The disappearing calf

Mar 18, 2026
Mar 18, 2026

Glenn Brunkow

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

Calving season has officially started for us. I must admit, it was kind of a surprise.

kAmx EFC?65 E96 3F==D @FE yF?6 `[ 2?5 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 492CED H6 D9@F=5 ?@E 92G6 DE2CE65 F?E:= |2C49 `_] %96 4@HD H@F=5 ?@E 92G6 DFCAC:D65 >6 E92E >F49 H:E9 2 323J |2C49 d] w@H6G6C[ E9:D H2D 2? px W2CE:7:4:2= :?D6>:?2E:@? ?@E 2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46X 42=7 @FE @7 >J 96:76CD[ 2?5 E96J H6C6 ?@E 5F6 F?E:= |2C49 `d]k^Am

kAmx <?@H E92E `_ 52JD :D ?@E @FE @7 E96 C62=> @7 6IA64E2E:@?D[ 3FE :E >FDE 36 AFD9:?8 :E]k^Am

kAm(6 925 EH@ =:G6 42=G6D[ 2?5 @FE @7 96:76CD E92E :D 2== x 2D<] w@H6G6C[ x E9@F89E x 925 2 76H >@C6 52JD 2?5 x H2D ?@E 4@>A=6E6=J AC6A2C65] x <?@H[ :7 x H6C6 C62==J @? E@A @7 E9:?8D x H@F=5 92G6 925 2== E96 E28D[ 32?5D 2?5 G244:?2E:@?D 2== =:?65 FA 2 >@?E9 28@[ 3FE H92E 7F? :D 36:?8 E92E AC6A2C65nk^Am

kAmx 5:5 7:?5 E28D 2?5 32?5D[ 2?5 x 8@E E96 ?2D2= DEF77 7C@> E96 G6E[ D@ :E 2== H@C<65 @FE :? E96 6?5] (6==[ E92E A2CE H@C<65 @FE 3FE x H2D 2 3:E H@CC:65 23@FE 42E49:?8 2?5 H@C<:?8 E96 42=G6D] x =:<6 E@ =6E 7:CDE\42=7 96:76CD 92G6 2 76H >@C6 9@FCD E@ 3@?5 H:E9 E96:C 42=G6D] %92E[ 4@FA=65 H:E9 2 E9F?56CDE@C>[ >62?E E96J H@F=5 36 ac 2?5 be 9@FCD @=5 H96? x 5:5 7:?2==J 2EE6>AE E@ 42E49 E96>]k^Am

kAmx 5:5 92G6 2 D64C6E H62A@? – y6??:76C] $96 :D >F49 >@C6 DE62=E9J 2?5 BF:4<6C E92? x 2> 2?5[ >@DE :>A@CE2?E=J[ >@C6 56E6C>:?65] x H2D DE:== D<6AE:42= E92E E96 42=G6D 4@F=5 36 42F89E] %96 7:CDE 42=7 D66>65 E@ 36 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 =2:5 324<] %96 D64@?5 42=7[ 9@H6G6C[ H2D 2 CF??6C 7C@> E96 E:>6 x 7:CDE =2:5 6J6D @? 96C] %H6?EJ\7@FC 9@FCD @?=J >256 96C 72DE6C 2?5 82G6 96C >@C6 6?5FC2?46]k^Am

kAmy6??:76C 2?5 x =@2565 FA E96 D:56\3J\D:56 2?5 962565 @FE 7@C @FC >:DD:@?] ~?6 E9:?8 x H2D 2=>@DE 46CE2:? 23@FE H2D E92E ?6:E96C @?6 @7 E96 ?6H >@E96CD H@F=5 36 >62?] u:CDE 42=7 96:76CD 2C6 C2C6=J @G6CAC@E64E:G6[ @C 2E =62DE E92E H2D H92E x H2D E6==:?8 >JD6=7] }6:E96C @?6 D66>65 E@ H2?E E@ 7:89E] u=:89E D66>65 >@C6 E96:C >@56 @7 AC@E64E:@?]k^Am

People are also reading…

Missouri cowgirl bakes to fund her trick-riding ambitions
Finding her niche on family farm: Newman Grove farm wife builds pork business
Meristem focuses on reducing crop input costs for farmers
Variety of fencing meets needs on the farm
Fast-Dohrmann-Strommen 55th Annual Production Sale
Eichacker Simmentals & JK Angus
Effertz Key Ranch 48th Annual Bull Sale
Highmore cattleman elected to American Simmental board
Berwald Red Angus 4th Annual Bull & Female Sale
Wildfires: Yearning to help, prompted to plan
Helping wildfire victims, the Nebraska way
First South Dakotan named chairman of U.S. Soybean Export Council
Heart River Ranch Annual Production Sale
Leland Red Angus & Koester Red Angus
Spring wheat market seeing upward price movement

kAmx E9@F89E H6 >:89E 92G6 2 D9@E 2E E96 7:CDE\3@C? 42=7] (96? x D2H :E[ :E H2D =J:?8 5@H? 2?5 5:5 ?@E D66> 3@E96C65 3J >J AC6D6?46] %96 D64@?5 42=7 2?5 :ED >@E96C[ @? E96 @E96C 92?5[ DE2CE65 >@G:?8 2H2J 7C@> >6 E96 >:?FE6 E96J D2H E96 D:56\3J\D:56]k^Am

