headed down the road. Crazy weather next week means that we will put it off for a few weeks but can’t afford to keep them around if they aren’t earning their keep. 

On a more positive note, I saw Georgia quite well while doing chores this morning. She’s not due until 2/11 so around 3 more weeks. She’s huge! No vulva swelling or notable udder filling yet.


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## Latestarter (Jan 24, 2019)

Man... she looks like a rhino or hippo as wide as she is and low to the ground... Twin bull calves?


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## Mini Horses (Jan 24, 2019)

Is that Georgia emulating the adjacent roll of hay??  I believe she swallowed one already!   Do not let her step on a foot.


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## Wehner Homestead (Jan 25, 2019)

@Latestarter we actually want a single heifer or twin heifer calves. She grows her calves big so we shall see. Very excited though!


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## Mini Horses (Jan 25, 2019)

Wehner Homestead said:


> or twin heifer calves.



  LOTTERY WIN !!!   


Yeah, I know you know.....  Just NO gonads!!!!


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## Latestarter (Jan 25, 2019)

Oh... Well then... Here's hoping it's twin heifers! I thought most folks wanted bulls to make steers for sale, but I guess if you intend to continue their line/increase herd size, you need a heifer or two in there as well.


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## Wehner Homestead (Jan 25, 2019)

Latestarter said:


> Oh... Well then... Here's hoping it's twin heifers! I thought most folks wanted bulls to make steers for sale, but I guess if you intend to continue their line/increase herd size, you need a heifer or two in there as well.



This is a very planned out breeding...if sexed female semen was available, you could bet that’s what we would’ve used! 

Trying to get several amazing females to raise Show calves for the kids. It’s been a project. There’s not a female bovine on this farm that we paid any more than market value for. We’ve used AI and good herd bulls to breed up. Definitely quite close to being “there.”


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## Wehner Homestead (Feb 1, 2019)

DH reported yesterday that Gatlin has started udder development. She could go in five days but isn’t “due” for 10 days. This will be her first calf so we are on extra alert.


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## Wehner Homestead (Feb 3, 2019)

A few pics for y’all from cow checks a few minutes ago...

A few different angles of Gatlin. She’s due 2/11. First Calving.



 

 

 

Georgia (Gatlin’s dam is due the same day.) This is the one that was HUGE in a prior pic. 


 


 
Georgia has another daughter, Sydney, due later. The first pic is Georgia is the foreground and Sydney in the background enjoying the sun. The second pic is just Syd.


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## Wehner Homestead (Feb 20, 2019)

I’m way behind on this thread. It’ll take me several posts to catch up. 

On 2/6, Georgia (due 2/11) was found to have a calf presenting incorrectly. She hadn’t been pushing long but the calf was not in the dive position and was coming head first with both front legs back. 

I was on my way to work for a CPR recertification when I checked her so had to call in. DH was home and in bed with the stomach bug. I started moving Georgia to the barn as she was at the far end of the pasture. Called DH while we were walking and he said he’d find a way to get to the barn. 

He came out white as a sheet and helped me get Georgia in the barn. She kept stopping to push with contractions but wasn’t making any progress. 

Once in a barn stall, we put a halter on her and tied her to a post. DH got one leg up and out by pushing the calf back in some. We tried and tried to get the other leg up and he even pushed the calf back while I tried to get the leg up without success. We determined that the calf was no longer living and decided that the cow was wearing down and we needed to get the calf out. We double wrapped the chain on the leg we had out and used a calf puller (it didn’t budge when we pulled using just the chain.) The come-along action worked well with my inability to muscle my way around and DH’s weakness from being ill. We were able to get the calf out.

I did make attempts to revive the calf without success. I also did a quick sweep to insure that there wasn’t a second calf behind the first that had complicated the first getting into position. 

Georgia was left with her dead calf for a bit to clean it and to pass her placenta. She did pass her placenta several hours later. It and the calf were removed at that time without distress from Georgia. She was kept in the barn pen for several days for monitoring as she bled decently also. 

I called the vet on 2/7 to discuss Georgia because it was almost 24 hours later and she was still pushing pretty hard and quite frequently. After a lengthy discussion, it was decided that I’d palpate her again. I did this to insure that I hadn’t missed a second calf the prior day in my haste. I did not find another calf. It was decided that since a calf presenting head first is so hard to deliver, that the manipulation caused extreme bruising and inflammation. The vet was pretty shocked that we successfully delivered the calf just the two of us. We were asked to let her rest a few more days then turn her out. 

When we turned her out, it seemed to help her spirits and she appeared less depressed. The pushing slowly subsided. 

