skyhightree1
Well-known member
True... I got a good bull now I know he does the job.
regolith":152r4zzu said: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":5zskvlr8 said: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.
dun":oxg1fahr said:Hard doer that's putting everything into her calf
That's what I figuredskyhightree1":beueuhxr said:dun":beueuhxr said:Hard doer that's putting everything into her calf
That is her calf on the left.
skyhightree1":2kp37e8o said:She looks so bad
M5farm":3ls59zjm said:skyhightree1":3ls59zjm said: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.
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":luh46jl2 said: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.
TexasBred":1rsdi9he said: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":1rsdi9he said: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.
TB521":3gde4kck said: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