Should have named him Lothario, baby pics May 4
Apr 28, 2023 11:17:18 GMT -5
throwback, jerseyrose, and 4 more like this
Post by lew92 on Apr 28, 2023 11:17:18 GMT -5
...instead of Walter.
A bit of background: the people we trade calves for round bales want the bull calves left intact, as they think it makes them bigger and more meaty. Yes, they get bigger - mainly in the bone - but as long as there is a cow in heat within 5 miles, they'll pace any fat off and be tough and tasteless. As we live in the middle of dairy country with quite a few beef herds out there, too, those bulls will be on the scent non-stop.
But, you can't teach everyone and I don't want to get in a fight with someone I can get good hay and good value for my calves.
So, last year we had Walter, the Holstein bull. He was about 10 months old when he left here and was fostered alongside Matilda, Rosebud's first calf, born in October of '21.
Matilda aborted a Holstein calf, probably at about 4-5 months gestation, back in December. I'm thankful that she aborted the calf because she is a grade Jersey and very delicate in shape and size. I doubt she could have delivered a half Holstein calf.
Then came my episode of believing that Rosebud was due in January, to the Jersey AI I had done just about a year ago. Well, she's now bagged up and her pins are soft, teats still pointing straight down, so I'm not sure if I'll have an April Fool or a May Flower out of her and I've quit guessing with her because I'm always wrong.
I took a milk sample from Anne in to the lab on March 9th and it came back positive with an S-N value of 3.078. She last calved at the end of July 2022 and the bull calf left here on August 28th. I never saw her come into heat after her calving "heat"/cleanout at about 10 days post calving, but that didn't surprise me as she had a foster calf on her as well as Caroline, her own calf. Both were good sized calves and hearty eaters and I know that can keep a cow from coming into a strong heat. I sent her to the neighbor's beef herd with her foster calf in October and switched her own calf over to nursing on Rosebud. Anne was away for 2 weeks, then for some reason I needed to bring her home.
I truly believe that she was also bred by that Holstein. I just never knew that a Holstein bull could be that precocious. I know that Jerseys can be quite early in their sexual development, but a Holstein? I'm stunned.
It will be interesting to see what both Anne and Rosebud calve with. I'm hoping for bull calves out of both of them. I have no need for mostly-Holstein heifers. Well, they would be eaten if that's what I get.
I'll attach some photos of Rose from yesterday and today and see what you all think of when she'll pop.
Yesterday
Today
And a whole body photo to show that I'm not all about udders and vulva
A bit of background: the people we trade calves for round bales want the bull calves left intact, as they think it makes them bigger and more meaty. Yes, they get bigger - mainly in the bone - but as long as there is a cow in heat within 5 miles, they'll pace any fat off and be tough and tasteless. As we live in the middle of dairy country with quite a few beef herds out there, too, those bulls will be on the scent non-stop.
But, you can't teach everyone and I don't want to get in a fight with someone I can get good hay and good value for my calves.
So, last year we had Walter, the Holstein bull. He was about 10 months old when he left here and was fostered alongside Matilda, Rosebud's first calf, born in October of '21.
Matilda aborted a Holstein calf, probably at about 4-5 months gestation, back in December. I'm thankful that she aborted the calf because she is a grade Jersey and very delicate in shape and size. I doubt she could have delivered a half Holstein calf.
Then came my episode of believing that Rosebud was due in January, to the Jersey AI I had done just about a year ago. Well, she's now bagged up and her pins are soft, teats still pointing straight down, so I'm not sure if I'll have an April Fool or a May Flower out of her and I've quit guessing with her because I'm always wrong.
I took a milk sample from Anne in to the lab on March 9th and it came back positive with an S-N value of 3.078. She last calved at the end of July 2022 and the bull calf left here on August 28th. I never saw her come into heat after her calving "heat"/cleanout at about 10 days post calving, but that didn't surprise me as she had a foster calf on her as well as Caroline, her own calf. Both were good sized calves and hearty eaters and I know that can keep a cow from coming into a strong heat. I sent her to the neighbor's beef herd with her foster calf in October and switched her own calf over to nursing on Rosebud. Anne was away for 2 weeks, then for some reason I needed to bring her home.
I truly believe that she was also bred by that Holstein. I just never knew that a Holstein bull could be that precocious. I know that Jerseys can be quite early in their sexual development, but a Holstein? I'm stunned.
It will be interesting to see what both Anne and Rosebud calve with. I'm hoping for bull calves out of both of them. I have no need for mostly-Holstein heifers. Well, they would be eaten if that's what I get.
I'll attach some photos of Rose from yesterday and today and see what you all think of when she'll pop.
Yesterday
Today
And a whole body photo to show that I'm not all about udders and vulva