First Calf This Year

[Dee]

This little bull was born early this morning.

[Graybeard]

With the weather you've been talking about it's a tough time to be a newborn.

[Dee]

We got a break in the weather bill. Got down to 30 last night, aup to 70 today.  Gonna be good weather for about 2 weeks.

[VA Rifleman]

Excellent! Wondering how the cattle gig was going. My cows are due in a month or two. Real heavy weights. Bigger then Stacey Abrams.

Looking forward to spring and fresh grass.

[Dee]

This part of West Texas is considered "semi arid" and we're in a 7 year drought so rain would be more than welcome.

[phalanx]

This part of West Texas is considered "semi arid" and we're in a 7 year drought so rain would be more than welcome.

Here too.

[VA Rifleman]

Hope you guys get some good rain.

[Dee]

Yeah, it would help.  My biggest problem now is the boss' city employees Forman is obsessed with the coyotes getting this 1st calf.
He's going out to the ranch twice a day and huntin the calf down where she hides it.

I've explained to him newborn calves are like babies. They sleep alot.  Every time he finds that damn calf the young heifers go over to it and mess with it.

He's hard headed, and the calf needs to be left alone.

I wish it would rain. Maybe he'd stay in town.

[Dee]

So, did this mama cow give birth on the range by herself without humans around?
.

Uh, yes

[Ranger99]

They'd best leave it be or the mama
and calf will be hard to catch and control
when it comes time to tag, worm paste, etc.

[Dee]

He's afraid of coyotes getting the calf, but the ranch next to us hasn't dozens of calves already on the ground, and I've told him the night time is when the calf is the most vulnerable.
I've been out there everyday for two months and have yet to see a coyote., but there are tracks everywhere.

[VA Rifleman]

Dee knows cattle. Our 1st calf. Wife thought it dead. Wanted me to check. Raised it head, sort of rotated it’s ears, looked at me and bolted through a 5 strand fence.

Told the wife. Think he’s okay.

[Dee]

Well the strawboss convinced the big boss the coyotes got his 1st calf, so both came out this morning.  Strawboss burned a tank of gas, and wore out a pair of tennis walking the Caprock, draws, and gullies. I sat in my pickup and watched momma cows.
After 3 hours he came back to where I was a declared the calf gone and left for town. I told the owner not to give up on that calf just yet. I'd let momma settle down and come back before dark and she'd show where she hid her calf.
Just got back, strawboss was looking in the wrong place. That calf was suckin like a hoover and momma was happy to have strawboss gone.
I called the owner and told him that calf was fine but I wasn't telling strawboss where he was, and the cow/calf needed to be left alone.
Said he'd take care of that problem.

I also had another bull calf on the ground this morning.

[VA Rifleman]

Use binoculars now. If ears move, calf okay. Buzzards bad.

Do you guys raise to full weight before market?

Appreciate your Ranch updates. Better then a lot of threads. The owner is probably thinking damn, glad I hired that guy.

 

[Dee]

I've always used binoculars. I've got a loaded Sig 400 Tread on the dash for varmints, and a pair  Nikon binoculars on the console. 
If a calf hits the ground healthy, all that cow needs from me is feedin.

Steers get moved about 2 months before going to the packer and get a lotta corn. Meat stays local.

[oldandslow]

Mama cows are excellent coyote guards. Cows aren't real smart as critters go but they have coyotes figured out.

If and when we eventually get a rain I'm going outside, stand under the tin roof over my patio, and just listen to it. Since last July we have had a couple of showers and four sprinklings of snow that combined might add up to 3 1/2 inches. The ground is so dry it is almost as hard as my concrete patio. I keep water out for the small critters which right now consists of a few birds and even as cool as it is the level in the water pan drops about 1/2" a day from evaporation.

[Dee]

I've  got 2 more bull calves since yesterday.

[O-mega]

I've  got 2 more bull calves since yesterday.

Sounds like a bunch of bull 

Is that normal, so many bulls. or are you not reporting the female ones?

[VA Rifleman]

Steers get moved about 2 months before going to the packer and get a lotta corn. Meat stays local.

I've got 2 more bull calves since yesterday.

Selling local sounds smart. Like to see higher prices at auction considering what beef is selling for at the store. Middle guy / big buyers seem to make all the bucks now. Neighbor tells me cattle prices were much better decades back.

Both neighbors with cattle have donkeys in the pasture for anti coyote duty. Never see em in action but they raise heck some nights. Probably wouldn’t work if a big range.

Congrats on 2 more calves. They’re fun to watch. Some days you go out and think dang, it got bigger overnight.

[Dee]

Got another calf this morning, another little bull, and lost a cow/calf. Found her in a ravine under a mesquite tree.
Calf was coming in the right direction, but right front leg was not straight, and apparently hung up with the calfs' head almost out,  but when momma died he suffocated.
She was a first year heifer almost 2, and kind short havin good sized calf. She's coyote bait now.