kAmpD =F4< H@F=5 92G6 :E[ E96 D64@?5 42=7 H2D E96 7:CDE @?6 H6 7@F?5] p=D@ =F4<J 7@C FD E96J H6C6 :? E96 >2:? 96C5 @7 4@HD[ 2?5 H6 >2?6FG6C65 4=@D6 H:E9@FE 2=6CE:?8 >F49 2EE6?E:@?[ E96 @E96C 4@HD :8?@C65 FD] y6??:76C 8@E H:E9:? DEC:<:?8 5:DE2?46 2?5 62D65 @FE H:E9 23@FE D:I 766E E@ E96 E2C86E] x? @?6 76== DH@@A D96 >2?2865 E@ D?28 E96 E2:=[ 2?5 :E H2D 2== @G6C 367@C6 E96 42=7 @C 4@H <?6H H92E 9:E E96>] w2=7 E96 >:DD:@? H2D 244@>A=:D965]k^Am

kAm}6IE H2D E96 @?6 x E9@F89E H@F=5 36 62DJ] $A@EE:?8 ?@ @E96C 42=7[ H6 DE2CE65 D62C49:?8 7@C E96 D64@?5 A2:C] x ?665 E@ >6?E:@? E92E E96 ?:89E 367@C6 x 4@F=5 ?@E 7:?5 E96 42=7 2?5 232?5@?65 E96 D62C49 3642FD6 @7 C2:?] x 5:5 D66 3@E9 42=G6D E96 ?6IE >@C?:?8[ D@ x H2D A@D:E:G6 E96C6 H6C6 EH@]k^Am

kAmy6??:76C 2?5 x =@@<65 3FE 4@F=5 ?@E 7:?5 E96 D64@?5 A2:C] u:?2==J[ H6 H6?E 324< E@ E96 96C5 2?5 7@F?5 E96 323J >2>2[ 3FE ?@ 323J] $96 H2D 2E E96 32=6 76656C 3FE H2D ?@E 2E 2== H@CC:65 23@FE 96C 323J] y6??:76C 2?5 x 282:? H6?E @? 2 >@C6 :?E6?D6 D62C49[ 2?5 27E6C EH@ >@C6 =2AD 5:5 ?@E 7:?5 E96 323J]k^Am

kAmx 7@F?5 E9:D 9:5:?8 ;@3 :>AC6DD:G6 7C@> 2 7:CDE 42=7 96:76C] &DF2==J E96J 5@ ?@E 7:8FC6 @FE EC:4<D =:<6 E9:D F?E:= D6G6C2= >@C6 42=G6D 5@H? E96 =:?6] x H2D DFC6 E92E E96 42=7 H2D ~z 3642FD6 E96 4@H H2D ?@E 2E 2== H@CC:65] t:E96C E92E @C H6 925 2 92>3FC86C 42?5:52E6]k^Am

kAm!6CA=6I65[ H6 H6?E 324< E@ E96 92J 76656C 2?5 =@@<65 2E E96 @776?5:?8 96:76C] x 5:5 >J 42=7 :? 5:DEC6DD 32H= E92E FDF2==J 3C:?8D E96> CF??:?8[ 3FE 2== x 8@E H2D E96 D:56 6J6] $96 ;FDE H6?E 324< E@ 62E:?8 92J] %92E H2D H96? y6??:76C ?@E:465 E96 3=24< 3=@3 F?56C 2 =:>3 :? 2 3CFD9 A:=6 ;FDE a_ 766E 2H2J] w6 H2D =2:5 @FE 2?5 ?@E >@G:?8 2 >FD4=6[ ?@E 6G6? EH:E49:?8 2? 62C]k^Am

kAm(6 =2F?496D 2 D?62< 2EE24<] w6 H2D 42F89E =2J:?8 5@H? 2?5 82G6 FA H:E9@FE 2 7:89E] %H@ 42=G6D E92E x E9@F89E H@F=5 36 492==6?8:?8 H6C6 42F89E H:E9@FE 3C62<:?8 2 DH62E] %H@ =:G6 42=G6D[ EH@ 42=G6D E28865 H:E9@FE :?4:56?E] x H@F=5 D2J E92E :D 2 8@@5[ F?C6>2C<23=6 H2J E@ DE2CE 42=G:?8 D62D@?]k^Am

kAmx 2> DFC6 E96C6 H:== 36 >@>6?ED @7 6I4:E6>6?E 2?5 @E96C >@>6?ED @7 72:=FC6 5FC:?8 E9:D D62D@?[ 3FE :E :D 8@@5 E@ DE2CE @77 @? E96 C:89E 7@@E] p== :D 8@@5 7@C E9:D J62C[ 3FE x 2> 2 =:EE=6 H@CC:65 23@FE ?6IE D62D@? H:E9 E96 @?6 96:76C] (9@ <?@HD 9@H 8@@5 D96 >:89E 86E 2E 9:56 2?5 D66< H:E9 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 6IA6C:6?46nk^Am

Glenn Brunkow is a fifth-generation farmer in the Northern Flint Hills of Pottawatomie County in Kansas. He was a county Extension educator for 19 years before returning to farm and ranch full time. He can be reached at editorial@midwestmessenger.com.