Big Calves

[Toughie]

What is the biggest birthweight calf that you have had or heard of?  I heard last night of one that weighed 185 lbs and heifers that had calves weighing 146 and 153. 

 

[obie105]

140 was the biggest I have heard of a friend had it and it was a c section and it was 2 weeks overdue. I think 180 is a stretch. 

 

[Warrior10]

What is the biggest birthweight calf that you have had or heard of?  I heard last night of one that weighed 185 lbs and heifers that had calves weighing 146 and 153. 

What were the sires of the heifers' calves?

 

[kidsandkows]

Ughh!!! Thats huge! It is hard to imagine, but some of those big ol cows weighing 2000 lbs its really not all that difficult for them to produce well over 100lb calves but I havent heard of anything like that. Interesting!

 

[vanridge]

When I was a kid and we owned purebred/fullblood  Simmentals ( the original kind) 120 -140 was not uncommon birthweights. This year our heaviest was a 140 lb calf from a  cow who has a bit of simm in her background. We had to pull that one, it was not a hard pull. We also had a cow give birth to 135 lb one this year unassisted and calf was up in minutes sucking. 185 lbs sounds like a lot! Do you know the breed of the cow and sire?

 

[KSanburg]

Had a 146 pound tiger woods calf last year and he was 2 weeks overdue and the cow had him on her own.

 

[bluffcountrycattle]

My cousin is a vet, and he did a C-Section on a Holstein cow a few years back.  They couldn't believe the size, so weighed it....193 lb bull calf!  Don't have to be clubby to be HUGE!! 

 

[Bi-Lane Livestock]

IVF calves can push 160+

 

[RyanChandler]

My cousin is a vet, and he did a C-Section on a Holstein cow a few years back.  They couldn't believe the size, so weighed it....193 lb bull calf!  Don't have to be clubby to be HUGE!!  

No, it just has to be another sector that doesnt apply MULTIPLE trait selection protocol.

 

[sizzler14]

was it a PHA calf

 

[Carlson Cattle]

what were the sires on these?! wow ive never heard of this

 

[CRS]

I know of a full blood Simmental breeder who called a 120lb calf small. Most of his calves averaged around 130 and has had some near 200. Lots of pulls, but never any cesarean sections.  His cows this year were bred by a Rowe Broadband x Ali.  Be interesting to see how big they are his calves usually run about 70lbs.