One of our favorite times of the year is bringing new life to our farm!
Our 2021 Calving Season
It’s our favorite time of year! Of course we love the holidays, but we also love bringing new life to our herd. Our calving season usually starts in October and lasts until December, as it’s easier for our mommas to have their calves in the cooler weather. About nine months before—in early spring—the breeding season occurs when our momma cows are bred with our 44 Farms bull, and a few are artificially inseminated to introduce topline genetics into the herd. Once we know that our mommas are nearing their delivery date, we create a separate pasture, or “maternity ward” as we like to call it, so that we can keep a close eye on them.
Though we love watching the babies take their first wobbly steps and creating adorable videos of them that we post on Instagram, there’s a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure that they are healthy. While we wait for the mommas to calve, we are prepared to begin helping them stand up and bottle feeding them, as the first few hours of their lives are the most crucial to their success. This is also when they gain their strength and learn how to walk. While experienced mommas usually don’t need our help, we check on our first-time mommas two to three times per day to make sure that they are nursing. If not, we bottle feed them colostrum, which is the milky fluid that’s released before the breast milk is produced and is high in protein. We also have to make sure that the mommas are eating, so we supplement them with hay and protein treats that we often refer to as “cake.”
After a few days, before they’re ready to start running—or chasing each other—around the pasture, we will tag, weigh, and register the newborn calves with the American Angus Association to make sure they’re growing and to learn more about their genetics. We also vaccinate them to maintain our healthy herd and prevent bacterial infections that are common in cattle. From this point on, we consider our calves “independent,” as they will feel comfortable enough to satisfy their curiosity and venture out to get the hang of life on the farm.
While we watch first-time momma cows calve and instinctively know what to do, we can’t help but reflect on why we started Nack Land & Cattle Co: it’s in our nature to give back. Our herd constantly inspires us, as we are reminded why we do what we do, and we look forward to continuing to serve our community for years to come.
Do you have calving photos to share from your farm?
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