Enough with the twins already!

willow_girl · #1 06/28/12, 08:19 AM

Three sets in the last month! And only 1 was a H/H pair, of course ... (although they were out of a real good cow, and she's doing well, so that's a plus).

But one cow had a hard time of it (she's OK now) and the last one still I'm trying to keep going ...

All in a day's (or night's) work, I guess!

myersfarm · #2 06/28/12, 08:35 AM

Do you think they were all bred to same bull
?

CJBegins · #3 06/28/12, 10:35 AM

Didn't happen without pictures....lol

willow_girl · #4 06/29/12, 12:02 AM

I kinda doubt it ... we A.I. all the cows ... but I will go back and look in the record book now, out of curiosity!

Hoppy was doing better tonight. Boss had thought she had DA'ed and almost put her on the truck this weekend ... I'm not sure if the hauler was full or if he didn't call him in time, but anyway she didn't go. Monday I noticed her chewing her cud (good sign) ... talked to boss and he remember having seen her passing manure which was normal, so maybe not a DA after all (again, good). She has been chronically lame on and off in a front foot ... I don't think she was getting up to eat and drink. We kicked another lame cow out of one of the hospital pens (she has been doing better and we're going to dry her off a couple of weeks early) and put Hoppy in it last night ... She ate ALL of her feed today, and had a bit of a bag when I brought her in to milk tonight. I think she'll be OK as long as she stays in the hosp. pen for awhile ...

Lots of calves lately! I guess it cooled off last September and the boss got some cows bred. LOL! Just had a new heifer come in tonight. Pretty li'l thing, and came right in the parlor and wasn't kicky ... kind of heifer I like!

One of my favorites, #930, whom I call Angel Baby, is due next week ... she was so big at dry-off, I swear she is gonna have twins, too! Gahhhh!

DJ in WA · #5 06/30/12, 01:18 PM

So you had a H/H pair, and what were the others? Do you figure pretty much always freemarting if mixed?

I was reading lately pros and cons of twinning. Seems some think it's good and some bad, perhaps depends on situation. Almost makes you wonder if it's a good thing in sheep, why not cows, assuming no calving issues.

ErinP · #6 06/30/12, 07:27 PM

In my part of the world, too many twins tends to indicate neighbors with loose fences.

willow_girl · #7 07/01/12, 07:06 AM

Quote:

So you had a H/H pair, and what were the others? Do you figure pretty much always freemarting if mixed?

One B/H and the other B/B. I don't take care of the calves so I'm not sure, but I think my boss usually sends the B/H heifers to the sale barn along with their li'l brothers.

When I was a herd tester and was going over records on the farms where I worked, sometimes I'd find a heifer who had calved despite being twin to a bull. So sometimes they turn out OK! But not too many dairy farmers mess around with them, I think.

Quote:

I was reading lately pros and cons of twinning. Seems some think it's good and some bad, perhaps depends on situation. Almost makes you wonder if it's a good thing in sheep, why not cows, assuming no calving issues.

I don't like to see twins because it takes a lot out of the cow. Even if there are no calving issues outright, I think carrying twins puts a huge demand on the cow metabolically! Very often they have lower production in that lactation. The B/B combination is especially bad as bull calves tend to be larger. I really, really hate to see heifers have twin bulls!

willow_girl · #8 07/02/12, 10:59 PM

SURE ENOUGH! Angel Baby had a set of B/H twins late Friday night. I knew it!!!

She is doing good though, and so is Hoppy. Whew!

Boy do we have a bunch of teeny-tiny calves right now!

SpaceCadet12364 · #9 07/03/12, 05:07 PM

There is lady here with a dairy last time I checked 11 sets of B/H twins and the heifers were good only 1 set not. and that was a couple of years ago. Talk luck of the draw.
Her Hubby not so lucky Bull cornered him one day and stump a mud hole in him. ICU for two
weeks he got home bull became hamburger next day. 2200+ lbs..

willow_girl · #10 07/03/12, 11:01 PM

Quote:

There is lady here with a dairy last time I checked 11 sets of B/H twins and the heifers were good only 1 set

I think that would be about the given odds -- 90+ percent are supposed to be freemartins.

SpaceCadet12364 · #11 07/04/12, 09:58 AM

No 11 went on to calve only one didn't. Just 1 freemartin.

willow_girl · #12 07/04/12, 02:29 PM

Oh, whoops! Didn't understand that. That would be pretty unusual!