Time is certainly marching on! It doesn’t seem like Christmas was that long ago.
We made it through another cold day or two and it looks like we are going to be trending warmer. There doesn’t seem to be a happy medium. It hasn’t been too bad for calving at all. I am over the halfway mark and counting.
The year letter for 2026 is P, in the standard system used for ear tattoos and tags, and most people that name their animals give names with the corresponding letter. We have never done that because Nanny (my grandma) didn’t like that idea. We always named them with the corresponding first letter of the cow’s name.
We do have an exception—in Olympic years, we try to incorporate as many Olympic names as we can, even if they don’t match! That has been fun and of course we tend to have a lot of hockey names. So far, we have a few more bull calves than heifers, but it is nice to get a good heifer with a special name because she is likely to stay in the herd for some time. Sometimes it takes a bit to get a name because Maddie and Marlee like to pick a name for their animals.
I have a bull calf that I wasn’t able to castrate yet because he only had one testicle drop down. I will keep an eye on him, but my cows are still involved with a study and this year they are asking to see blood samples from 10 calves. Dr. Stacey is planning to do that when the vet students are here on their rotation so he might be another good case for the students.
I normally castrate them within 24 hours of birth, since they are easy to handle and really don’t seem to be bothered by it. I am using “lidobands” on these calves. These elastics are impregnated with lidocaine, which provides a local anesthesia, and they help with pain and discomfort. I just have to remember to use gloves when using them!
All calves are tagged as well. Normally they receive a dangle tag and then the radiofrequency ID (RFID) button. This year my calves will be getting an RFID bolus before pasture. They are new to the industry as there have been many complaints about tag retention.
All calves also receive oral vitamins within 24 hours as well. They are simple to give and much nicer than giving them a needle. There are lots of studies out there that say handling your cattle young like that really makes a difference with docility going forward. Not sure how much weight that carries and if you have a big herd that isn’t really easy to do. It is nice working with quiet cattle, and it is easier on you and them.
It is definitely meeting season. Most days I have to rush in from the barn to get online. Lots of planning for the upcoming growing season. I have been missing out on the ski club. Some days I just don’t have the energy, but I am hoping that I might be able to join the girls for a night ski this week. It will depend on whether the cows will let me go!