On Sunday, Georgia developed a foul discharge from her vulva. The vet was called on Monday and an injectable antibiotic picked up. If this doesn’t work effectively, I’m to have the vet out to see her. 

When I palpated her uterus on the second day, I found it to have lots of lumps and bumps. One even felt like a calf tongue would as far as shape and size. I have more questions for the vet as I’m not sure she will be able to continue to be a productive member of the herd. For now, the focus is on recovery and further decisions will be made later. 

The calf was an almost solid black bull. The kids name him after Michael, the archangel, as he’s with him in heaven.


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## Wehner Homestead (Feb 20, 2019)

Gatlin was also due 2/11 and calved on 2/8. She was bred to DCC Destiny, a Calving ease bull. 

DH and his dad intervened on this one also. In DH’s defense, he was still upset over losing Georgia’s calf that when almost an hour has passed since Gatlin’s water broke, they went ahead and assisted the delivery. There really wasn’t much difficulty on this one. 

As it was her first calf, Gatlin had to have a little convincing to allow the calf to nurse but after a few hours, both were very good. 

Gatlin’s heifer was named Genesis. She has a white star on the front of each ankle, a full white belly, and a white-tipped tail. 

We don’t have any great pics of her but she will be staying and we are quite in love. I will share some of the pics that we do have though. Pics are in chronological order. She was several days old before she was turned out from the barn stall.


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## Wehner Homestead (Feb 20, 2019)

We are now waiting Maxine and Scarlett’s calves. Maxine was due yesterday (2/19) and Scarlett is due Saturday (2/23.) Both are in stalls in the barn bedded down with straw due to more rain causing more mud.

Maxine a few days before being put in the barn.



Scarlett- red cow on right. Shows how bad the mud is. Ugh! Maddie the tan cow in the upper right is due 2/25. Ember is the gold cow just to the left of center and she’s due 2/28.




We thought Melody wasn’t bred due to a standing heat but there’s a possibility that she is. Time will tell but we are hopeful that she is.


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## greybeard (Feb 20, 2019)

> We tried and tried to get the other leg up and he even pushed the calf back while I tried to get the leg up without success. We determined that the calf was no longer living and decided that the cow was wearing down and we needed to get the calf out. We double wrapped the chain on the leg we had out and used a calf puller (it didn’t budge when we pulled using just the chain.) The come-along action worked well with my inability to muscle my way around and DH’s weakness from being ill. We were able to get the calf out.



You were certainly right to go ahead and get the calf out with the calf jack once you felt the calf was no longer living. Lots of people don't take into account that underlined part...how tiring it can be on the momma to push the calf out...once she stops cooperating the job is much more difficult and harm can come to her pretty easily under those adverse conditions. 

I have never tried it, but have read accounts by several knowledgeable cattlemen, that a (new) old fashioned toilet plunger works pretty good for pushing a calf back in and the small diameter handle leaves more room for you to get your own hands and forearm in to get the mis aligned legs in the right position.


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## farmerjan (Feb 20, 2019)

I am sorry for your loss of the calf, but tickled that the first calf heifer had a healthy heifer for you.  We are looking at the same muddy mess. It is pretty awful.  Up to their knees and hocks in mud, constant rain then cold then warm then wet again.  4 " of snow last night, now changed to sleety rain and 4 days of wet/rain/mess forecast.  I can so sympathize....
My son said there was new calf out in the field where the dry cows are. Put a pair out there, one  that was born about 2 weeks ago, but it was tagged before we moved them out back, so know this was a new one.  Didn't think any were due til March, but when they are bull bred, sometimes palpation isn't real accurate especially after the calf gets to the 5-6 month stage. I need to check my lists as I am thinking now that according to when we put the bull in at the one place, they could be due after the 25th.... and a little early is not unheard of.  It was up and following the cow 2 days ago, so has had a little time to get it's belly full before this crappy weather hit.  Hope everyone else holds off for a few weeks.


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## RollingAcres (Feb 20, 2019)

I'm sorry for your loss on the bull calf. 

Genesis is very cute!  And glad that Gatlin is doing well.


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## Wehner Homestead (Feb 21, 2019)

I didn’t even get a chance to finish updates! Maybe I’ll get to those later. For now, Scarlett calved last night. The calf was clean, nursing, and she’d passed her placenta when we got home from a funeral visitation. She had a heifer that is high percentage Simmental. She’s solid black except will have a white udder. Still deciding on a name. She will probably be retained. 

Last night. 


 
This morning...


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## Wehner Homestead (Feb 25, 2019)

Doesn’t take much to get WAY behind. Here comes the Readers’ Digest version of updates...

