Sudden separation/forced weaning x2 squared - please help!

[Sara Ranch]

I will try to respond to each point. If I miss something, please let me know!

@Baymule - What was the turn around time with the pig and the butcher? Does the butcher hang the pig for a certain amount of time?

Around here, pigs are harvested and immediately processed - no hang time.

About how much did the pigs weight?

@greybeard - Do you have any recommendations for cattle breeds? I am looking for beef cattle. The cattle guy who brought my girls home had recommended getting steers in the future, instead of heifers. He did not recommend a breed. (He would rather talk to a man about cattle, than a woman. I had male company at the time he stopped by. I didn’t exist.)

I just went pale. I hadn’t thought of the whole mating thing. I will have to ask if the cattle man brings up bulls to do his business or not. He grazes his herd about a mile away in one direction. The other guy - never met him and don’t have contact information for him - has cattle about 1 or 2 miles down mountain from me. I have no idea how he makes his cow babies! Oh boy. Cattle man did suggest I contact a vet to get my girls artificially inseminated. While they may be 6 months old now (thereabouts), isn’t that too young to get my girls pregnant? And is November the ideal time to do it? (To here him talk, now’s the time!)

@Sid Post - I don’t have barbed wire on the current fencing. It’s welded wire with electric. Would you recommend a strand of barbed wire? Lots of folks around here used the barbed wire to keep people out and to keep animals in.

I am not a fan, in general, of auctions. Why do they need my banker’s personal contact information if I am paying cash for an animal? Well, he’s a reference for you. Uh, again, if I am paying CASH why do I need a reference. Well, that’s just how we do things. We need at least five references for you… I am buying, not selling. Don’t matter. (When my buyer goes, he uses his account to make the purchases.) Does anyone know WHY the auction house wants all of this personal information???

I mentioned in an early post why that has become my only option to get reasonably priced cattle thus far. I hope over time, that will change.

 

[Sid Post]

I got a simm/char bull that no fence (except really hot electric) will hold if there's heat on the other side of it.
I can hold calves on the originally 5 strand barbed wire fences that I went back to and stretched HT slick wire between the bottom 3 strands of barbed wire. A twist stay between each line post will help a lot too, but the strands have to be TIGHT!.


The easiest doers I have are my Beefmasters (1/2 Brahma). Lots easier to pen and work with, the're all dog gentle, and so much more easy to keep in any fence than my Charolais are.

A bit off topic:

How does the high tensile wire work for you?

I'm getting ready to re-fence and I'm debating 5 strand barb wire vs. high tensile slick wire.

 

[Baymule]

Our first pig we raised (we raised 3 but I didn't keep stats on the other 2) we took to slaughter March 18, 2016. We picked up the meat April 13, 2016. We had the hams smoked and cured, and had the bacon done likewise. She weighed 204 pounds live weight and hanging weight was 159 pounds. I didn't weigh the finished meat. I don't know if they hung the carcass or not.

We are taking 2 to slaughter on November 6, I will update my thread and tag you with information.

 

[Sid Post]

@Sara Ranch

West Virginia, not Wyoming ... iPhone So strikes again

Rotten posts and pushed down fencing. That helps.

First, board fences look nice but, you couldn't pay me enough to put one in. Besides expense, they are high maintenance. Pipe fencing along the road looks nice and needs paint infrequently.

4 strand barb wire can work with adult cattle but 5 strand is a lot better. Barb wire that isn't tight won't work. Post spacing and stringers are important. I'm a big fan of T posts but, soft soil still requires a lot of wood posts to keep it from getting pushed down.

Regarding breeding, 6 months seems a bit early to me. Angus and other British breeds don't grow as fast as some others. Pulling a calf would be really stressful for YOU. You want their hips to be fully grown at birth otherwise you risk pulling a calf or a C section. 9 months is pretty good. I always timed birthing to wheat pasture with births in December and January. Now I look for first grass in early March so momma has plenty of groceries without heavy supplemental feeding.

A black 'baldy' steer would be much easier to learn with. Their dispositions are generally pretty mild and docile. They are less like to stray because they aren't looking to breed. Also, black baldy is a Hereford and Angus cross.

My Hereford steers would go back to the corrals were I fed them when I left the gate open and they got out if I yelled at them. They would walk around more out of curiosity as much as anything. Had a show heifer do that once and drink a pan of used motor oil . Things worked after a couple days.

 

[greybeard]

A bit off topic:

How does the high tensile wire work for you?

I'm getting ready to re-fence and I'm debating 5 strand barb wire vs. high tensile slick wire.

It works great for what I'm using it for. I don't have any fences with just slick wire--I started with barbed wire and already had two 4000' rolls of HT slick so decided to use it between the strands of barb wire on existing fences that get some pressure when I'm weaning calves.
Used to have a lot of hot wire HT but have gotten away from that.
I do not use the ratchet strainers with HT slick wire--can't get it tight enough with them. Using gripples and their tensioning tool. I like em..plenty tight and lots easier on the hands and fingers.

 

[greybeard]

A black 'baldy' steer would be much easier to learn with. Their dispositions are generally pretty mild and docile. They are less like to stray because they aren't looking to breed. Also, black baldy is a Hereford and Angus cross.

make it a super baldy and I'm all in.

My Hereford steers would go back to the corrals were I fed them when I left the gate open and they got out if I yelled at them. They would walk around more out of curiosity as much as anything. Had a show heifer do that once and drink a pan of used motor oil . Things worked after a couple days.

i bet 'things' worked really good while that oil was working it's way out..