]Cows are all preg checked. Ran a 45 day breeding season this year, it is something I've been wanting to do for a few years, but convincing DH to do it was a problem. Probably wouldn't have gotten it this year either but all the bulls decided to go visiting at about 45 days. 9 bulls and all but 3 went to the neighbours at one point or another, what a PITA! 2 of the ones that didn't were in pastures with no neighbours.... We ultrasounded, it is something we've done before on the heifers, but this is the first year we've done the whole herd with it. I really like it, I think that it is much more accurate than palpating, and if the vet thinks one's dry he palpates her too. Had a couple that he found the calf once he palpated them. And for sure it is much easier on the cows!!
Bulls were pulled about July 15 and the first bunch preg checked on Sept 3. Had a slightly higher cull rate this year(11%), but only because we had problems on one pasture. Had 7 out of 21 dry there. Not sure whether to blame that bull or the cows, none of the neighbour's bulls came visiting and it was all cows that had reasons that they could have been dry (age, late calving, poor body condition, etc) And I wouldn't have questioned any of them except that they were all in the same pasture... So the bull is gone, not going to take a chance on him next year and possibly have the same problem again. Too bad, he's a decent enough looking bull.
The nice thing about preg checking this early is that we have choices of what to do with the dry cows. In this case, we've weaned the calves and the cows are all going to the sale on Friday. Cows are in better condition, partly because of good grass, but also because they haven't been pulled down by bigger calves on poorer grass later. Prices are also higher than they will be in Nov/Dec. I think we will see more $$ for the cows than what we will lose on the smaller calves.
We weighed all these calves too and weights ranged from 293-590 lbs. Most of them were 425-475 lbs which isn't all that great, so I think we are culling some poorer producing cows anyways. There was a handful of cows I was a bit disappointed in losing, lost my favourite old Shorthorn cow, she was 11 this year. Vet thought she had lost her calf. Lost a couple of really good producing 3 year olds and a couple of decent 2 year olds, one had twins this spring.
Today we filled the self feeder for the calves, they seemed to like the oats, and there are a few calves that were weaned earlier (and the daughter's bottle calf) who know what oats are, so that helps draw the others in to it. And we are planning to kick them to graze on some nice green alfalfa and grass on Monday.
Oh, and one smaller yearling that will go to town in a couple weeks...
The big one is the yearling (750 lbs??) and the little one is the daughters bottle calf.
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