We’ve opted to go with a Biblical theme on names. 

The kids got upset that Georgia’s bull calf that died didn’t have a name. We even named our babies that we lost was part of their argument. We decided to go with an angel name for him. He’s Michael, after the archangel. They were happy with this. 

Genesis is growing and doing quite well. Here’s a few updates pics of her. She’s just over two weeks old. (Genesis means origin or source in the Bible.) 


 

 
Selah (pronounced See-lah) is what we named Scarlett’s heifer. (Notes a pause, breath, moment of reflection in the Bible.) Selah is five days old and navigating the pasture well. 


 

 
Maxine delivered on my sister’s birthday, 2/21, and it was horrible. She calved on her own but the calf was riddled with a variety of birth defects. I don’t feel up to detail but we gave her a few days to see if she could survive with us babying her along. It wasn’t to be so we made sure she didn’t suffer. Maxine is heartbroken. Her name was Mirielle, which is French for miracle. 

Bailey calved just about an hour ago with a healthy heifer. Her name is Bethlehem but she will be called Beth for short. This is Bailey last night. (She jumped over and destroyed two gates today and went over another without damaged to get in the lean-to where we let her calve. She also let Ember out when she destroyed one of her gates. I let Maddie out to join them as she was nervous from being the only bovine in the main barn. Due to this stunt, Bailey is on the ship list for the year. Too dangerous for that to be happening with the kids around. Her offspring have been shown and we will retain Beth as her replacement.) 


 
Best pic that could be gotten of Baby Beth in the dark. She’s got a wide tip and lots of curly hair-Bailey calves are typically curly-coated! I’ll try to get some better tomorrow. 


 
Maddie is due today. This will be her last calf. Her legs are getting too arthritic and winter is so hard on her with the frozen/wet ground. She’s given us a calf every year without issue. We figured it up and she’s easily fourteen if not fifteen. She’s bred to Loaded for Bear. We really need some bull calves for kids to show. We’ve also kept four daughters, three granddaughters, and one great-granddaughter thus far. Both pics are Maddie yesterday. (Yes, she can get her head out. She did it several times. Yes, it made us nervous.) 


 

 

Ember is due 2/28, so 3 more days. This will be her first calf. She is Maddie’s granddaughter. She was bred to Destiny (same bull as Gatlin.) Being a heifer, she’s showing enough signs to go any time. First pic is yesterday, second is today and shows some of her swelling and udder development. 


 

 

Sydney is due anytime after 3/3. She was pasture bred so we don’t have an exact date. Her calf will be out of Otis. This is really exciting since we miss our boy greatly! 

After Sydney, there Melody due end of March, Dolly due beginning of April, and Mabel due 5/2. All are showing signs of being bred and their pending deliveries appropriate for their gestations.


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## RollingAcres (Feb 26, 2019)

As always, lots going on over there at your farm! 
Congrats on your calves and I really love the name choices!


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## Wehner Homestead (Feb 26, 2019)

Got some updated pics this morning...

Genesis (Josie is babysitting and Knight is the buck in the background.) 



 
Selah


 
Beth


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## Wehner Homestead (Feb 26, 2019)

Here’s some photos of expectant moms too...

These two are up next after Maddie and Ember. Just checked them again and Maddie is stringing discharge. I say sometime today. Ember was laying down chewing her cud. I say tomorrow for her. 

Sydney (due after 3/3) 



Dolly (supposedly due after 4/1 but slight chance she was bred earlier by Otis) 


 
I have a pic of Maxine also to show that she’s doing well, despite her calf passing.


 
Georgia has started a milky white discharge now. She’d been on antibiotics and gotten better. I was worried about her before but thought we were over that hurdle at least. Obviously not. Need to look at withdrawal for the antibiotic she had and ship her!


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## Mike CHS (Feb 26, 2019)

Good looking girls but I see I have no comparison when I mention mud at our place.


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## Wehner Homestead (Feb 26, 2019)

@Mike CHS DH and I sorted some into the barn Sunday. The mud was over my Muck Boots and coming in the top and up to my knees! I can’t imah if our land wasn’t rolling!


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## ReluctantFarmer (Mar 1, 2019)

I like reading your posts, it looks like you take great care of your animals.  I’m sorry to hear about the lost calves :-(


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## Wehner Homestead (Mar 5, 2019)

@ReluctantFarmer Thank you! I really enjoy sharing here! 


Maddie has given us an amazing bull calf! I’ll post more details and pics shortly. Still waiting on Ember...


