cow longevity

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I neglected to describe that our good and bad years have no defined season. The winter of 2009-2010 was unlike any I have seen since the early sixites. We had snow frequent and heavy and that is far from normal for us.

this past winter where so many got slammed with snow we barely got the ground covered ocassionally and had one of the mildest winters in ten years. ground was not still enough to put nitrogen on small grain until early march.

Last spring the rains would not quit and field work was late and when corn finally got planted it took off like a rocket. then the rain quit in April and the blast furnace hit just about tasseling time and corn was a total failure around here.
most fields were bush hogged. Naturally in that weather there was no second growth grass. we did not have meaningful rain from early May until October.

every year is different and that is why it is hard to describe a normal year. thus It is also hard to plan for a normal year.
 
pdfangus":3nzh0p4l said:
every year is different and that is why it is hard to describe a normal year.

I think we do not normally have a normal year. :(
This year we discussed destocking because it is so wet...
1) If you raise replacements and/or take yearlings to grass - - then you have a lot of stocking flexibility.
2) If you can hire some custom haying then you have a very large amount of stocking flexibility.
3) If you can schedule some renovation and/or some inputs then you have a huge amount of stocking flexibility.
4) If you can buy and feed by products then you have a gigantic amount of stocking flexibility.

I have developed a dislike for running numbers and buying bred heifers and picking rocks so I am going with #1, #4, #3, #2 in that order. :cowboy: I love it when a plan comes together!
 
She's starting to show her age pretty badly, but still raising a dandy calf.
Grannie-1.jpg


Grannie-2.jpg
 
vclavin":2vg3ii7o said:
How old is she Dun? Keep any daughters out of her?
Valerie
Based on her bangs tag she's 24 this year. She had a daughter 10 years ago but she went down the road when she prolapsed but I have one of that cows daughters. That was the only heifer Granny had until the last 3 years, a heifer 3 years in a row now all sired by the same bull, a fullblood Fleckvieh
 
dun":3ryaen3e said:
vclavin":3ryaen3e said:
How old is she Dun? Keep any daughters out of her?
Valerie
Based on her bangs tag she's 24 this year. She had a daughter 10 years ago but she went down the road when she prolapsed but I have one of that cows daughters. That was the only heifer Granny had until the last 3 years, a heifer 3 years in a row now all sired by the same bull, a fullblood Fleckvieh

That's amazing Dun, she's quite a lady. I bought a heifer out of a 20 year old cow, unfortunately she would not breed. How are her daughters doing?
Valerie
 
vclavin":vkl1bzi6 said:
dun":vkl1bzi6 said:
vclavin":vkl1bzi6 said:
How old is she Dun? Keep any daughters out of her?
Valerie
Based on her bangs tag she's 24 this year. She had a daughter 10 years ago but she went down the road when she prolapsed but I have one of that cows daughters. That was the only heifer Granny had until the last 3 years, a heifer 3 years in a row now all sired by the same bull, a fullblood Fleckvieh

That's amazing Dun, she's quite a lady. I bought a heifer out of a 20 year old cow, unfortunately she would not breed. How are her daughters doing?
Valerie
The first one prolapsed on her 4-5 calf so she's gone. Her grandaughter is doing a good job and just poops out the calves. Her other daughter that has freshened is raising a darn nice bull calf and bred back first service. The grandaughter was turned in with the bull so don;t know yet if she settled. Her heifer calf from last year looks exactly like granny does, hope she does as well. Grannys has grea feet, I've tried to get pictures of them but they're always hidden in the grass when I have the camara. She has better feet then most 2 year olds, her udder has broken down some but it's still high and tight enough that her calves don;t have a problem.
For the last 8 calves she has avg 515 lbs WW, heaviest 687, lightest 512. That doesn;t include her calf from a couple of years ago when she raised an orphan along with her own. One weaned at 499 and the orphan at 493
 
dun":3pd0nzwf said:
vclavin":3pd0nzwf said:
How old is she Dun? Keep any daughters out of her?
Valerie
Based on her bangs tag she's 24 this year. She had a daughter 10 years ago but she went down the road when she prolapsed but I have one of that cows daughters. That was the only heifer Granny had until the last 3 years, a heifer 3 years in a row now all sired by the same bull, a fullblood Fleckvieh

Have you considered sexed semen?
 
Stocker Steve":2otj0wmo said:
dun":2otj0wmo said:
vclavin":2otj0wmo said:
How old is she Dun? Keep any daughters out of her?
Valerie
Based on her bangs tag she's 24 this year. She had a daughter 10 years ago but she went down the road when she prolapsed but I have one of that cows daughters. That was the only heifer Granny had until the last 3 years, a heifer 3 years in a row now all sired by the same bull, a fullblood Fleckvieh

Have you considered sexed semen?
I'm not even going to AI her this year. If the bull gets her that will be it. Sex semen isn;t/wasn;t available for the bulls I would use on her.

She lost her last front tooth about the time she calved. She seems to be staying in better condition now that she's a smooth mouth. But I've got her in tall grass where she doesn;t have to work too hard. We're not babying her, but at her age she deserves a little extra consideration. I've about got the wife convinced that she needs to get on the trailer at weaning time.
 
Isomade":a7vm62e2 said:
Stocker Steve":a7vm62e2 said:
ANAZAZI":a7vm62e2 said:
The more young cows one have,the more replacement heifers one need.
And the more old cows one have, the less need for replacement.
Only because a serious culling should take place after their first and second calves.

What is "a serious culling"?
Steve it is the same as a regular culling, but there is no joking involved. You are not even allowed to smile when you pick up the check at the sale barn. I am surprised you haven't heard of this technique, it can really increase profits.

:lol: :lol: :clap: :clap:
 
Dylan Biggs":3rqs719e said:
Isomade":3rqs719e said:
ANAZAZI":3rqs719e said:
The more young cows one have,the more replacement heifers one need.
And the more old cows one have, the less need for replacement.
Only because a serious culling should take place after their first and second calves.

Steve it is the same as a regular culling, but there is no joking involved. You are not even allowed to smile when you pick up the check at the sale barn. I am surprised you haven't heard of this technique, it can really increase profits.

:lol: :lol: :clap: :clap:

I bet it works in Canada too! :2cents: :banana: :banana:
 

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