and one more
group shot1.jpg
So calving season is over for us this year. A year without much drama, and 7 healthy calves and mommas thank goodness. Here are some pictures of our brood this year. I am so proud. This brings our herd up to 17 total, and we will have 2 steers and one heifer (the full black) to sell this fall, we will keep the other females. The mommas are either registered shorthorn or baldie, and the bull is baldie (Hereford x angus)
#10 and heifer calf.jpg
pepper and calf day one b.jpgpepper and calf day one.jpg
baldie heifer 3.jpgblack baldie and blackie.jpg
blue roan heifer3.jpgblue roan heifer4.jpg
bull calf 2.jpgbull calf 1.jpg
shorthorn heifer 1.jpg
~JACKLYN~
and one more
group shot1.jpg
~JACKLYN~
Nice Jacklyn!
You have a fine looking crew Jacklyn
Pat
Your discus are talking to you....are you listening
Thanks Kirby, thanks Pat. It is really fun watching them grow up and learn to play and run and play fight. They headbutt eachother in the pastures its so cute and funny to watch them learn to be cows.
~JACKLYN~
Of your 17, how many will you keep to continue building your herd? The ones you sell, I assume the steers are for meat, but someone would buy the hefer to raise and calf?
we will keep 14 of the 17, at this point we are still building our herd so we will keep all the females except the solid black. we just bought 44 more acres and are in the process of fencing in 8 acres now so we will have that property to grow as well. the two male calves born we will sell, one of them may go on to be a show steer hopefully and yes the solid black heifer calf will go to someone likely wanting to grow her up to become a herd momma. She would make a great momma with her genes. there are tons of people (the majority of beef cattleman actually) that prefer solid black cows, but we do not
~JACKLYN~
Thank you for indulging my ignorance. I grew up in the suburbs of Wisconsin dairy country. Always wished I could have been more of a farmer/rancher. So your remaining herd is all female? Is that the norm? Maybe I remember you posting about the dads, but do you have your own bulls, or do you pay for service?
That is the norm with a cow-calf operation Steve. Build your herd up to a group of high producing momma cows, then sell the calves each year. we're still building so we are keeping females at this point. We have a bull that comes for 4-6 months out of the year, hot rod is our bull for the last 2 years and will be once more this april. he is a rotational bull, meaning the farmer who owns him needs him gone for a while and we happen to need him for a while so we swap. our bull's name is hot rod, he is owned by a friend of ours so there is no money exchange, just the unspoken rule that whenever our friend needs help (he is a big time farmer) we help him for free. here is hot rod the bull.
hot rod.jpghot rod 2017.jpg
~JACKLYN~
he really is a gentle giant, you can rub his head and feed him bread, he loves bread. the farmer that owns hot rod says he will be getting rid of him soon because he has kept too many of hot rods daughters, and indeed we have too (but we have a second property to take his daughters when he comes back) so it may come a time that we consider buying hot rod, but we still wouldn't keep him year round.
~JACKLYN~
Update: All calves are doing well, we are bottle feeding one as its momma couldn't keep up with the milk production. Here are some new pictures
group shot 2.jpgcoco's heifer.jpgLT 1.jpgLT 2.jpg
~JACKLYN~
I'm amazed Jacklyn with you and your hubby. Being a city boy all my life I can only dream about a lifestyle in the country.
Farming in general whether live stock or crop I could only imagine the heavy work load 7 days a week which is why you get a thumbs up from me.
The photos clearly show the rewards in the end.
Maybe one day when I retire a little mixed forested/open land property with some chickens.
...Ralph
Last edited by Altum Nut; 04-20-2018 at 08:50 PM.
"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."
-John Wooden
Wow Ralph thanks so much for those kind words. I agree with you 100% that it is a full time 7 day a week job, and it is very physical and tough work, lots of blood sweat and tears have gone into our little herd, but it is all worth it in the end. I love every minute of our little country oasis.
~JACKLYN~
Living the LIFE!!!!!!!!!! Harry
well our calves are nearly 6 months old. we will be weaning them in August and looking to sell a few as well. This will be the first year we will have calves to sell and possibly make a little profit on our cow calf operation. We already have a buyer lined up for two of the shorthorn heifers and possibly a buyer lined up for the shorthorn steer to become a show calf which makes me so proud!! below are some grow-up collages I put together for my husband
collage 1.jpg
SHORTHORN STEER, HOPEFULLY SELLING TO BECOME A SHOW COW
collage 2.jpg
SHORTHORN HEIFER, ALREADY PRESOLD TO A FAMILY FRIEND
collage 3.jpg
BALDIE HEIFER, WE ARE KEEPING HER TO BECOME A HERD MOMMA
collage 4.jpg
SHORTHORN HEIFER, ALREADY PRESOLD TO A FAMILY FRIEND, SHE WENT FOR PREMIUM PRICE
Last edited by jmf3460; 07-26-2018 at 10:48 AM.
~JACKLYN~