Front Porch Chit Chat

[DrJenner]

Evening everyone, just got back to the ol' RV park. Hailing here.

 

[Pearl]

Evening everyone, just got back to the ol' RV park. Hailing here.

Hope it passes quickly!! I don't like hail!

 

[DrJenner]

Thanks me too! Drove back in it, my wipers weren't working so great Road was super slick too.

 

[Pearl]

Thanks me too! Drove back in it, my wipers weren't working so great Road was super slick too.

Glad you are home! But not as glad as you are!! Glad you are safe

 

[DrJenner]

Glad you are home! But not as glad as you are!! Glad you are safe

Thanks Pearl! I don't get to go home home until Tuesday night, but the RV is an ok substitute. Although now it sounds like the hail is coming through the roof!

 

[LadyLocust]

Thanks Pearl! I don't get to go home home until Tuesday night, but the RV is an ok substitute. Although now it sounds like the hail is coming through the roof!

Just rained here all day - supposed to clear up and be okay for the next few days - hope it settles down for you there.

 

[LadyLocust]

PS I'm about ready for snoozeville myself.

 

[DrJenner]

PS I'm about ready for snoozeville myself.

Me too, I'm beat! Sleep well!

 

[Pearl]

Me too, I'm beat! Sleep well!

Hope you can sleep through the hail noise!! Pleasant dreams gal pals!!

 

[DrJenner]

Hope you can sleep through the hail noise!! Pleasant dreams gal pals!!

Thank you Pearl, sweet dreams!
I have a nice air purifier fan that is some great white noise (as there is also a train track right behind the RV park)

 

[Double R]

That sounds nice @Pearl!
Good evening ladies!
I'll be on and off for a bit. Have to make critter meals before I can make my supper. My tummy sure is grumbling.

 

[Double R]

Sweet dreams to those who've hit the hay!

 

[Double R]

Good evening @Peanut! How are you?

 

[Peanut]

Good evening @Peanut! How are you?

Hey youngen'! Doing pretty good myself, hungry though. Or should I say still hungry. Just had a big handful of honey roasted peanuts, then 2 yogurts, sitting here eyeing the bbq chips on the kitchen table. Probably should go with the fruit cup in the fridge...

Trouble in cowville this spring? Breeding not going well? My little calf isn't doing great either. He was a orphan, malnourished, I thought he might die the first two weeks I had him penned up. He's beyond my medicine to heal... need some of that elfish medicine. I think he ate enough acorns that it permanently damaged him.

 

[Double R]

Hey youngen'! Doing pretty good myself, hungry though. Or should I say still hungry. Just had a big handful of honey roasted peanuts, then 2 yogurts, sitting here eyeing the bbq chips on the kitchen table. Probably should go with the fruit cup in the fridge...

Trouble in cowville this spring? Breeding not going well? My little calf isn't doing great either. He was a orphan, malnourished, I thought he might die the first two weeks I had him penned up. He's beyond my medicine to heal... need some of that elfish medicine. I think he ate enough acorns that it permanently damaged him.

I am starving myself. Haven’t eaten yet today. Maybe you need a real meal?
Rushing around trying to beat the rain that won’t hit us I’m sure. Plus another trip to town which is always a grumble affair for me. But that should hopefully be the last trip for a while.
Breeding season just went to smooth. That’s what we’ve decided. It never goes well when it’s smooth. Lol I suspect it’s the weather mixed with the grass we don’t normally yet have that is now lacking. Nutrition plays a HUGE part in Repro work. I noticed all of a sudden they are hittin the sup tubs hard again. We will be out of feed in less than a couple months at the rate we’re going. May have to sell bred cows and cut back even more. Wasn’t going to since we aren’t moving. Gunna be interesting.
I was just wondering how your calf was doing. Have you given him vitamin b complex injections and probiotics? Pretty sure you said you dewormed him. I have “adopted” a lot of problems over the years. Some just can’t be helped. A lot can though. Don’t give up on him yet

 

[Peanut]

No plans to give up, he is growing but its so slow. The first 50lbs he put on quickly, of course he was starved. He did have a worm problem because his eyes and coat changed, got better. But he still didn't put on big weight for several weeks. The next month he might have put on 15lbs. Since then he put on weight faster but slower than he should.

He weighs 340, maybe 350. I can no longer see his spine. But at his age he should weigh 550. Took this today.

 

[Double R]

@Peanut Thats a big difference!! Well done! He may need another worming if he was overloaded. Do y’all get liver flukes there?

 

[Peanut]

I know they are in my state. Just checked, they are in 26 states. I'm not aware of them being a problem in past years.

But that boy did bring 35 head here to the farm. Many were old, others had health issues and he never wormed them. #$%# grumble, grumble.

Might have to dust off my books before I dig through some crap. Thanks for bringing them up.

 

[Peanut]

I'm leery of strange cattle. For decades our herd and our neighbors dairy herd were stable. They shared a fence but there were no big changes.

A few years after I moved back here to the farm my neighbor retired and sold his herd. His son then started running beef cattle on their farm. He brought in "ear warts". Not a big problem, just ugly as heck. That virus hung around a couple years. Then it just stopped.

I know I got knocked a few cents a pound at the livestock auction on cattle I sold.

It was frustrating, I'd send beautiful beef to the market with big warts. Would you buy this?

 

[Double R]

I know they are in my state. Just checked, they are in 26 states. I'm not aware of them being a problem in past years.

But that boy did bring 35 head here to the farm. Many were old, others had health issues and he never wormed them. #$%# grumble, grumble.

Might have to dust off my books before I dig through some crap. Thanks for bringing them up.

