Twins

[beefgirl]

Had my first set of twins. Commercial cow AI'd to red simmental bull. One red and one black. Both bull calves.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Twins are cute, but tend to be a pain in the butt.
Are you going to let her raise both?

 

[beefgirl]

Twins are cute, but tend to be a pain in the butt.
Are you going to let her raise both?

Yes. She was one of my first cows so she's part dairy and has a lot of milk. I never wanted twins but if had to have a set she's the best one to have them.

 

[kenny thomas]

Yes. She was one of my first cows so she's part dairy and has a lot of milk. I never wanted twins but if had to have a set she's the best one to have them.

2 calves from a cow that milks well will bring lots more than a single calf from a normal cow. You done good.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Yes. She was one of my first cows so she's part dairy and has a lot of milk. I never wanted twins but if had to have a set she's the best one to have them.

Make sure you give her some extra groceries. Lots of cows can raise 2 but struggle with breeding back on time.
We always kept cows with twins in a separate pasture or with the first calf hfrs so they could get extra feed.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

"IF" I have a cow lose a calf, I will pull a twin and put on that cow. But, generally, my cows raise their twins without subsidy. Had a 15 year old spit out a set of twins year before last in September. She raised the twin heifers thru the winter without anything except baleage & mineral. She was open in the spring at 16, so I shipped her. But, the twin heifers were as big as the rest of the September calves. Great cow.

 

[beefgirl]

Twins are cute, but tend to be a pain in the butt.
Are you going to let her raise both?

Yes.

 

[coachg]

My twin momma did a great job raising 2 but didn't breed back . If cows stay high she probably headed to town .

 

[Dusty Britches]

I seem to have twins every year. I let the mommas raise them, too. As weanlings they might be a little smaller but the 2 together weigh 50% more than a calf raised as a single.

As a side note, a few years ago I lost a 5 year old cow to tetanus, who was ironically born a twin on my birthday. And I'm a twin. Anyhoo, that cow had a 6 week old calf. I thought I'd bring that heifer calf into the pens and try to bottle feed her but she was so stressed and I was so busy, I turned her back out with the herd. That entire herd allowed her to nurse, even cows that would never allow another calf in the past allowed her to nurse. She was small when I sold her with the weanlings, but she was fine. I still have that momma cow's twin sister, too.

For inquiring minds, I have Brangus cows.

 

[beefgirl]

Had my first set of twins. Commercial cow AI'd to red simmental bull. One red and one black. Both bull calves.

A little update on the twins. They are doing really well. Moms doing well on just grass and minerals.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

That's great. They are growing well. They do have the "dairy" look.
BTW - my earlier post about my 15 year old that had twins and came up open. That is not the "norm" for my cows with twins.

 

[beefgirl]

Hopefully the buyers don't pick out that dairy as easy as you did or don't care come selling time. I like to wean 45-60 days before I sell and put them on 5-6 pounds whole shelled corn/protein pellet mix. I'm hoping she breeds back with the rest of them.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Great feed program!!

 

[farmerjan]

With what calves and feeders are bringing here, the dairy shouldn't hurt them much. There are alot of dairies that are breeding their bottom 30-50% of cows to beef and there is quite a good market for these cross calves now.

 

[beefgirl]

Had my first set of twins. Commercial cow AI'd to red simmental bull. One red and one black. Both bull calves.

 

[beefgirl]

Here's an updated picture of the twins. They seem to be growing well.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Here's an updated picture of the twins. They seem to be growing well.

They look nice!
And very comfortable too.

 

[TCRanch]

They look good! How's mama holding up?

 

[BFE]

I have an old cow that had twins this winter. I'm going to sell all three next week thru the barn, should be interesting to see how much they bring. She was late but she calved out before I sold culls, so she was on the way out anyway. We'll see how well the pharo philosophy holds, two smaller calves should bring more than one big one.

 

[BFE]

That's great. They are growing well. They do have the "dairy" look.
BTW - my earlier post about my 15 year old that had twins and came up open. That is not the "norm" for my cows with twins.

I don't think anyone here will look down on an old cow of yours coming up open after raising twins.