At our place, we have finished calving out the first-calf heifers and are getting into the rest of the cows. Calving season is certainly an interesting time of year. It has it's ups and downs, that's for sure. Even when you're tired and things aren't always going right, you know there are other ranchers all across the country doing the same thing -- working hard to ensure a bright and healthy start for their newborn baby calves.
Just for fun, I've put together my top 10 list of signs that indicate it's the middle of calving season.
10. Your shelves are stacked with ear tags, markers, nurse replacement, tubes and record books.
9. Your idea of a good night's sleep is three uninterrupted hours and sneaking in a short nap during Sunday church.
8. The ringing of your cell phone, then the house phone, then the cell phone, means you're needed outside, ASAP.
7. You start to schedule your days around cattle checks.
6. Coffee is a staple of your diet, but if you’re in a hurry, then a pop on the way out the door will have to do. (Or is it soda or Coke in your neck of the woods?)
5. Even though you’re dog-tired, you can’t help but think about next year’s breeding season already. You spend hours in the evening pouring over the new AI catalog for the next hot sire to breed your cows to.
4. Your four-wheeler, coveralls and gloves are all covered with a familiar coat of mud.
3. Your favorite time of the day is watching the calves play while their mothers moo for them to behave.
2. No matter how long you’ve been in the business, losing one still breaks your heart.
1. Every year you say this is the “last time you’ll calve out these cows in this weather.” Yet, when summer rolls around, you’ve forgotten all about how tough calving season can be and are enjoying them out in the pasture.
By the way, if you're on Twitter, follow the hashtags #farmlife or #calving11 to get updates on other ranchers and their calving seasons. You can follow us on Twitter here: @BEEFMagazine or @RadkeAmanda.
For calving season articles, check out the following:
Calving Season Is A Busy Time For Cattle Ranchers
How’s calving season going for you? When do your cows typically calve? Has the weather been holding up? Share your calving memories with the BEEF Daily crowd today!
