Wehner Homestead 2018 Calving: Done

[Wehner Homestead]

Do you vaccinate for Lepto? It seems that you had way too many abortions and even on different farms, lepto would be my guess. It is way too prevalent here and we would be seeing many more slipped calves if we didin't vaccinate. Had 4 slipped pregnacies out of 82 a couple of years ago and that was 4 too many.
Most dairies in this area vaccinate every 6 months for it. Since it is carried by dogs, foxes, coyotes etc., and can be found in the water, it is a no brainer for us. We do it at preg check with a killed virus.

We vaccinate for it every spring when the calves get their blackleg shot and banding as appropriate and everyone gets flytags and wormer. I’ll talk to our vet about vaccinating twice a year though. It seemed like numerous people we knew throughout the area had issues with cows “sticking” and slipping calves.

We do have a resident fox now...Queenie isn’t in that pasture at night.

You’ve got my wheels turning now. Thanks for the input!

Side note: Daisy will be an attempted AI to a Calving ease bull this spring that is clean. If she doesn’t take that round, we will put her with our bull for two cycles. We have been tracking her natural heats.

Synchronization methods have been used in the past but I’ve found greater success with natural heats whenever possible.

 

[greybeard]

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.

From another board, the average prices of different females at a San Saba replacement auction. Prices are what the cattle were sold for (on average)..as you can see, the tigerstripes were, as always in high demand. They aren't for the timid tho, and I wouldn't recommend them for anyone just starting out:

Bill & Sandi Edwards, 6 black F-1 pair, 2025.00
Bill & Sandi Edwards, 6 black F-1 heifers LB, 2000.00
Glen Morgan, 5 tigerstripe pair, 2200.00
Glen Morgan, 10 tigerstripe heifers LB, 2225.00
Glen Morgan, 4 black F-1 pair, 2025.00
Glen Morgan, 5 black F-1 heifers LB, 2025.00
Double L&S Livestock, 31 angus cows LB, 1625.00
Del Roy & Walt Reichenau, 50 brangus heifers LB, 1525.00
Broesche Cattle Co, 81 brangus heifers LB, 1775.00
Broesche Cattle Co, 9 black wf heifers LB, 1500.00
Daniel & David Norris, 5 brangus heifers LB, 1700.00
Bill Austin, 5 registered brangus heifers LB, 2100.00
Bill Austin, 2 registered brangus heifers LB, 1800.00
Nolan Ryan, 24 red beefmaster heifers LB, 2025.00
Nolan Ryan, 5 red beefmaster heifers LB, 1900.00
Bill Craig, 14 brangus heifers LB, 1575.00
Bill Craig, 48 black wf heifers LB, 1425.00
Arfsten Farms, 45 black mf heifers open, 1125.00
Arfsten Farms, 20 red angus heifers open, 1300.00
Arfsten Farms, 5 red angus heifers open, 1425.00
Double A Ranch, 8 brangus heifers open, 1250.00
Double A Ranch, 47 brangus heifers open, 1075.00
Double A Ranch, 5 black mf heifers open, 1350.00
Double A Ranch, 30 black mf heifers open, 1175.00
Double A Ranch, 18 black mf heifers open, 1100.00
Royce Lubke, 5 red angus pair, 1925.00
Jerry Barkley, 5 brahman heifers open, 2200.00
Craig Hill, 9 angus + pair, 2025.00
R&S Livestock, 4 angus pair, 1725.00
R&S Livestock, 31 angus cows LB, 1525.00
Mustang Creek Ranch, 4 angus pair, 1825.00
KD Livestock, 12 angus cows LB, 1575.00KD Livestock, 17 angus cows LB, 1500.00
Rocksprings Ranch, 4 red & rwf cows LB, 1600.00
Rocksprings Ranch, 16 angus cows LB, 1575.00
Rocksprings Ranch, 5 black mf cows LB, 1575.00
Diamond Cattle, 51 angus cows LB, 1625.00
Diamond Cattle, 50 angus cows LB, 1700.00
Diamond Cattle, 47 angus cows LB, 1575.00
Diamond Cattle, 37 angus cows LB, 1500.00
Diamond Cattle, 10 brangus cows LB, 1500.00
Diamond Cattle, 54 angus heifers open, 1100.00
Diamond Cattle, 102 angus heifers open, 1040.00
Diamond Cattle, 40 angus heifers open, 1075.00
Moursund Limited, 20 angus heifers LB, 1375.00
Ross Short, 10 sim/maine/ang x heifers LB, 1500.00
Ross Short, 20 sim/maine/ang x heifers LB, 1450.00
Jacob Folz, 2 brangus cows LB, 1600.00
Jacob Folz, 2 tigerstripe heifers open, 1300.00
Randy Baker, 14 black wf heifers open, 1100.00
Seven Bar Ranch, 20 tigerstripe heifers open, 1185.00
Seven Bar Ranch, 14 tigerstripe heifers open, 1175.00
Rocker B Ranch, 18 angus pair, 1800.00
Rocker B Ranch, 11 black wf pair, 1850.00
Rocker B Ranch, 8 brangus pair, 1775.00
Rocker B Ranch, 10 red pair, 1625.00
Rocker B Ranch, 25 crossbred pair, 1500.00
Rocker B Ranch, 12 brangus heifers LB, 1525.00
Weber Farms, 2 black F-1 heifers LB, 2000.00
Weber Farms, 3 tigerstripe heifers LB, 2350.00
Hansen Land & Cattle, 20 brangus cows LB, 1450.00
Tom Felton, 23 brangus cows LB, 1375.00
Trent Blanchard, 3 black pair, 1500.00
Joe Riley, 8 brangus heifers open, 1100.00
White Ranches, 58 angus heifers open, 940.00
Jackson Branch Cattle Co, 3 angus pair 3in1, 1725.00
Jackson Branch Cattle Co, 3 angus pair 3in1, 1925.00
Bob Wilkinson, 9 angus + pair, 1725.00
Phillip Taylor, 5 black wf pair, 1575.00
Phillip Taylor, 4 angus pair, 1600.00
Caleb Humphries, 5 angus pair 3in1, 1550.00
Caleb Humphries, 9 angus cows LB, 1325.00
Brian Barns, 12 angus heifers LB, 1300.00
Robert Knauf, 9 angus pair, 1500.00
Robert Knauf, 4 chocolate F-1 heifers LB, 1600.00
Robert Knauf, 1 brahman heifer LB, 1300.00
Robert Knauf, 2 brahman heifer LB, 1925.00
Sellers' Children Trust, 13 black & black mf pair, 1525.00
Sellers' Children Trust, 23 black mf heifers, 1350.00
Sellers' Children Trust, 11 black heifers LB, 1350.00

