The cold has hit this part of the U.S. I do believe our high was 5 degrees… then add a 10 mph wind… Brrrr. To be born in the snow, nice and slick and wet… is challenging for our baby calves.
The calves that were born yesterday could be moved out of the calving shed to make way for today’s lot, and I went down to help. Even though they’ve had a head start… born in dry straw in an enclosed pen… we’re not that anxious to put in their little eartag. Ears are fragile, and they can freeze and fall off!
No one wants that.
So how do you get the ear tags on later, when they’re full of vim and vigor and very hard to catch? Where’s 732’s calf? Oh, it’s the black one. Duh. We have Angus… they’re *all* black. Sure, you can stand there and watch, and hopefully, the calf sucks on his momma, and doesn’t just steal from the closest udder… but Vernon is using this method.
A little strip of Velcro… a Sharpie marker… and 732 has a new leg band.
It actually stays on quite well. Sure it comes back well seasoned with mud and manure, but rub it on the edge of a board, and bam! It’s ready to be reused.
In a few days, when it’s warmed back up, you can sneak up on a sleeping calf, and grab it and tag it, peeling off the Velcro for another calf to use.
It sure beats standing around, trying to figure out which baby goes with which mom!
Find me here!
Creativity at its best. Hope it warms up for the rest of calving time.
Vernon is one smart man! You all are outstanding ranchers & “folks”!