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## Wehner Homestead (Mar 5, 2019)

Maddie calved Sunday morning. It was a good thing DH was there to pull the sac off the calf’s face. We got a healthy bull calf that likes to eat! He’s an awesome grey color and has so much hair! DS named him Jonah in keeping with our Biblical theme. I’m adding lots of pics of the little guy. I’ll put them in chronological order. (I’m a little enamored with him!)



 

 

 

 

These are from today. Maddie hasn’t fully passed her afterbirth so while we are treating and monitoring for infection, she and Jonah get to hang out in the barn, out of the wind.


 
(My attempt at showing his hair length.)


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## Wehner Homestead (Mar 5, 2019)

Beth got up as I was checking on Ember yesterday. 


 
I also encountered an episode of synchronized feeding. Bailey is to the left feeding Beth with Maizy being the red cow hidden behind them. Scarlett is feeding Selah to the right/center. I don’t recall who was laying in the lower right corner. The heifers can be seen eating at the bake in the middle background in the creek pasture. Gatlin was feeding Genesis as she ate from a bale to the right, out in the pasture. 


 
Still waiting on Ember. She was due Friday. I double checked my dates. She was AI bred. She’s very swollen and udder is full (doesn’t always happen with heifers.) Ember also looks quite uncomfortable and is just laying around, though eating/drinking/chewing her cud. Concern is that calf is just getting bigger and she isn’t huge. DH and I both spoke with the vet today. Decided to induce her. Shots given at 6pm. Told to expect calf in 24-40 hrs. (Our first induction.) If calf comes sooner than 24 hrs than it was on her own and the meds played no role. I’m including a pic from today. Her hips seemed more pronounced today.


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## Mike CHS (Mar 5, 2019)

Those kind of pictures always bring a smile.


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## Wehner Homestead (Mar 5, 2019)

Sydney could calve any time but looks to have about a week left.


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## RollingAcres (Mar 6, 2019)

Wehner Homestead said:


> Maddie calved Sunday morning. It was a good thing DH was there to pull the sac off the calf’s face. We got a healthy bull calf that likes to eat! He’s an awesome grey color and has so much hair! DS named him Jonah in keeping with our Biblical theme. I’m adding lots of pics of the little guy. I’ll put them in chronological order. (I’m a little enamored with him!)
> 
> View attachment 59066 View attachment 59065 View attachment 59067 View attachment 59068
> 
> ...


Awww I really love his grey color! He is so cute!


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## Wehner Homestead (Mar 6, 2019)

More Calving excitement...I’m glad we induced Ember! She had her calf 25 hrs after I gave the injections. (Supposedly if they deliver within 24 hrs, the meds has no effect. Since she’s so close to the cutoff, I’m not sure which happened.) Longer would’ve given us a bigger calf and more difficulty with the birth. Things were tight. His leg bones had quite a circumference. Correct presentation. DH watched her push for 1/2 hr. She rolled on her side several times. Sac was intact and partially delivered, could see one hoof and tongue. I was able to palpate the other hoof just barely inside to know that we were prepared to dive. Other problem was where she laid. Her butt was basically against the barn wall. I was sitting behind her, wedged in, putting the pulling chains on. We were able to get a single wrap, advance calf out just a bit and get a second wrap in for better leverage and less damage. We were able to get calf halfway. Bad stopping point! Angle was all wrong. No way to pull calf without injuring it. Ember wouldn’t stand. I shoved her back legs under her and started to rock her to the other side. (Similar to changing positions on a down cow.) She jumped up! Pulled calf rest of way while she was standing. Our two daughters alternated between cheering us on, stressing in a fright, and yelling at us to get the calf out. Ember was stunned at first and sat like a dog and stared into space. DH used a piece of straw to tickle the little nose to help clear it (I’d already sweeped his mouth clear with my finger and covered the puddle with straw to keep him from sucking it back up.) and I got the chains off. I pulled my hoodie off and had DH dry the calf with it. I had my carrhart off to work and put it back on since I wasn’t up to my elbow. Ember came around and stood up shakily. Took her a few but she got more steady as time passed and was fine by the time I headed for the house. Little man took a tad longer than I like to try to stand but mastered it fast. He was jumping around less than 2 hrs after his arrival. The kids named him Daniel. I agree that he definitely survived the lions’ den between working in a small space along the wall and him being stuck. He’s a really neat blue Roan. 

Under heat lamps to get warm and dry. (Secured to gate.) Ended up taking some towels out to help dry him. Ember was having trouble focusing. 



 
Mostly dry and about the time he successfully nursed.


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## RollingAcres (Mar 7, 2019)

That's quite some excitement alright. So glad Daniel is doing well!


