Angus New Design 878 Info

[JeffK-MN]

We bought a new cow last spring she calved in may and has a great looking bull calf.
But the cow looks skinny. We have been giving her 3 pounds of grain 16% protein and on pasture with hay free choice minerals.
The farm we got her from said that is the way her mom was also. We had the vet look at her and he gave her a body weight score of 41/2 that is why I give her more grain.
She is a breed of angus new design 878.
Has anyone else had this breed and do all the cow do this when feeding calvs
Thanks Jeff

 

[JHH]

Wean calf and sell em. Hard keeper? Vet check for disease's and possible JOHNE'S DISEASE. Sale barn cow? Lots of info left out. More info may help. cows are high I would ship her.

 

[Chuckie]

Is your pasture in good condition and not grazed all the way down? If you see that your pasture is of low nutrition, and if your hay is overgrown and full of weeds, she may not be getting the feed she needs.

I don't mean to speak to you like you aren't taking care of her, but I just didn't want to leave anything out.

Good grass with the feed should help her unless she comes with a disease. Or, is she just a hard keeper?
Be sure to worm her well, and make sure that she is clean, free from diseases.
Is she a really heavy milker with an older calf at her side keeping her pulled way down? It can be difficult to gain a lot of weight if she came out of the winter in bad shape. She may have been skin and bones as I often see in a pasture several miles down the road. Sickens me too.
Sometimes people take their older cows with a calf to sell. She may have come to your house in bad shape, but if she is supporting a big calf, the weight will not go on real fast.

I see so many people take an older cow; which I don't consider old, provide poor nutrition through the winter, as the cow is slowly starving to death, thinking that they are making more money. Then when the cow gets a few years on her, she doesn't hold shape with bad nutrition like the younger ones do.

Older healthy cows with grass to graze, and hay that is palatable do well. They will hold condition if you take care of them. Check her out and see what is going on if you like her. :nod:
Post a picture of her if you can.

 

[gizmom]

We have had a few 878 daughters they milked down but raised a good calf and bred back. A body condition score of 4 1/2 isn't horrible if they have bred back and have a big ole calf nursing them. You didn't tell us the age of this cow and that plays a big part as well if this is a first or second calf then not only is she still growing but she is trying to breed back and raise a calf.

Gizmom

 

[3waycross]

I worry a lot more about the ones who stay nice and fat and raise a mediocre calf. If she raises a good calf and breeds back she will be fine. The do have a tendency to do better as they mature.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I like the ones that raise a good calf and stay in good shape.

 

[3waycross]

I like the ones that raise a good calf and stay in good shape.

Of course you do. So do I. In fact that's all I own ;-)

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

How is the heifers you got last year doing??

 

[3waycross]

How is the heifers you got last year doing??

Gorgeous. The are both fat and sassy and hopefully bred. I will post some pictures soon.

BTW to the OP I have has 878 in some of my Balancers and in 2 bulls I have used. FWIW I am probably done with that blood.

 

[JeffK-MN]

This is her second calf I think she is bred back and the calf is growing great and is about 350-400 pounds at 31/2 mouths old.
She is with just cows with calfs and the bull and they have good grass with very good hay if they want it.
She is health and has been wormed.
Thanks for info Jeff

 

[2J Ranch]

It's hot here in Texas. 105 during the day and 80 at night. She is young, the calfs hungry,and she's prob hot too and not eating much. I'd stay with her if you like her. Get rid of that calf around 500 lbs and keep her another year for conditioning. If she look bad next year I'd sell her