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Really Hairy Calves = Bad Winter Coming???

5K views 22 replies 16 participants last post by  caroncrest 
#1 ·
I noticed a while back that my calves have put on some really thick and long coats this fall, all of them, so not genetics at play.
Really stand out and out of ordinary. Cows look normal, same with the fathers, in fact some of them seem a bit lacking, but its still somewhat early.
But the calves are walking hair balls. Have some that have those tufts they grow in their ears, even them are three to four inches and longer.
All on same feed, pastures, ect, so only thing I can attribute it too is perhaps nature is preparing them for something coming. We did have some nasty -20C back in Sept and Oct, not sure if that triggered it or what.
Anyone else seeing this and if so, where you at?
Me North Central AB.
 
#2 ·
You noticed that too. I didn't want to say anything just because I like being in denial and have no desire to go though another ****ty winter. I am hoping that the early cold triggered it. It looks like we are going to be in for big temp swings again, +5 or so for next week. Not much better for the animals either. Starting to hate winter.....
 
#5 ·
I noticed a while back that my calves have put on some really thick and long coats this fall, all of them, so not genetics at play. Really stand out and out of ordinary.
So what are the rest of your legs like AB? I agree that it's unusual that one part of your body should develop excessive hair growth. I'm having problems with it coming out my ears...quite annoying really.
Maybe talk to a beautician......they deal with that sort of thing all the time.
 
#6 ·
Can't comment on calfs, but a couple things regarding animals that i never seen before:
Cleaning up sloughs to burn off/work down cat tails and i see mole hills all around the edges, usually in the edge of the cat tails. Burrowing animals usually dig in higher ground. I guess the cover of the cat tails and the loose dry ground (no wet sloughs anywhere) are an attraction. So probably they are there more because of dryness allows it.

Other thing is a never seen a bald eagle around the farm in my life. Only north of La Ronge, sk. Saw one about 2 weeks ago in a tree. What the helll is that doing in this area. Two days later i saw 5 sitting in a field 300 yards from where i was working. Took a picture but pretty blurry but can see the white heads. Turns out they migrate. Very odd to suddenly notice them in this part of the world.
 
#15 ·
They seem to move around over time. Was never one seen in this area until around 15 years ago or so, now almost as common as hawks. I often wonder if different farming practices play a big role in the number of species and the seemingly new species in an area. A lot less tillage and safer chemicals has allowed ground nesting birds such as kill deer to really rise in numbers, less people killing animals just for a rug or feathers etc.



Wish I had a camera a few years ago while seeding, all sitting on one branch of a tree was a raven, a Bald Eagle, and an American Eagle! There was a lot of weight on that branch! Was funny to see them all together, thought they would have been fighting.
 
#11 · (Edited)
The dog sure has been getting a thick coat.



Hopefully get a couple elk to put in the freezer pretty soon, interested to see what the spleen looks like.




The weathermen say El nino is building and is supposed to make a warm dry winter for us in the northern part of the continent, but as said, the animals are saying otherwise.
 
#14 ·
Well wasn't my intentions but I see a play on words turned into a good laugh lol.
I haven't really been out and around this fall, so was genuinely wondering if others were seeing the same with the excessive hair growth on the animals, as I am like others stated, I do put belief into animals being able to predict things better than us, be it a storm in summer or a cold winter around the corner.
What is strange that it is only the young ones, even my yearlings look normal, but then we did see several nites in a row of minus 10 to 20C quite early, guess thats natures way of looking out for the young and inexperienced.
Anyone have muskrats? How big are the huts this year? I know the local beavers were busy this summer.
 
#20 ·
Muskrat Logic



Well Mary the muskrat says "Mike did you see how big Martha's hubby Mark is building their hut? You'd better get building." Then a couple days later Margie says "Monte did you see how big Mary and Mike's hut is getting? You'd better get building ". And the next day or so Martha says "Mark, I thought you said we were going to have the biggest hut in this marsh!" ....
 
#17 ·
Big Harry beaver.......sorry bit of topic

Considering we have already got a foot of snow that came and gone. It could be a real ugly one
 
#22 ·
Well this went from hairy legs to hairy beavers, might as well bring out the hairy nipples after [redacted]buck above post. Might need all the warmth a guy can get :1: . As far as the huts, that is one of the most common stories I have heard and it does stand to reason.
 
#18 ·
I think there are things to be learned by watching the animals so an interesting thread to open. The eagles i saw may be related to shortage of sloughs (basically none around, only dug outs have water) which changes other animal patterns and eagles react accordingly. I really never saw any geese moving this fall, again water related perhaps.

Last year was a long cold winter for those that forgot. Instead of 1 or 2 cold snaps of 7 days we had at least 3 with some of those pushing +14 days. Much like this fall where we were not only 3 or 4 days below normal but two weeks at a time. The present one already at 9 days and going. By 'below normals' i mean 8-10 deg, not 3.
Back in the times of our great grandfathers it is said the natives knew how cold a winter would be based on how high the white man made his wood pile. I wonder if that is true.

I will be surprised if this is an el nino year like Environmental Canada says. Will know in April.
 
#23 ·
Hey albertabuck, a little off topic, but have you ever had a chance to put down flax straw on the clay in high traffic areas, like in front of feed bunks? Actually makes a pretty big difference, keeps the manure separate from the clay layer and peels out with great separation when you need to remove it. That manure layer will benefit from a few months of piling and rotting before spreading, no denying that, but the feeding season will go very well and the corrals will last way longer before rebuilding is required.

Yeah, we keep telling ourselves that someday we will rebuild the corral feed bunks in concrete with scrape alleys, but I guess someday hasn't happened yet...
 
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