Cow losing weight

[skyhightree1]

True... I got a good bull now I know he does the job.

 

[regolith]

dun is right in everything, as always.

She doesn't have a problem till she fails to get in calf, which is more likely to happen as she gets older... sooner or later those high producers miss their chances.

skyhigh, I started the same way, by buying and rearing baby calves, and by buying 'mid-range' cows at a lower price, then keeping all the heifers while building herd numbers. I can see my herd in the future being descended from a small handful of cows. Those first calves are 7, 8 and 9 years old this year and probably 90% of the herd now are as good or better than the average cow I started with, currently trying to sell the bottom 20% which is not easy in a drought.
I'd rather keep a heifer out of one of my average cows than buy in a cow - I reckon my chances of a good outcome are better that way, too much dishonesty in cow trading. I think by chance I have bought four exceptional animals between 2004 and 2006 and with daughters and granddaughters from each of them the herd is progressing in the right direction. It does take time, maybe it's faster if you can buy good stock to start with but I'm not convinced on that.

 

[B&M Farms]

Keep heifers only from your your best cows and only buy cows better than what you have. Even if it's only one at a time. Don't worry about a cow that drops condition between calves that breeds back on time and raises a big calf. She is making you more money than the one that stays fat and raises a smaller calf. Pick the cows that can do it on less and keep their daughters.

 

[skyhightree1]

dun is right in everything, as always.

She doesn't have a problem till she fails to get in calf, which is more likely to happen as she gets older... sooner or later those high producers miss their chances.

skyhigh, I started the same way, by buying and rearing baby calves, and by buying 'mid-range' cows at a lower price, then keeping all the heifers while building herd numbers. I can see my herd in the future being descended from a small handful of cows. Those first calves are 7, 8 and 9 years old this year and probably 90% of the herd now are as good or better than the average cow I started with, currently trying to sell the bottom 20% which is not easy in a drought.
I'd rather keep a heifer out of one of my average cows than buy in a cow - I reckon my chances of a good outcome are better that way, too much dishonesty in cow trading. I think by chance I have bought four exceptional animals between 2004 and 2006 and with daughters and granddaughters from each of them the herd is progressing in the right direction. It does take time, maybe it's faster if you can buy good stock to start with but I'm not convinced on that.

Yes.. dun is usually right and you are right as well I would rather keep my stuff and know where it came than gamble at a sale.

 

[skyhightree1]

Keep heifers only from your your best cows and only buy cows better than what you have. Even if it's only one at a time. Don't worry about a cow that drops condition between calves that breeds back on time and raises a big calf. She is making you more money than the one that stays fat and raises a smaller calf. Pick the cows that can do it on less and keep their daughters.

Excellent point and information.

 

[Lucky_P]

skyhigh,
The bull you have may be good now - but before next breeding season something may happen to him that you're totally unaware of - and you're back into the deal of cows returning to heat and not getting bred, cycle after cycle.
Excessive heat, excessive cold, infection, injury - a lot of things can happen that may render a bull sterile - and you'd have no idea without checking him.
Only took me one calving season of Surprise! No calves! to realize how cheap that $55 (or even twice that) for a BSE prior to breeding season can be...

 

[skyhightree1]

Lucky,
I will definately be doing them from this point on. If i had a season of no calves I would cry lol

 

[skyhightree1]

i took a pic this year here she is no matter what you feed her how many minerals etc still looks the same

 

[dun]

Hard doer that's putting everything into her calf

 

[skyhightree1]

Hard doer that's putting everything into her calf

That is her calf on the left.

 

[dun]

Hard doer that's putting everything into her calf

That is her calf on the left.

That's what I figured

 

[skyhightree1]

She looks so bad

 

[Nesikep]

I would have guess that... a really nice calf... Skyhightree, did you see the vid I posted of the cow with the GIANT bag? She's a bonerack too, with big hips, but she's had the first calf 6 times out of 9.

I like keeping my own replacements because I have a better idea what I'm going to get.. they may not always be better than what I could buy, but what I could buy and would actually come home with may not be the same cow (or calf). I've seen lots of my calves look pretty skookum at weaning, and by the time they have their first calf, don't look like much anymore.

I'm finding too that I'm slowly culling entire maternal lines.. we started with 18 cows, I'm down to offspring of 6 right now, and 2 of those are getting older and i'm probably not keeping anything from them.

If I were in a position to need to buy cows, perhaps I'd get a few that tickle my fancy from an auction, but I would probably also get cows from some old guy who's been doing it all his life and has a good herd.

 

[M5farm]

She looks so bad

Sky, I venture to guess most on here (excluding inyati) have a few of these cows. I started a cull list yesterday on a couple of the same condition cows.

 

[skyhightree1]

Thanks Nesi I did and yes almost all but 1 of my cows came from same older guy that i plan on buying more from he told me before i bought her she lost weight and looked bad but seems as she gets older it gets worse.

She looks so bad

Sky, I venture to guess most on here (excluding inyati) have a few of these cows. I started a cull list yesterday on a couple of the same condition cows.

I mean she has some of the fastest growing calves out of all cows but man I tell ya people always ask whats wrong with her are you feeding her ?

 

[TexasBred]

gotcha.. I hate for people to come over and see that cow that skinny they think im probably abusing her or not feeding it enough.

Negative energy balance as she' probably putting everything into milk production. Those kind alway stand out by the front fence for everyone to see.

 

[skyhightree1]

gotcha.. I hate for people to come over and see that cow that skinny they think im probably abusing her or not feeding it enough.

Negative energy balance as she' probably putting everything into milk production. Those kind alway stand out by the front fence for everyone to see.

Lol you know it right by the fence all day

 

[Aaron]

I'd call it poor fleshing ability/too feminine. You can have a cow that milks like a trooper and doesn't lose condition. I can understand if they shell out a bit raising a calf in their teens, but not under the age of 10.

 

[TB521]

Atleast she's raising a good calf I have one that looked good till November then went down hill she don't have hardly any milk her calf is a month old and might be 70 pounds I would sell them as a pair but they wouldn't bring much

 

[skyhightree1]

Atleast she's raising a good calf I have one that looked good till November then went down hill she don't have hardly any milk her calf is a month old and might be 70 pounds I would sell them as a pair but they wouldn't bring much

Good point