If you are losing more calves this year you aren't alone.

Tonight Ag Reporter Sarah Gustin travels west to discover why this calving season is one the most difficult many of ranchers can ever remember.

"Processing calfcow mooing (Kris Ringwall / Beef Specialist) "This is just a tough environment, it has been a tough year." I think most producers would have to agree that 2009 will go down in the record books as one of the more challenging winters for more than one reason

(Kris Ringwall / Beef Specialist) "Snow, availablity of dry ground and the ability of the calf to be able to get up and nurse has been really hampered and that is what is causing alot of the death loss. You got hypothermia and then you have the inabliity of these calves to get up and nurse. So we are looking at 3 to 4 times our normal death loss." At the Dickinson Research Extension Center's ranch in Manning calving has been a challenge. Ringwall says keeping that calf dry is key

He says the calves can handle the cold

It's the lack of a dry place to lay down that really sets them back. He says a sunny day helps alotbut that sunshine is something we just haven't had

(Kris Ringwall / Beef Specialist) "Most of our calf death loss will occur within the first two weeks of life. So it just isn't the day of the storm. So day goes on we got more calves in the calving pen, more cows calving but don't lose focus on thoe calves that are a week or two old." Ringwall says when cows are synchronized to calf at the same time and that happens to be during a bad storm calving loss can jump to 15 to 20 percent. (Kris Ringwall / Beef Specialist) "The challenge with heifers and the same way with cows is when you deal with large calves they tend to be just a little more sluggish at birth. Prehaps the birth took a little bit longer and the cow as well is probably more exhausted so it takes them time to recoop. Now that time to recoop might not seem like much but let's say it an extra 15-20 minutes. That is pretty drastic when it comes to bad weather." tractor leaving Blizzard or notI think we are all ready for a sunnier day

South of Manning for KX News, I am Sarah Gustin."


Ringwall says last year calf death loss was only about 3 or 4 percent at the ranch. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites list