In January, we asked our Facebook friends to share any tips they have found that make calving season easier. Here are some of their answers. If you’d like to keep up with Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association activities and learn about The Cattleman publications, make sure you are a fan of us at www.facebook.com/tscra.
Calving Tips From Experience
Wayne Decker: I took a short course on calving and calving problems years ago offered by Texas A&M. It showed me that most of what I had learned as a young man was incorrect and defi nitely improved my mortality rate. I learned to use bulls that were suited to the cows being bred as the foremost lesson. I learned to not breed heifers too young and to keep records of problem “mothers” from pre- vious calving seasons. Thanks for considering my opinion! If you happen to look back in your archives you’ll fi nd my grandfather was a trusted employee of the TSCRA for 20 years — Jesse H. Medford. He passed away at 102 years of age and was very proud of his affi liation with Don King (former executive secre- tary) and the association. Julie Oxford: A vet taught me to pour 4 pounds of a 5-pound bag of sugar on a prolapse. Pour the remaining pound in a bucket of warm water. Give the sugar a little time to work to shrink the swelling and then start bathing it in the warm sugar water. It shrinks and slides back in with greater ease.
Facebook Feedback Social media, Facebook, Twitter, Four- square, LinkedIn — there are so many ways to communicate electronically. We’re even jumping into the mix with The Cattleman NOW and The Cattleman Plus, our smartphone and tablet apps. We’ll be using these new methods of communication this year to ask for your opinions on timely topics. Some, like this one, will be a bit light-hearted. Others may be more serious. Jump in when you see our monthly ques- tion on TSCRA’s Facebook page. Join the conversation in our community of cattle raisers.
124 The Cattleman March 2013
Thomas R. Childress: Calve out the 3-year-old heifers and sell the 2-year-olds to the young ranchers. Cory Goswick: Synchronize the breeding of your cattle the best you can, whether by artifi cial insemination or natural breeding. This keeps your calving timeframe closer together so you can be in the pasture as much as possible around due dates to assist or help prevent any avoidable situations.