Wehner Homestead 2018 Calving: Done

[Latestarter]

Grats! Glad you got him out and both all sorted out. Thanks for the pics!

 

[greybeard]

Not many cattle people on BYH any more. Do you mind if I and others post some pics in your thread? Some will be calves, some of my working pen.

 

[greybeard]

Grats! Glad you got him out and both all sorted out. Thanks for the pics!

Get out of that hot tub and get you a fence up and you can come down here after July and take your pick between a bull or heifer calf and you too can have some of this fun as a Texas cowman.......it'll cost you a #1 Whataburger.

 

[Mike CHS]

I'm guessing there is a lot of us non-cattle people on here that frequent the cattle threads but I rarely post anything in them since they aren't in my knowledge base. I have gotten some ideas on how to do a few things though since they translated to my operation.

 

[Latestarter]

Thanks @greybeard I responded to your message you sent me but got no reply. I'll take you up on the offer but would feel better paying you for the pleasure... perhaps a bit more than a Whataburger, but will buy that for you as well.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Not many cattle people on BYH any more. Do you mind if I and others post some pics in your thread? Some will be calves, some of my working pen.

Post away!! You could also create a thread and tag me and I’ll take pics and contribute as possible.

Cattle just aren’t as popular. I think the size of the animal and the space required are big deterrents.

We loose money but try to get as many calves as possible to our county fair. We sell them at or just over market even though we’ve had some worth several grand. Trying to get youth involved in ag. We will have four calves there this year in July. Two of them are being boarded here right now.

 

[greybeard]

Cattle just aren’t as popular. I think the size of the animal and the space required are big deterrents

That is part of it for sure, since I've seen a couple of goat & sheep people say so, but the cattle section used to be pretty busy several years ago--some left, some were older and I suppose some may have went to the big ranch in the sky. I have seen quite a few of them on other boards that are cattle specific. Gone on to greener and bigger pastures as it were.

 

[Latestarter]

It's not just size of the animal or space required, though that's a part for sure. For me it's start up costs. I'm on a fixed income with no raise coming for at least another 2 years. I can buy a day old dairy calf (Jersey) from a local dairy, having been provided mother's colostrum, for a reasonable price (I think I recall it was about $80?) but the milk cost to raise it to weaning is high (Min $2.50/day/gal. $6/gal if I use whole/raw milk from the dairy). If they carry it till weaning @ 3 months, the cost would be over $300 (~$350 if I recollect). There's no real market to sell the animal once full grown, so it would pretty much be for my own use for meat. I could buy young meat steers (black angus) in the 5-600 pound range and raise to slaughter weight for sale but from my understanding, they're running over a grand plus each. Quality costs...

If I went to an auction to purchase, I'd have no idea if I was getting a good deal or good stock as I have no experience. So I could well be buying someone else's crap/culls as easily as buying someone's overstocked good animals. When just starting out, it's a lot less risk to spend a couple hundred dollars for several animals (to learn on) than spending several grand on a few animals. I suppose the "proper" (best?) way would be to buy a bred back cow with calf and then wean the calf a couple of months before the cow was due. No idea what the cost there would be. If I could afford to buy 2 like that, in a years time I'd have a herd of 6 (Barring the loss of a calf at birthing, or the cow, or both). I understand it's best to leave growing meat calves on mom for 6 months plus.

I just feel so lacking in knowledge and feel real trepidation about jumping in this deep end for fear of not being able to swim.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

@Latestarter I grew up with cattle so it just comes more naturally for me. I agree that start-up can be rough. We’ve made our way from five to the 17 we have now over 8 years.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

We’ve got another calf on the ground!! Maddie had a gorgeous heifer calf right before DH got home from work. She was up and nursing within the hour. Maddie was a champ like usual. We can’t tell the true color of the heifer yet. Maybe later tonight she will be dry enough to tell what shade of brown she is.

She did have the calf outside, but DH carried her to the barn so we could make sure she didn’t have to fight the mud for her first night. The heat lamp has already been removed, it was more of an initial precaution.

Maizy’s bull calf is doing well and was turned out in a paddock with his mama and Scarlett today. I got a neat pic of him this morning with the sunrise.

This was tonight when we were settling the new heifer.

Quick update on Scarlett (aka Dolly Parton lol) : Dad and DH treated her with dri-cow tubes tonight to end her lactation. This will be much less stressful on her and all of us.

Dolly is still hanging in there. Her due date is Saturday so we will see if she sticks it out for that long or not...keeping a close eye on her.