Calving has started

[chickencrazymamahen]

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Congratulations! Great pics!!

 

[seminolewind]

They are really beautiful babies. Looks like everything's going well. How many more are you waiting for?

 

[WyandotteTX]

Hi Katy!
What kind of cows do yall run? and how many? Dad only has about 25 head now but back when I was in high school we had about 225. We raised Red Angus/Red Brangus for years. Now Dad has a combination of Red/Black Angus. He too has had several calves in the last few weeks. He even had a cow have twins....of course the momma refused the little one so had to catch it and then gave it to a lady from church to raise.
Anyway, I was gonna ask you....what are cattle prices like up your way? Dad was telling me the other day how stocker calves were going as high as $1.50 a pound, pairs going for upwards of $1500 and even old stocker bulls going for as much as .80 cents a pound......crazy high prices. One thing you notice down here in Texas though is, there isnt as many cows out in the country anymore. All of the droughts in the last 15 years have reduced all of the herds dramatically...
Thought I would talk cows for once here haha....We only raised two animals on our farm/ranch; cows and chickens so thats all I know about. Grandpa had goats, mainly Angorras before I was born.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I LOVE calf breathe

 

[Katy]

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60+

 

[Katy]

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Angus bulls over Simmental mixed cows...altho every year our cows are becoming more Angus with the heifers we keep back. We only have grass for about 65 pairs....we'd like more, but at this stage in our life it probably won't happen. I've wanted to plant all our crop ground to grass for years......just farm enough to raise hay and feed for the cows.....then we could increase our herd.

Actually I was just at the cattle auction on thursday.......highest prices we ever had around here I think. Packer bulls were going for .90+ a pound!! 600 pound steers were 1.40-1.50 a pound......heifers about a dime less. Even 1000 pound sterrs were bringing 1.10-1.20. It's insane. Light weights were bringing over 1.70 a pound! I didn't see any pairs sell....they usually bring them to the Monday sale.

 

[WyandotteTX]

Katy, I know!! Those are the highest prices I have ever seen.. Of course my dad doesnt have anything to sell right now either...haha...isnt that always the case!

Ok Katy, I think you know me well enough to know how much of a nerd I am about different things. Well, I have a masters degree in agronomy. Specifically grasses. If you do ever decide to plant some of that acreage in grass, plant Eastern Gamagrass. Grows prolifically, even in drought years because its root system is so deep. It is a native grass but relatively unseen because cattle ate it up a long time ago.... Best thing about it is how much it produces and has a protein level of close to 14%.....unheard of for a native prairie grass. Just some information for you....

 

[Katy]

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We just sold a group...averaged 1.40 a pound

I've heard about gama grass...... what I read called it the "ice cream" of grasses as far as the cows were concerned.

 

[redhen]

I love cows...SO wish i had enough land for one..

 

[WyandotteTX]

Yep, that would be correct. It can grow very fast and fairly tall. It is a relative of corn so you have to plant it in rows like corn because the seeds are large for grass.
I have seen a field of it, it is impressive(for a grass that is)....
We planted about 30 acres in Switchgrass about 15 years ago and its well established now. It grows over head high in very large clumps and the cows love to eat it during the early spring and summer times, not so much in the fall when it gets too tough.