They'll have another on Feb 24. There won't be any lowlines or clubbies there.
http://www.jordancattle.com/Sale-Subpages/02-24-18/02-24-18.html

 

[Latestarter]

wow... I do NOT have the pocketbook to play in that event... I see only one single from the past sale and that was $1300.00. There were several sales in the $1100.00 range, but were multiples and would have required 4-5 grand to start. Looks like the "average" investment was in the 20 grand range with some substantially higher. I need a lottery win for sure. Thanks for sharing the info and link.

 

[greybeard]

A well put together, well advertised sale, with a full house of bidders and another 800 on-line bidders so the prices were naturally good.
You won't see many bargains in this type of sale..the house won't accept any lower quality genetics because they want/need to attract the bigger breeders.
In late 2011-thru mid 2012, the prices (and # of bidders) would have been much much lower even for replacement animals of this quality.
Lots of 2 and 3 way crosses as well as the F1 full blood breeds represented there. LBs brought the most, consistently. I am kinda surprised at the $2200 price the open Brahma heifers brought tho. Must have been some really fancy girls.

I've seen recently, the price of herd sires and replacement females begin to converge some.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Dolly birthed a large bull calf without difficulty this morning. He’s a dark blue roan! No pics yet as he was observed in the dark this morning and I couldn’t tromp out in the pasture after work. If it helps, it bothers me too. I’m sure DH will make it a priority to get one after work tomorrow. I’ll share as soon as we get one.

Next round is first part of March with Melody due 3/1 and Bailey due 3/5.

 

[Latestarter]

Wasn't a blue roan exactly what you really wanted? CONGRATS! Gotta love it when a dream comes to reality! Not sure if you wanted it to be a bull, though that does give you future blue roan breeding potential...

 

[Wehner Homestead]

He will be made a steer this spring. People like them with some type of “flash” nowadays and blue roan qualifies. We are thrilled with his color and his conformation. He’s a thick one with lots of bone.

 

[greybeard]

no flash here. Sunshine brought some of these out of the woods today.
(some of the char/sims LS didn't get to see Monday)
Joe, the little beaver dam is a little farther down to the right of this picture. You and I drove right by here.

 

[Latestarter]

Glad you got some sun today... none here... just mist, fog, drizzle... more blah.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

DH got a pic of Dolly’s bull calf last night. It isn’t a great pic as she won’t let him close but it also gives you an idea of how much mud we have with 3-5 more inches of rain coming over the next day or two!

Hard to see but he has a white tip on his tail and a white belly. He will have roaning show up more as he ages on his tail, belly, and brisket for sure.