kiend17
Active member
why do people figure its bad to have a closed herd other then buying bulls?
closed herd
- Thread starter kiend17
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
Jogeephus
Well-known member
I didn't know people thought that was bad.
Son of Butch
Well-known member
I didn't know they did. Who told you having a closed herd is bad? Were they wanting to sell you some cattle?
branguscowgirl
Well-known member
:welcome:
Not a "bad" thing at all.
Not a "bad" thing at all.
kiend17
Active member
I've seen a few times where people didn't think a closed herd
Tim/South
Well-known member
It took a while for my Vet to convince me a closed herd was the only way to go. Glad I listened. I did buy a herd from a man selling out but put them in a different pasture for a long time. Later we brought some of the cows here to our main herd. I was even apprehensive about doing that.
Each herd builds their own immunities.
Each herd builds their own immunities.
skyhightree1
Well-known member
Jogeephus":2ie0f905 said:
Ditto
cowboy43
Well-known member
Will someone explain a closed herd, and to achieve a closed herd.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
From a biosecurity and disease prevention/prevalence standpoint, it's a good thing.
Genetically...it's a topic for discussion and disagreement.
Lots of folks will say 'I have a closed herd.', but they really don't think about biosecurity issues that may signal that they really don't.
Here are some things to think about...
Do you have fenceline contact with cattle on the neighboring farm? Especially important if the neighbor is constantly 'trading' cattle.
Do the neighbor's bull or cows sometimes 'come to visit'?
Do you show? Cattle leaving, then coming home after being exposed to other animals at the show can easily bring back a 'new' bug with them.(So can you!)
Do you go to the auction barn - either routinely, or just when you're unloading your own animals and watching them sell? If so, do you change clothes & disinfect your boots before you walk back out into the barnyard or pasture with your own animals?
Who hauls your cattle? Where has that truck/trailer been before they pulled into your place? Do they ever wash out, much less disinfect, the stock trailer?
Do you go buy an orphan calf to graft onto that cow that lost hers? (No way in lleh I'd do that!)
Does the feed truck make deliveries to your place? Where'd he been before he drove into your barnyard?
Do friends/neighbors who have livestock come to visit? Do you make them change clothes & disinfect their footwear before they go traipsing out into your pasture?
What about your veterinarian? Where have they and their truck been before they arrived at your place? Have they changed clothes, disinfected boots & instruments since the last farm call, stopped by the carwash between farms?
I'm ashamed to admit that I probably did not pay enough attention to, or think enough about, biosecurity for my clients, back in the day, and I'm afraid that a lot of my colleagues probably still don't.
Probably some other things that will come to me after I hit 'submit'.
Yeah, purchased bulls CAN bring stuff in - but we're usually testing them for the major disease concerns before they get on the trailer coming our way.
Genetically...it's a topic for discussion and disagreement.
Lots of folks will say 'I have a closed herd.', but they really don't think about biosecurity issues that may signal that they really don't.
Here are some things to think about...
Do you have fenceline contact with cattle on the neighboring farm? Especially important if the neighbor is constantly 'trading' cattle.
Do the neighbor's bull or cows sometimes 'come to visit'?
Do you show? Cattle leaving, then coming home after being exposed to other animals at the show can easily bring back a 'new' bug with them.(So can you!)
Do you go to the auction barn - either routinely, or just when you're unloading your own animals and watching them sell? If so, do you change clothes & disinfect your boots before you walk back out into the barnyard or pasture with your own animals?
Who hauls your cattle? Where has that truck/trailer been before they pulled into your place? Do they ever wash out, much less disinfect, the stock trailer?
Do you go buy an orphan calf to graft onto that cow that lost hers? (No way in lleh I'd do that!)
Does the feed truck make deliveries to your place? Where'd he been before he drove into your barnyard?
Do friends/neighbors who have livestock come to visit? Do you make them change clothes & disinfect their footwear before they go traipsing out into your pasture?
What about your veterinarian? Where have they and their truck been before they arrived at your place? Have they changed clothes, disinfected boots & instruments since the last farm call, stopped by the carwash between farms?
I'm ashamed to admit that I probably did not pay enough attention to, or think enough about, biosecurity for my clients, back in the day, and I'm afraid that a lot of my colleagues probably still don't.
Probably some other things that will come to me after I hit 'submit'.
Yeah, purchased bulls CAN bring stuff in - but we're usually testing them for the major disease concerns before they get on the trailer coming our way.
cowboy43
Well-known member
Lots of info. about a closed herd. How is the breeding done if you retain your heifers and bulls to maintain a closed herd, seems like you would get the point of inbreeding?
Son of Butch
Well-known member
A.I. breeding, of course.
There is also something called line breeding, where one purposely mate related cattle to each other.
Then there is those that do not bring in new genes, but not necessarily linebreed, like the Lasaters.
So there are different ways of doing things.
Then there is those that do not bring in new genes, but not necessarily linebreed, like the Lasaters.
So there are different ways of doing things.
Nesikep
Well-known member
Lucky P, I qualify for a closed herd in most of the questions you ask... haven't brought a cow here in 22 years, in that time we've brought in 5 bulls. No neighboring cattle, no feed trucks, I haul my own cattle..
I figure my herd is pretty closed. I like it that way
I figure my herd is pretty closed. I like it that way
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
Lucky_P":1fi89mlm said:
You're on the money. Yes, The neighbor's bull comes visiting and there's no stopping him. Share fence lines with 7 other cattle outfits.
The one you missed? That would have to be the water trucks going to the gas wells. They have been on umpteen different farms already this week, dayshift drivers, nightshift drivers etc. Forget about the drillers, work over rigs, etc. The water trucks run non-stop.
Usually to have a closed herd it you need multiple properties or more than one herd. Pretty tough with 10 cows and bull. ;-)
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
Brute 23":r67a1x6o said:
Hang in there. You'll have a herd some day.
backhoeboogie":2hubt8js said:
No sir. Not with my money I wont. More money in taking care of cattle. I hear people are paying 50% of the calf crop now days.
