Another first for me

[HOSS]

Saw that my 7132T heifer had twins. Unfortunatley it was a bull and a heifer. First set of twins born on my place.

 

[cowgirl8]

Are you going to leave both on her?
I got 3 sets last year, but none this....Expecting a bunch this coming season to even it out.

 

[HOSS]

I'm taking a wait and see approach. She is a big framed heifer with a big udder. I may feed her along and watch her condition.

 

[AllForage]

What is a few day old Heifer calf worth at your local barn?

 

[3waycross]

Give em a week and take the heifer to the sale barn........You will not regret it.

You get good money for the heifer calf
The heifer only raises one calf
The heifer breeds back better
The bull calf turns out much bigger

You do not want to know the down side.

 

[cowgirl8]

If your pastures are big or have a creek running through them, sometimes a cow with twins puts one here and one there. The first few days as long as she's nursed, she most likely wont go looking for the second calf. She's being nursed, so you cant tell if both have unless you see them together. If the cow is big and a heavy milker, I keep twins penned up for the first week or two so that the cow knows she has 2 and both calves are past their newborn stage. By then, the calf will go looking for her if they get separated from the other 2. Sometimes it works out and is easy, sometimes its a headache. If it looks like its not going to work out, I take one and bottle feed it and if i have a cow lose a calf, i graft the twin onto her. Works out great if the calf is bottle fed already and a little older than newborn.

 

[Nesikep]

I'd wait and see, if she looks like she's got lots of milk, feed her well and wean both calves early, they should be 300some lbs by late spring, and markets ought to be darned good for that size a calf then

 

[Taurus]

I'll just leave them on for awhile. Sounds like the heifer has plenty milk for them. Wean them at 300lbs and you will not be disappointed with the paycheck. I sold my August calf last weekend and he gave me $350 per 295lbs.

 

[Nesikep]

What Taurus and I just said.. thats IF she accepts both with no trouble.

I'd also expose her to the bull sooner rather than later, before she gets drawn down from milking..

 

[bigbull338]

hoss enjoy watching those twins grow.weve had several sets of twins ion the last 40 plus years.im going to a sale next sat and ill look at a cow there that had a set of twins 6wks ago.

 

[HOSS]

So far she seems to be handling both nicely. I'll probably start feeding her and get her bred back and pull the heifer early.