Suckler calves
To catch them by the chin and ear, back them in the crate,
Kicking, jumping, bellowing, mother cow's rattling at the gate.
From mid June we started feeding corn in a creep feeder for the suckler calves, it takes quite a while for them to start to find their way in, and its quite easy for them wonder in while they're still small. During August they had started to take a regular feed each day and I had to replenish with pellets each week.
The upper rail on the entrance was now just rubbing their backs, and so keen that they duck to get at the feed. Its now October and they are bending their legs a little as well as ducking and turn round to come out the same.
Last week we let the cattle onto some mowing meadows on the peat ground, which meant the calves were three fields away from the feeder, with the grass being so fresh and lush from the aftermath, no calves came back to the feeder for almost a week.
This morning I went down to count the cattle, and as they had taken most of the grass off those peat meadows, they had come back over night to the main cow pasture where the creep feeder is situated. The calves must have all decided to catch up on the feed they has missed, and I found five big calves wedged in very comfortably, side by side as if they were in a milking parlour, there are five openings at the front, but the top rail on the entrance was acting as a rump rail, and as they could not turn round they could not get out. By the look of the paddle of muck and wee under their back feet they had been in most of the night. I did try to lead ones tail under the rump rail to see if it would duck and back out, if one was out the others could turn round and all would be well. On touch the nearest ones tail it jumped and lashed out with its back feet, so for my safety and the calves, I abandoned that idea.
Only one thing to do was to put the tines of the fore end loader under one end of the creep, and lift it well up to release them. As big as what the calves are the mothers were keen to see where their calves were, and all five latched onto their respective mothers for milk.
Half of our calves have been weaned two weeks ago, I went through the herd and made a note some time back, of the cows numbers who were not quite so fit, and a note of all the first calf heifers numbers, then came into the office and made a list of their calves.
This is weaning a month earlier than I have ever done, but the calves were all used to eating hard food from the creep. In my view this should allow the cows to regain some weight while we still have grass and maize stubbles to brows. On the other hand, the other half of the cows, still with calves, they are good and fit, and some almost in blubby fat condition. I intend to leave the calves on them for another couple of months, by which time they may have pulled the mothers down a bit. That reminds me I must raise or unbolt the top rail from the creep which is now acting as a rump rail.
Dehorning Calves every Year
Dehorning calves every year, an Angus bull must get,
Breed them so they have none, save lots of work you bet,
To catch them by the chin and ear, back them in the crate,
Kicking, jumping, bellowing, mother cow's rattling at the gate.
Calf thinks "I'll shake them off; I'll bite his thumb real hard,
Shout and bellow for me mum, she'll chase them out the yard,
They've got me head its in a clamp, a needles in me ed,
A red hot iron coming close, mid smoke, and nothings said".
Later in life they're' dangerous, horns grow long and sharp,
Job to get them in the crush, but who are we to carp,
Dehorned as youngsters it is the best, pain for half an hour,
Makes life much easier, for stock and those in power.
Countryman
The lion and the calf shall lie down together, but the calf won't get much sleep.
Woody Allen (1935 - )