boondocks
Well-known member
Howdy all,
Here's my question. Have a couple cows that are proving to be hard breeders on AI (we don't have a clean-up bull nor ready access to one). They are grassfed registered Angus. One is was born April 2013 (has calved twice); the other was born July 2014 and has calved once. We will do a preg-check this Saturday, and if they didn't take this (third) time, they will likely be butchered. Hate to do it, as they both raised nice calves; the older one is my best-dispositioned cow. I'd also be fairly willing to bet they'd breed if put in with a bull, but no one around here is buying in the middle of winter. We gave them one more AI try than I maybe should've given, but almost none took on the first try this year, so I really had to think something was off with the semen or something. They were in good shape, on good minerals).
ANYWAY, my question is: given their age, are they likely just good for burger? I've heard the rule-of-thumb cutoff is about 2 years, but I know from some other threads that that is not a hard-and-fast rule. Maybe the 30 month-old might squeeze in under the wire?
Of course, there's also the fact that they are just on hay, haylage and Crystalyx (and Purina Wind and Rain minerals) now; I know that's not ideal either. If they'll make decent meat, we can probably find some takers, even just if it's burger but will have to adjust price....Any thoughts welcome, thanks!
Here's my question. Have a couple cows that are proving to be hard breeders on AI (we don't have a clean-up bull nor ready access to one). They are grassfed registered Angus. One is was born April 2013 (has calved twice); the other was born July 2014 and has calved once. We will do a preg-check this Saturday, and if they didn't take this (third) time, they will likely be butchered. Hate to do it, as they both raised nice calves; the older one is my best-dispositioned cow. I'd also be fairly willing to bet they'd breed if put in with a bull, but no one around here is buying in the middle of winter. We gave them one more AI try than I maybe should've given, but almost none took on the first try this year, so I really had to think something was off with the semen or something. They were in good shape, on good minerals).
ANYWAY, my question is: given their age, are they likely just good for burger? I've heard the rule-of-thumb cutoff is about 2 years, but I know from some other threads that that is not a hard-and-fast rule. Maybe the 30 month-old might squeeze in under the wire?
Of course, there's also the fact that they are just on hay, haylage and Crystalyx (and Purina Wind and Rain minerals) now; I know that's not ideal either. If they'll make decent meat, we can probably find some takers, even just if it's burger but will have to adjust price....Any thoughts welcome, thanks!