This post will keep track of all the new calves I get for the year.
Initial Plan
Going in to 2025, I had 21 cows that could give me calves. One of them would be a first time mother (Patches), but the rest were experienced.
I wanted to get my new South Poll bull to breed all of them. I’d keep all the calves if they were South Poll crosses.
The cows I had back in January of 2025 for breeding were (in no particular order):
| Red | Blue | Young 20 | 4 |
| Blackie | 6 | Metal Tag | Charolais |
| Brownie | 10 | 413 | 11 |
| Yellow | 19 | No number | 14 |
| Speck | Old 20 | Blue’s Calf | 48 |
| Patches |
On May 30th, 2025 #6 died probably from pneumonia. That left 20 cows that should be bred.
Breeding
I turned the new South Poll bull on the cows on July 3rd, 2024 and then sent the white longhorn bull in to clean up what he missed on September 3rd, 2024. I pulled the bulls off on October 10th, 2024. Since the gestation typically lasts 283 days I expect to see calves from the South Poll start dropping on April 12th, 2025 and for the Longhorn on June 13th, 2025. I don’t expect any calves after July 20th, 2025.
Calves
I didn’t see any calves in April or May. However, on May 18th, 2025 19 had a bloody rear end. I couldn’t see any aborted calf or anything. I suspect she had an abscess on her tail base that bled all over.
Calf #1 is a bull born to #10 on June 8th, 2025. Based on coloring alone, I suspect the Longhorn is the sire, despite the fact that the calf is 5 days earlier than I’d expect.
Calf #2 is a bull born to Blue on June 14th, 2025. Based on coloring alone, I suspect the Longhorn is the sire. Unfortunately, the calf died on June 19th, 2025. I suspected he was weak on June 17th, 2025. In hindsight, I should’ve kept milk powder on site and maybe a force-feeding tube. I might’ve been able to save that one.
Calf #3 is a bull born to Brownie on June 15th, 2025. Again, I suspect the Longhorn is the sire based on color alone.
Calf #4 is a black and white bull born to #11 on June 16th, 2025. The sire is probably the longhorn.
On June 19th, 2025 we had three new calves:
- Calf #5 is a red and white bull calf born to #413 I suspect that the sire is the South Poll bull because the mother is white and black.
- Calf #6 is a white with red spots bull calf born to Patches. The calf looks like the mother so I can’t tell who the sire is.
- Calf #7 is a red and white heifer calf born to one of the white cows (half charolais) that is probably from the South Poll bull.
Calf #8 is a black heifer calf born June 24th, 2025 to #14. I think the sire is the white bull. I sold them as a cow-calf pair on June 30th. I was concerned that she wasn’t making enough milk, and I don’t want bigger cows like her.
Calf #9 is a white bull born on June 26th, 2025 to Red. I think the sire is the white bull. I am going to sell them. Red is too big, and I’m not going to keep the calf.
Calf #10 is a white bull calf born on July 8th, 2025 to Yellow. The sire is likely the white bull.
Calf #11 is a white heifer born on July 10th, 2025 to Blue’s calf from 2021. The sire is likely the white bull.
I did not get calves from these 8 cows:
- Blackie
- Speck
- 19
- Old 20
- Metal tag
- Untagged black cow (2021)
- 4 (lost tag)
- Young 20
I plan on getting rid of 4 of them so I will be down to 10 cows. Right now I am thinking of getting rid of Speck, Blackie, Old 20, and one other.