07/16/2026
I am so over this summer calving ☀️😞
Story time. We were calving in early March. We had semen issues with a bull several years ago that pushed cows to June calving. As hard as we try to bump it back up each year, we are stuck in this June window 🥴
Why June isn't ideal
☀️ It's hot. Many June days are 90° + and throw in the Iowa humidity. Its hard on mamas and babies that can't yet regulate body temperature.
🪰 It's fly season. My nemesis. Flies aren't only annoying but can be super dangerous for wet newborn calves, especially highlands. We do all the things. Mult x per day sprays, fly rubs, garlic mineral, fans, manure control, immediate fly preventives for baby calves and yet they still cause trouble. I check our fold at min 4x per day- that means walking through them, spraying flyspray and looking for any distress. Last night at my 10pm walk, I felt weird bumps on our newest baby- 4 day old Leroy Brown. Upon further inspection I could see that under his hair, he was covered with fly eggs. This is a 911 in baby calves. Quick action and he got a full bath and blow out removing all the fly eggs. He was covered with pour on, iver, and fly spray. Mult checks and more spray today, he is looking good and free of eggs. This is a very quick thing that can kill a calf very quickly. It's called fly strike. Flies lay eggs in a wet and moist place (baby highland hair is a perfect environment). Although he has been treated daily since birth, this is why physical checks are so important. I am so glad we caught it when we did. By this morning the eggs would have been maggots and quickly would start eating away at his skin, eventually killing a calf. Thankful for quick action and that I knew exactly what it was and how to treat it Although this is thankfully the 1st time we have had to deal with it.
🍂 This was the final straw that made my decision to wait a bit to breed back our cows and push them to fall calving- mid Sep. Ideally I want a spring herd but the troubles we have had with heat and flies this year is enough to make me go crazy. We did check all the other calves and they were fine but treated them with another round of iver and pour on just in case. This is a friendly reminder for those friends calving in the summer to keep close eyes on those babies and get your hands on them to ensure healthy under coats. God speed through fly season 🥴😝
