Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

I happen to like Black Angus...... However, they can be a bit Lessor Scandinavian in their behavior....(bull headed).....

 

[ejb3810]

Ralphie, how many chicks have you hatched thus far this season, and what are your plans as relates to additional hatching this year?
Once elected your schedule may not allow time to be hatching and tending to chicks?

 

[I Love Layers]

It got to 45° here, back into single digits today

I like Baldies and Herefords. I really like a cross of Baldie×Charlois. Those calves are huge and have a really nice temperment! And the Charlois bulls and the Baldies are really nice too

 

[ejb3810]

Got to 43 here yesterday. 33 this morning but cooling as the day progresses ?

Layers, in my experience one must be very selective in choosing Charolais bulls as relates to calving ease. As you may guess I am in favor of 100% calving with no human assistance. Baldie cows are fine, but I prefer red baldies.
Wildest cow I ever owned was a horned Hereford and unfortunately she and her calf tangled with a porcupine. Dealing with that was a rodeo event to remember. In ND you don't have to worry about porcupines as they only live where there are trees.

 

[duluthralphie]

EJB I have 34 chicks. they hatched Jan 5th. I have more SS than anyone could want. I am lacking on the other breeds. I will be placing eggs in next few days.
Hopefully, this will be my last hatch of the year.

I may have to do one more legbar hatch as they are tight wads when it comes to giving up eggs.

 

[jerryse]

Morning . 45 yesterday . Cool down coming tomorrow . One day only . My Legbars are still loafers . Need to move the rose comb pullets in with the Legbars . The pullets are laying good .

 

[holm25]

That birds stink eye just sent a shiver up my spine
Why you got such psycho looking birds Holm? Is them hillbilly birds? Do they all look at you like they want you dead like that?
Don't fall down in your coop! Especially if you happen to be in your birthday suit

We only raise the psychoist of birds here

 

[I Love Layers]

Got to 43 here yesterday. 33 this morning but cooling as the day progresses ?

Layers, in my experience one must be very selective in choosing Charolais bulls as relates to calving ease. As you may guess I am in favor of 100% calving with no human assistance. Baldie cows are fine, but I prefer red baldies.
Wildest cow I ever owned was a horned Hereford and unfortunately she and her calf tangled with a porcupine. Dealing with that was a rodeo event to remember. In ND you don't have to worry about porcupines as they only live where there are trees.

I totally agree, you shouldn't need to assist in calving. We don't do Charlois×Baldie but my grandpa and uncle do. They rarely have troubles, I don't think they have had to pull a calf in the last couple years. They do a few crosses, Black angus and hereford bulls over hereford and black angus cows, Charlois Bulls over Baldie cows, and all od th
Due to the fact that we do live by creek bottoms we have had many porcupines. Never had problem with cows but my horse got 28 om her muzzle about 3 years ago I think. That was a rodeo that ended in about 6 broken halters, 4 lead ropes that were shorter than what they were bought with, and a railroad tie almost pulled out of the ground.

 

[holm25]

erlibird is back to being early.

Holms, your writings related to cattle are an interesting read and the bull looks good. I at one time owned and raised registered Black Angus and thus have first hand experience with them. I would not choose them again.

I have heard that certain lines are better than other which is true for every breed I’m sure. I know the guy we buy our Bulls from is getting out of Angus because Simmentals have a lot better temperaments.

We have not had good experiences with CharX cows. All but one of them have been high headed cows (always looking for something to run from) and they have all been a little pushy except for one. None of them are pure Char though so it could be the other side of the breeding. The one CharX cow that we love raises a whopper of a bull calf every year except for a single heifer she had (which is due with her first calf). As far as Registered Char go I have seen a few lines that aren’t very maternal which in Minnesota is a big deal if you have a cow that calves in the middle of a cold night and doesn’t dry the calf!

 

[holm25]

This is our favorite Char cross cow. She is the easiest going cow we have and is a great mom! I handed and tagged her last calf with her right in the calving pens with me. She just watch us.

The white calf is her heifer out of an angus bull and the red calf is her big steer calf out of our SimAngus. HE WAS A BLOCK OF A CALF!