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ZG6E

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I should of said that different. I’ve had it happen every year but not as common as it is with these girls. I wondered if it was because they were heifers. I’ve only held a few heifers back at a time and never had a bunch of them to calve out like I did this year

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My father in law has a couple hundred head pair operation in Fort Pierre, South Dakota. I’ve raised a few calves from him that I’m quite proud of, Kiki and Millie to be exact. Here are a few pictures of us working them 

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a bull that seems to think he’s a jumping horse…

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the 12 mile drive though our neighbor, Mr Ted Turner! 

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my mare, Zena, she’s seen the years but she’s the best horse I’ve ever seen! 

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electric brand

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Fall shots 

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A moment of talking about why we do what we do

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a small glimpse of our herd

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kiki and Millie 

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  • 4 weeks later...

First calf of the year when I got home from work this morning. Little heifer out of a first calf heifer. Don’t think she’s eaten yet but looking pretty good. Momma seems to be a good one too but in picture she got distracted by the camera. 

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Just now, 1256pickett said:

First calf of the year when I got home from work this morning. Little heifer out of a first calf heifer. Don’t think she’s eaten yet but looking pretty good. Momma seems to be a good one too but in picture she got distracted by the camera. 

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I can’t get the picture turned right. 

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Here's pictures of a couple of our 1st calf heifers and their babies.  We are about 1/3 done with our spring time heifers (have 25 total) and just getting a good start on the cows.

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4 hours ago, junkandcattle said:

lots of pricks in one place kinda like a place out east

Except he is going to find that the majority of these have some value

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I lost another calf to an unknown predator last week. This is the 3rd one in a year. It was born on Tuesday and disappeared sometime Thursday night. I had the window open and the dogs in the room but nothing woke us up until I heard the Mom cow bawling for her calf in the morning. There are no remains to be found by the dogs or me and no vultures circling over the weekend. Is there an ear tag or some way to GPS tag a calf? It wouldn't save the next one but maybe at least give me some idea of where they are going to. I'm guessing a black bear as Coyotes wouldn't go that far before eating what they wanted and leaving the rest. I pretty much know what that looks like. I guess a 2 legged predator isn't out of the question, but why steal a newborn that you have to feed?

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1 hour ago, yellowrosefarm said:

guess a 2 legged predator isn't out of the question, but why steal a newborn that you have to feed?

Not sure what it's like in Virginia.

Could they take it to a sale barn?

Or know someone a bit crooked with a milk cow?

I would say the thought ain't too far out there.

How old was he when he was took. Don't take em too long to grow their runnin legs.

It is enough to get em to weaning without that kind of trouble.

Hope you get it figured out. 

Maybe a shotgun and salt or buckshot included in your predator control tools.

 

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1 hour ago, yellowrosefarm said:

I lost another calf to an unknown predator last week. This is the 3rd one in a year. It was born on Tuesday and disappeared sometime Thursday night. I had the window open and the dogs in the room but nothing woke us up until I heard the Mom cow bawling for her calf in the morning. There are no remains to be found by the dogs or me and no vultures circling over the weekend. Is there an ear tag or some way to GPS tag a calf? It wouldn't save the next one but maybe at least give me some idea of where they are going to. I'm guessing a black bear as Coyotes wouldn't go that far before eating what they wanted and leaving the rest. I pretty much know what that looks like. I guess a 2 legged predator isn't out of the question, but why steal a newborn that you have to feed?

Definitely think coyote is out if you find nothing. Black bear tend to be herbivores, brown are omnivores. We’ve had blacks around us for years and have never herd of them going after cattle. Now mountain lions on the other hand I had a neighbor loose a dairy calf to one of those, it carried it out of the barn over a 6’ gate got 100yards from the barn and about 35 milking cows trampled the lion. Too late to save calf though. New York State denied there were any lions around and paid farmers that lost stock to them to keep quiet but they didn’t. About 20 years ago one guy called the buffalo radio station (that wasn’t a talk show) and let the whole thing out. Since then I have heard a lot of second hand non-bragging stories about “oh that cat” or “this cat ain’t around anymore”. I was guaranteed!  But my point is cats will carry things off. 