[VA Rifleman]

Bummer on the cow/calf.    

Fence duty today and gathering stuff to repair a section with neighbor. Awkward spot. Tractor with auger hard to fit.

Hate hooking that auger up with one person. A most uncooperative implement when attaching.

[Dee]

I'm using T-posts and pushin'em in the ground with a skid-steer. Our issue on fencing is mostly maintenance. This ranch has been here many years.

[Dee]

I've  got 2 more bull calves since yesterday.

Sounds like a bunch of bull 

Is that normal, so many bulls. or are you not reporting the female ones?

The herd bull decides the calf sex. Hopefully more heifers than bulls before calving is over.

[Mule 11]

Nah. It’s a race. Speaking of that I’m a winner. I beat millions on that tail wag race

[Lloyd Smale]

what do you think of that rifle? Buddy has the high dollar piston version and swears its the best ar hes ever had and hes had a bunch.

I've always used binoculars. I've got a loaded Sig 400 Tread on the dash for varmints, and a pair  Nikon binoculars on the console. 
If a calf hits the ground healthy, all that cow needs from me is feedin.

Steers get moved about 2 months before going to the packer and get a lotta corn. Meat stays local.

[Dee]

what do you think of that rifle? Buddy has the high dollar piston version and swears its the best ar hes ever had and hes had a bunch.

I've always used binoculars. I've got a loaded Sig 400 Tread on the dash for varmints, and a pair  Nikon binoculars on the console. 
If a calf hits the ground healthy, all that cow needs from me is feedin.

Steers get moved about 2 months before going to the packer and get a lotta corn. Meat stays local.

Its muzzle heavy with that big stainless barrel, but it'll shoot one hole groups at 50yds, and under an inch at 100yds with a scope, so I can't complain. With the Eotec and that overhauled RISE trigger it's a coyote getter.

[VA Rifleman]

I'm using T-posts and pushin'em in the ground with a skid-steer. Our issue on fencing is mostly maintenance. This ranch has been here many years.

Way better then what I’m doing. How do you keep the t posts straight when pushing?

Neighbor yesterday brought a spool of bob wire that he said was 100 years old. IDK but it was thickest, most aggravating wire I’ve ever used.

 Nice rifle! FMJ or something different?

[Dee]

Just hold'em up straight. If they're a little off when you get'em the right depth just grab the top of the post with both hands and lean into it. It'll bend enough to straighten.

[Lloyd Smale]

Always amazes me how well a cheap ar will shoot. Ive got a number of guns build on low dollar psa parts that shoot moa and were built for under 400 bucks. Actually the only ar ive ever owned in any caliber (other then ar pistol) that wouldnt shoot moa was the colt i had. It shot about 1.5 at a 100. Even my ar pistols will shoot inch groups at 50 with red dots. Never bothered really perfecting loads for them but id bet i could get one to shoot moa with a scope and some load development. One that always amazes me is my 16 in cmmg 9mm. Its the only complete ar other then the colt i ever bought. It will shoot 145 gas checked flat nose cast bullets into an inch at a 100 yards with a scope on it. I would have never bet a dime that a 9mm ar15 would shoot like that gun. It shoots about anything i tried into 1.5 inch at a 100. But truth be told i cant do that with a dot sight. My eyes make dots look like footballs and its hard to be precise with one. But a man standing at a 100 yards would be in deep trouble even with a red dot. Most accuate one i have is my 18 in 6.5 grendel. that thing will shoot under 3/4s of an inch at a 100 and many groups are in the 1/2 range. I havent shot my 300 ham'r much yet. First load was a 130 grain speer hp and it went just under and inch and i said good enough. hate to waste a bunch of components these days chasing another 1/4 inch. That one has a wilson barrel and theres no doubt in my mind it would shoot as well as the grendel with a bit of load developement.

what do you think of that rifle? Buddy has the high dollar piston version and swears its the best ar hes ever had and hes had a bunch.

I've always used binoculars. I've got a loaded Sig 400 Tread on the dash for varmints, and a pair  Nikon binoculars on the console. 
If a calf hits the ground healthy, all that cow needs from me is feedin.

Steers get moved about 2 months before going to the packer and get a lotta corn. Meat stays local.

Its muzzle heavy with that big stainless barrel, but it'll shoot one hole groups at 50yds, and under an inch at 100yds with a scope, so I can't complain. With the Eotec and that overhauled RISE trigger it's a coyote getter.

[Dee]

This morning is the 1st time I've had the chance to tryit out on anything.  A pack of 4 adult coyotes were on my dead cow this morning when I got to work.
2 left, and 2 weren't lucky. I forgot to take pics, but I'm going back late this evening. Maybe I'll get the other two, and I'll take pics. Linda got a kick out of the running shot.
That Eotech along with the reworked Rise trigger were awesome.