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## Wehner Homestead (Mar 7, 2019)

RollingAcres said:


> That's quite some excitement alright. So glad Daniel is doing well!



DH and I both just crashed last night. We talked about how much of a relief it was that he was here and they are both fine. We’d been getting up through the night for more than a week to check on her and he’d been driving home on his lunch when I was working so she was getting checked through the day. This calf is fourth generation we raised from that line. To say that he’s special is an understatement. His coloring appearing as he dried is just a plus. DH took an adorable video of him jumping around last night. I doubt I can get it uploaded though.


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## farmerjan (Mar 7, 2019)

Congrats on getting him out, up and going.  Nice to have a decent calving, and a nice calf with out too much of a problem.  Assisting is one thing, a hard horrible pull is another.  Glad it went as well as it did. Been a hard year for you.  

We are looking to get going with calving here in the next 2 weeks.  Have 2 on the ground, but the majority will be late March and after.


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## Wehner Homestead (Mar 7, 2019)

Got some more pics of Daniel today. Have to show off his roaning. He will continue to get lighter as he ages.


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## HomeOnTheRange (Mar 7, 2019)

Congrats on all of the new arrivals.  They look like a great set of calves!


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## Wehner Homestead (Mar 29, 2019)

Wow! I’m way behind on pics and updates. We still have five calves. Four more cows left to calve. 

Daniel on 3/8. He had to be treated for an umbilical infection but responded well with no lasting effects.




These pics are from Sunday so they were taken five days ago. 
Genesis



Beth with Selah in the background. 



Daniel



Beth



Selah


 
Beth



Selah



Daniel



Genesis


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## Wehner Homestead (Mar 29, 2019)

Calf pics from Sun cont’d...

Jonah


 
Selah


 
Genesis


 
Daniel


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## Wehner Homestead (Mar 29, 2019)

DH took some pics today...

Genesis




Selah



Beth



Jonah



Daniel


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## RollingAcres (Apr 1, 2019)

I can't decide which one is my favorite. lol
Will you be keeping them all?


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## Mini Horses (Apr 1, 2019)

Jonah is showing some bulk there in his pic.  If looking for a bull or steer, based solely on pics, he'd be on my list.  Chunky Monkey in the right places, IMO.   I'm not a cattle person but, I like that one & would expect good things.  

Seems you got several heifers this year.  NICE!  I like the white tipped tail.


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## Wehner Homestead (Apr 1, 2019)

@RollingAcres we will retain all three heifers. Genesis, Selah, and Beth are staying. 

The boys, Jonah and Daniel, will be castrated and shown as steers by local kiddos. 

Calves born next spring will be eligible for DD1 to show in 4-H.


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## Wehner Homestead (Apr 21, 2019)

Dolly delivered her bull calf while we were at church service this morning. Came home to them being antagonized by those blasted buzzards with the white tips on their wings. DH scared them off with some bird shot. He’d have liked to really blast them but too afraid of the repercussions unless this didn’t work. No sign of them for the rest of the day. Pics to come after I can get some. Dolly was pretty nervous between the birds and gunshots so we let them be. His sire is Fred. We have two more cows to go.


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## Mike CHS (Apr 21, 2019)

Those Black Vultures are evil.  I get a permit every year to take out a few and make it a point to shoot at least one and hang it from a tree.  That makes all of the others go away.

Congrats on the good birthing.


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## Wehner Homestead (Apr 21, 2019)

@Mike CHS we’ve asked about permits here. No such thing despite numerous losses of livestock in our county from them. We will do whatever it takes but will abide by the law for as long as we can without incurring a loss. Stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I miss Queenie so much right now! She would’ve never let them land in the field!!


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## Mike CHS (Apr 21, 2019)

I don't know how the politics works around those vultures but Farm Bureau gets the permits and issues sub permits.  I did a quick search and found quite a few states do it through them but again I have no idea what the details are around that.


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## Wehner Homestead (Apr 21, 2019)

@Mike CHS we have some insurance policies through Farm Bureau. We will have to call them tomorrow!


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## Mike CHS (Apr 21, 2019)

My quick search showed that they do it in Kentucky also so hopefully they all do it.  It takes away a lot of the worry.


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## Rammy (Apr 21, 2019)

Wehner Homestead said:


> @Mike CHS we’ve asked about permits here. No such thing despite numerous losses of livestock in our county from them. We will do whatever it takes but will abide by the law for as long as we can without incurring a loss. Stuck between a rock and a hard place.
> 
> I miss Queenie so much right now! She would’ve never let them land in the field!!


If nobody sees you shoot em'........


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