Are the 1150-1200 pound cows reality or myth ?

[goddy]

Have read and heard about these super efficient 1150 - 1200 pound cows and wondered how many folks actually have them and whether or not they are actually weighed at that rate or estimated. What bought this line of thought was we weaned our calves today and just for grins I thought I'd weigh our smallest/lightest cow - a 3/4 Red Angus 1/4 Simm of a more dairy type I'd guess you could say - anyway she surprised me by being just a tic over 1500 lbs and that got me thinking that an 1150 lb cow is pretty darn small and how good of a calf could she wean etc.
Will be interested in any thoughts, experience etc
cheers
Goddy

 

[Anonymous]

Average cow weight in fl is 900 lbs according to a study done by uf

 

[Isomade]

Cow sizes do vary by geographical location but my average is probably 1300.

 

[Bigfoot]

Common here in good old Ky.

 

[Taurus]

Most of my cattle are under 1300lbs

 

[Jake]

majority of ours, especially the younger models are 1050-1150. Some even a touch smaller. A lot of that I think has to do with management, it seems like our cows tend to slowly grow until they are 6 or 7.

 

[AllForage]

It gets down to frame score mostly even though my frame 4's can weigh as much as 1250 or a little more depending on the season.

The "efficiency" is based on percent of cow's weight weaned, 1000 pound cow weaning 450 = 45% or 1800 cow weaning 700 = 38%. Then some say you can run more cows per acre based on a feed consumption basis. If that is true is seems the smaller cows win out. A lot more benefits can go into the equation. Some are hard to quantify.

If by "good" you mean 700 pound weaning and killing at 16-18 months then you will not be happy. Mine are more moderate and I kill at 24 and get great marbling.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Have read and heard about these super efficient 1150 - 1200 pound cows and wondered how many folks actually have them and whether or not they are actually weighed at that rate or estimated.

The extra efficieny guys brag about 900 pound cows, not 1200 pounders. There are some lines that run this small.
I bought some wooly running age herfs that averaged 935#. Smallest one is an old gummy girl at about 850#, she calves early every year but weans a 450# calf that matches up with late calvers, and I am good with that. Industry issue with cattle like this is what weight will they finish at in the feedlot? The 1000 to 1200# cows seem more reasonable.
Neighbor bought some low line BA cross cows and they averaged 1100#. Look better in the pasture than gummy herfs.
Issue I have is medium (1400) to large (1800) cows that wean 500 to 600# calves. They look even better than the low line Xs in the pasture but they look the best on a n auction barn scale. :banana:

 

[goddy]

Interesting takes - thanks. Just further proof of what we all know - ie there is no one answer that is "right" and everyone else is wrong.
Our system works well for us with the bigger cows/higher ww/earlier finish date and really that is what matters, right ? if it works for you.

 

[double v]

moderate frame cows are out their, some breeds are looking to do this. They are also leaning towards RFI and ADG. I know that the gelbvieh association has been trying to go that direction. So look around there are breeds trying to obtain these goals also. Hope you find some cows that work for you..

 

[jerry27150]

so you must be weaning 800 lb calves, i would never have a cow that big as they would bankrupt me trying to feed them

 

[MichaelB]

My 2007 Tarentaise cow was 1,330 lb. on the vet scale over the summer and the 2009 Tarentaise cow was 1,155 lb. They consistently give me 550 lb. six month old weaned calves sired by black angus.

I have a little five acre place and I do very well squeezing rotational grazing and efficiencies out of what I have.

 

[goddy]

so you must be weaning 800 lb calves, i would never have a cow that big as they would bankrupt me trying to feed them

Yes we normally do wean round the 800 mark or better - this year we calved later - long story, bad batch of semen - anyway still works best to wean now so only late 6 - early 700's this year.

I guess one of the things in my first post that hasn't been addressed was how many people have scales and actually weigh their cows as opposed to a guesstimate.

 

[Anonymous]

Good point. I tend to guess high by 50 lbs I'm finding out.

 

[HOSS]

Most of my cows run 1,200 to 1,400 lbs. and I usually get mid 6 to mid 7 weaning weights. I have a couple three stand-outs though. I have a little angus cow that will weigh 1,000 pounds when pregnant but she will wean a mid 6 calf every year (I wean at 180 days). I have a 1,300 lb red angus cow that will bring in a hig 7 to 8 weight calf. She has a bull calf right now that is 5.5 months old that will push 800. I posted a video of him awhile back. It is hard to put together a HERD of small cows that will wean a 6 wt calf but it is something to strive for I guess. And yes I have scales :mrgreen:

 

[cross_7]

Most of my cows run 1,200 to 1,400 lbs. and I usually get mid 6 to mid 7 weaning weights. I have a couple three stand-outs though. I have a little angus cow that will weigh 1,000 pounds when pregnant but she will wean a mid 6 calf every year (I wean at 180 days). I have a 1,300 lb red angus cow that will bring in a hig 7 to 8 weight calf. She has a bull calf right now that is 5.5 months old that will push 800. I posted a video of him awhile back. It is hard to put together a HERD of small cows that will wean a 6 wt calf but it is something to strive for I guess. And yes I have scales :mrgreen:

hoss i was impressed with the calf you posted the video of.
my goal is to have cows like your 1000 angus cow that will wean 60 or so percent of her body weight, but it's tough to raise them from heifers and cull them cause thier too big.

 

[Dylan Biggs]

my goal is to have cows like your 1000 angus cow that will wean 60 or so percent of her body weight, but it's tough to raise them from heifers and cull them cause thier too big.

Not only that, but how many of us prefer the small heifers compared to the bigger heifers when it comes to choosing replacements and how many guys like the size of bulls required to sire a herd of hefers that will mature at 1000lbs?

A line crossing system that produces the heavy terminal calf from the small maternal cow is a good idea.

 

[goddy]

Not only that, but how many of us prefer the small heifers compared to the bigger heifers when it comes to choosing replacements and how many guys like the size of bulls required to sire a herd of hefers that will mature at 1000lbs?

You are right on there, it is very hard to go past those big, beautiful heifers when selecting replacements , when to go past them in favour of the moderate ones is exactly what you should do.

 

[cow pollinater]

I've had to learn to keep the heifers that are out of the cows that I like and sell the rest no matter what they look like. It's working two ways, my cows are getting smaller and my checks are getting bigger.
I got the check for the biggest cow that I own today and she was 1,426 and stood out like a sore thumb both because of her size and her nasty disposition. The two that accompaned her on her journey weighed 1,245 and 1,112 and were in pretty fat shape since they were both open. The two smaller cows are fairly reprisentative of my herd as it is right now aside from the whole not having a calf dragging them down part.

 

[jerry27150]

yes i have scales & if they wean that big of a calf, i sure wouldn't worry about the size. if they sell & feed out in the right time frame & fit in the packers boxes all is well