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1 minute ago, 1256pickett said:

 But my point is cats will carry things off. 

They carry a ways here too but not sure how far, probably just to a place they feel safe eating. 

When they have have their first fill they will bury the carcass with grass, sticks, cattails or whatever is handy. 

If you run across a "hump" with a deer in it, sure makes the hair stand up on your neck!

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Depending on your set up and road frontage I would be afraid of a 2 legged predator like mentioned.

You would think there would be some sort of indication if an animal drug it off.  

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Calf was born on Tuesday, disappeared Thursday night. My place backs up to thousands of acres of rough mountain land. It's steep, rocky, forested, tangled with vines and pretty  much perfect habitat for any predator. But, in the 30 years I've been there, up until last year I only knew of 1 calf taken by a bear. That was during a prolonged snow event probably 20 years ago and the kill site and tracks were plain for all to see. My dogs have about a 50 acre range they patrol and anything unusual they find, they bring home. This time last year the first one disappeared. It was a twin, also only a day old and the herd was flighty for a day or so after it happened. Then in November it happened again, but the dogs found the carcass the next day. It had bite marks on the withers, the rear end had been chewed pretty well and the back legs mostly ripped off. I had 3 calves born in January that are still going strong and now this. There is no market I know of for baby calves around here. Dairy calves can be had for little of nothing. I hadn't really thought of a mountain lion , but there is no reason it couldn't be. I have heard of sightings about 30 miles away and it would make sense that one moved in last fall and started all this. There is a sheep farm next door that has always had huge losses, but I've blamed that on Coyotes since I can hear them.  I've got 3 left to calve, but maybe there will be enough other baby animals around by then that they will have a better chance. 

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17 hours ago, sandhiller said:

They carry a ways here too but not sure how far, probably just to a place they feel safe eating. 

When they have have their first fill they will bury the carcass with grass, sticks, cattails or whatever is handy. 

If you run across a "hump" with a deer in it, sure makes the hair stand up on your neck!

This would make sense as to why the dogs aren't bringing anything back. Officially, the state of Virginia does not recognize mountain lions existing in the state. So, if one was to go missing, I guess no one would notice😀

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11 minutes ago, yellowrosefarm said:

This would make sense as to why the dogs aren't bringing anything back. Officially, the state of Virginia does not recognize mountain lions existing in the state. So, if one was to go missing, I guess no one would notice😀

Don’t quote me on this but I believe as long as it’s not on endangered list or human, anything is fair game if it is harassing livestock. I’ve been told even the neighbors dog is fair game but personally I wouldn’t go after someone’s pet. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
11 hours ago, mike newman said:

...mustering cattle.....TB testing  calves

Cold Water Creek....another valley off the main  Rainbow Station Valley

Daughter Lorraine's pics

Mike

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Don't know how you (or Lorraine😃) do it Mike.

Your pictures get more beautiful with each posting!

 

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Gotta love it when you have to pull a calf and it comes out good. First calf heifer I been watching for a week. Of course it had to be late afternoon after being up for almost 24 hours, but I got tonight off work so it’s bedtime now. Calving is officially half over and so far all alive although I had to fight one or two to keep em. 

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Any of you guys struggle with cow lice?  2021 early spring was my first experience with them.  We treated twice 10 days apart.  I just had to treat yesterday which is about the same timing as last year.  No animals brought in since July.  My understanding is heat kills them over summer.  Where are they coming from?

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...i'm posting these two pictures here....to remind the 'cattle'   farming fraternity, why it is so much more preferable..in many ways....not the least of which is financial......to run cattle ...over these sheep....

3000  ewes heading out to some dry weather country....Rainbow Station

Mike

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