Cow performance

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okwalker

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SE Oklahoma
Do any of you have cows that outperform your expectations? I don't mean a decent cow having a good calf, but a less than good cow having and raising a far superior calf when compared to the herself.
 
Got one that's growing wheel next wednesday that never raises as good a calf as she is, or her mother, or her sisters.

dun
 
The cow I am refering to raised a way better calf than I would have ever thought. She is small, looks ugly and raised a calf that at weaning is nearly her size.[/img]
 
okwalker":32k29y3a said:
The cow I am refering to raised a way better calf than I would have ever thought. She is small, looks ugly and raised a calf that at weaning is nearly her size.[/img]

those are the kind you like or can put up with. i bought a pair in dec because i liked the calf. cow was not much.. about 750-800#.. was going to sell both when the calf grew off... sold that calf a couple of months ago.. calf pushed 600#. cant remember exactly what it weighed now, but it was closer to 6 than 500. couldnt of been over a month or 2 old when i bought them...

that bought her a ticket for at least another calf on my place.

i dont really like her and she doesnt look good up to most of my other cows. but.. she produced. got $620 or 640, cant remember that either, for the calf, which is more than i gave for the pair..

jt
 
We have had cows that would not win any prizes for looks but drug in a superior calf every year. The one that comes to mind is Skinny Minny who was a crossbred bag of bones but wean a superior calf every year.
 
I've got quite a few of those in my herd! The thing about them is they have a great calf, which will bring you top dollar, while they themselves would not bring much if you tried to sell them at an auction barn. IMO.. that takes the guess work out of keeping them or selling them. It's kinda fun to show an ugly cow off with a beautiful calf.
 
About three years ago my sweetie brought home a real pair of awful looking animals (I'd asked him to pick me up a couple of young breds if he saw anything decent that day)...well, he had his rose coloured glasses on that day, because when I went in to pick them up from the sale barn, there they were.

Beauty (#122)- a small red shorthorn cross cow with deformed horns that spiraled around her ears
and
Princess (#121)- a stunted looking Char/longhorn cross with a head like a pump jack.

Now I'm not in the habit of naming cattle (with the exception of Frankencow, but that miserable man killer earned her christening fair and square), but I figured that there better be something positive to say about those two cows...even if it was only their names.

I'm happy to report that both of those scrubby looking beasts have gone above and beyond any reasonable expectations as mothers. Both of them raise cracker jacks of calves, and have never required assistance either in calving or mothering their calves.

The only downside is getting teased by sweetie about how those two sorry looking creatures turned out to be such good producers, but I guess it's a small price to pay.

Take care.
 
We have some cows that you wouldn't even give a second look at to buy but they raise the best calves on the place. Guess it just goes to show that everybody deserves a chance.
 

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