That’s very frustrating. I hear ya. I see that a lot around here too.
We fight them here and not many dewormers handle them. Would love some non pharma to treat them. Seen many cattle, goats and sheep almost die (and some did before I found out about them) from liver flukes. Most had been dewormed but not with a dewormer that treats for liver flukes. So it’s something I have a good bit of experience with. Was just a thought. If his color is good (eye pigment, gums etc) it’s probably not the issue but I’ve seen great pigment color and an almost dead steer so it’s something I run fecals for right off.

 

[Double R]

I'm leery of strange cattle. For decades our herd and our neighbors dairy herd were stable. They shared a fence but there were no big changes.

A few years after I moved back here to the farm my neighbor retired and sold his herd. His son then started running beef cattle on their farm. He brought in "ear warts". Not a big problem, just ugly as heck. That virus hung around a couple years. Then it just stopped.

I know I got knocked a few cents a pound at the livestock auction on cattle I sold.

It was frustrating, I'd send beautiful beef to the market with big warts. Would you buy this?

View attachment 81582

Warts on cattle are a dime a dozen around here. Don’t see them getting knocked hard at market on feeders. Guess they figure they clear up so it’s not a bother? We have a neighbor that buys a lot of mixed matched feeders. We fight hard to keep our herd healthy. It’s a challenge. One I would be happy to be rid of. They are big guys so if an animal dies well
That’s not how we operate

 

[Terri9630]

No plans to give up, he is growing but its so slow. The first 50lbs he put on quickly, of course he was starved. He did have a worm problem because his eyes and coat changed, got better. But he still didn't put on big weight for several weeks. The next month he might have put on 15lbs. Since then he put on weight faster but slower than he should.

He weighs 340, maybe 350. I can no longer see his spine. But at his age he should weigh 550. Took this today.
View attachment 81581

What breed is he?

 

[Peanut]

What breed is he?

He's at least half angus. The calf's mamma died in early august but that boy had 2 cows die around that time. I'm not sure which was his mother. I'm amazed he lived.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

To me, he looks like a calf that didn't get enough colostrum in time or was sick in the first few weeks. He has the face and body of one of those survivors. If this is the case, he will never thrive. I had a heifer that was stunted out like that, but still threw calves befitting her breeding. As a meat cow, he will never make the grade if he lives.

 

[backlash]

When I bought my calves last year the guy had a small red white face steer. Good looking calf but tiny. I thought he was a miniature. Turned out the calf was 18 months old. He was half the size of the 3 month calves. The guy said he thought the mom had died soon after he was born.. The smallest runt I ever saw but he was in good shape he just wouldn't ever get big.
I thought about getting him for a pasture decoration.
I wonder what happened to that calf?

 

[Peanut]

To me, he looks like a calf that didn't get enough colostrum in time or was sick in the first few weeks. He has the face and body of one of those survivors. If this is the case, he will never thrive. I had a heifer that was stunted out like that, but still threw calves befitting her breeding. As a meat cow, he will never make the grade if he lives.

You're absolutely right, I've raised a calf or two like him before. He'll never grow off like he was supposed to. My choice was quick, that boy suddenly hauled his cattle out of here. I didn't like the idea of no beef in the pasture, better some beef than no beef. He wasn't even the calf I wanted to buy. I found that one dead the day after the herd left.

@Peanut Thats a big difference!! Well done! He may need another worming if he was overloaded. Do y’all get liver flukes there?

Funny, today I was looking through my issue of Gulf Coast Cattleman magazine that came last week. This issue has an article about liver flukes... go figure!

 

[LadyLocust]

No plans to give up, he is growing but its so slow. The first 50lbs he put on quickly, of course he was starved. He did have a worm problem because his eyes and coat changed, got better. But he still didn't put on big weight for several weeks. The next month he might have put on 15lbs. Since then he put on weight faster but slower than he should.

He weighs 340, maybe 350. I can no longer see his spine. But at his age he should weigh 550. Took this today.
View attachment 81581

Not a magic cure for anything, but a hand full of calf manna once a day might give him a boost (if it's still the same, it's about 26% protein so a hot feed, wouldn't want to over do it.) And you probably know about it, but I never know who knows what so play it safe.

 

[LadyLocust]

When I bought my calves last year the guy had a small red white face steer. Good looking calf but tiny. I thought he was a miniature. Turned out the calf was 18 months old. He was half the size of the 3 month calves. The guy said he thought the mom had died soon after he was born.. The smallest runt I ever saw but he was in good shape he just wouldn't ever get big.
I thought about getting him for a pasture decoration.
I wonder what happened to that calf?

Oh, you should have, then train him to pull a mini cart

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Peanut,

You made a decision that was right for you and you knew it was a long shot and what your goals were. I always told buyers exactly what they were getting, including personality and slept well at night.

I have also bought a few dairy calves at auction knowing it was a crap shoot, just to help out with an over abundance of milk. Not all made it, but that was a chance I was wiling to take for feel good purposes.

 

[Peanut]

@ClemKadiddlehopper sort of funny, my neighbor had a dairy about 40 years. About dairy cattle he'd say "A Holstein is born looking for a place to die!". I learned I never wanted to buy a holstein.

Not a magic cure for anything, but a hand full of calf manna once a day might give him a boost (if it's still the same, it's about 26% protein so a hot feed, wouldn't want to over do it.) And you probably know about it, but I never know who knows what so play it safe.

I've never seen Calf Manna at the farm supply stores I shop. I checked their website, said TSC carried it. I checked both my local TSC stores. Neither carried it.

About protein... I can't get the little guy to eat cattle cubes (20%protein). The horse and donkey fight over them, good thing, I bought 300lbs.

The richest food I've gotten him to eat is 18% calf grower. Funny he'll take his nose and push the cattle cubes to one side and eat every scrap of the grower. The hay I got from my cousin just down the road, heavily fertilized Bahia grass.