Southwest Iowa Calving Clinic Set for January 23

Jan 05, 2024

Southwest Iowa cattle producers, including 4-H and FFA members, are invited to attend a calving clinic Jan. 23 at St. Peters Catholic Church Parish Hall, in Defiance. In addition to classroom style learning, attendees also will have the opportunity for hands-on practice with delivering calves and dealing with dystocia cases utilizing a life-sized model cow and calf from the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine.

Iowa State University Extension beef specialist Erika Lundy-Woolfolk said the educational program will offer valuable information about the basics about the birthing process, newborn calf care, and cow nutritional impacts.

“Using the model, we can place the calf in various positions so that participants must work to correct those undesirable positions before delivering the calf," she said. "The session also provides a great opportunity to share questions and experiences with speakers and fellow cattle producers."

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Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!