Cow Size

[Oldtimer]

From the beef cow/calf weekly...

These Are Not Your Grandfather's Cows


Mature weight and milk production of many commercial beef cows are both greater than they were 30-40 years ago, says Glen Selk, Oklahoma State University Extension beef cow specialist. "Many ranchers haven't recently weighed the adult cows in their herd to know what average mature weight to expect. Therefore, most commercial ranchers would underestimate the mature size of their cows. To expect large, heavy-milking cows to be in moderate body condition at calving and maintain condition through breeding, they must receive more feed than smaller, lighter-milking cows."

A larger, heavier-milking cow requires about 34% more energy on the average for an entire year, he says. Consequently, an operation that was carrying 100 of the smaller cows must carry only 66 of the larger cows in order to utilize the same quantity of forage from that farm or ranch. She also will need 34% more winter hay and supplement to maintain body condition.

"Because we have very high feed and fertilizer prices, this is a time to reconsider herd size to better fit the stocking rates required. Reduced stocking rates will be necessary on improved pastures if lower amounts of fertilizer are applied. The larger mature cow size also impacts the principle of percent body weight needed for heifers to reach puberty. Many ranchers underestimate the target weight for replacement heifers. If the cow eventually will be 1,000 lbs., the target for heifers is 650 lbs.; if she's going to be the 1,250-lb. cow, then she needs to weigh 812 lbs. going into her first breeding season to expect a high cycling and pregnancy rate," Selk says.
-- Ron Hays, Radio Oklahoma Network

 

[ANAZAZI]

I think about this all the time. The cow aught to weigh some 600 kg ( 1100 pounds), and wean 300 kg calves. The 800kg cows can not wean greater than 330 around here, wich makes them really not so efficient. The fodder and feed that is required to make a bull reach slaughter weight is the same for "big" and "small" bulls if adjusted for the real growth. So basically we have to use far more hay to make the big cow survive and produce; but her son will not pay for it.

 

[SEC]

I think about this all the time. The cow aught to weigh some 600 kg ( 1100 pounds), and wean 300 kg calves. The 800kg cows can not wean greater than 330 around here, wich makes them really not so efficient. The fodder and feed that is required to make a bull reach slaughter weight is the same for "big" and "small" bulls if adjusted for the real growth. So basically we have to use far more hay to make the big cow survive and produce; but her son will not pay for it.

You must be spending to much time making meatballs. :lol2:

A 600kg cow is actually 1320lbs. How many 1760lb (800kg) cows do you actually see around?
Grass and environment make as much difference as any. I would guess if people would run 1/2 the cows they do now weaning weights would go up. But suddenly there are less pounds per acre as well. There is also a limit to how many pounds you need to wean every fall as once you get past a certain point there is no premium and the profit is coming at the cost of production.

 

[KNERSIE]

I think about this all the time. The cow aught to weigh some 600 kg ( 1100 pounds), and wean 300 kg calves. The 800kg cows can not wean greater than 330 around here, wich makes them really not so efficient. The fodder and feed that is required to make a bull reach slaughter weight is the same for "big" and "small" bulls if adjusted for the real growth. So basically we have to use far more hay to make the big cow survive and produce; but her son will not pay for it.

Your convertions is wrong but I agree on the general idea.

1lb is 0.454kg
100lbs is 45.4kg
1kg is 2.204lbs

In reality there is alot more factors playing a role than just frame size and weight, but from my experience I agree that a 550kg cow can wean half her own weight, but an 800kg cow is going to struggle to do the same here.

SEC, you'll be surprized how many 800kg cows is still around here in the purebred herds, and I am not only talking about simmental and charolais herds.

 

[bigbull338]

i like the med frame 1100 to 1200lb cows.although i have some large frame 1500lb cows or better.but in all fairness my cows are beefmasters.an most are milk wagons.1 cow has a 4 month calf on her now.an her bagg is full of milk.an 1 has a 5 day old calf on her an her bagg is full.

 

[dun]

When do you determine the weight of a cow? Just before she calves, right after, when she weans her calf? From right after calving till right at weaning our cows will range in weight by 200-400 lbs!

 

[bigbull338]

dun i think most people that has scales to weigh their cows weigh the cow an calf at birth.an weigh them both again at weaning.that tells how the cow did raising her calf.an if she held her body condtion.im hoping to get a set of scales so i can weigh calves at weaning as well as the cows.but since its a 1 man operation.i doubt if ill ever get to weigh the calves at birth.

 

[dun]

dun i think most people that has scales to weigh their cows weigh the cow an calf at birth.an weigh them both again at weaning.that tells how the cow did raising her calf.an if she held her body condtion.im hoping to get a set of scales so i can weigh calves at weaning as well as the cows.but since its a 1 man operation.i doubt if ill ever get to weigh the calves at birth.

So when someone says 1200 lb cow that's the timeframe they're talking about?

 

[bigbull338]

yes could be the timeframe at calves birth or at weaning time or both.

 

[dieselbeef]

i wanna see a good pic of a 1700 lb cow. aybe a 1200 lber also so as to compare...1700 lb cow must be huge!!!

 

[KNERSIE]

dun i think most people that has scales to weigh their cows weigh the cow an calf at birth.an weigh them both again at weaning.that tells how the cow did raising her calf.an if she held her body condtion.im hoping to get a set of scales so i can weigh calves at weaning as well as the cows.but since its a 1 man operation.i doubt if ill ever get to weigh the calves at birth.

So when someone says 1200 lb cow that's the timeframe they're talking about?

at breeding

 

[Brandonm22]

dun i think most people that has scales to weigh their cows weigh the cow an calf at birth.an weigh them both again at weaning.that tells how the cow did raising her calf.an if she held her body condtion.im hoping to get a set of scales so i can weigh calves at weaning as well as the cows.but since its a 1 man operation.i doubt if ill ever get to weigh the calves at birth.

So when someone says 1200 lb cow that's the timeframe they're talking about?

We always weighed cows in May/June when we worked all the calves (we borrowed the scale one day a year) and did most of our vaccinations (~rebreeding). Of course when I got on here, I found out that everybody else was weighing preggie dry cows so my whole frame of reference is waaaay off.

 

[BRG]

Their is more to it than just weight and frame. We don't put any feed through our cows, they only eat grass, summer and winter, and I wouldn't call them small. Sure if you have a 6 frame cow without any body, then you are in trouble. But if the weight is on them in the right spot, and they raise the kind of calves that are marketable, then you have something that is in demand. We have standing orders for replacement heifers coming out of our commercial customers cow herds, and feedlots wanting their steer mates. If you can please both sides of the industry, I think you are doing things somewhat right.

Tell me what you think of this cow. I know she weighs more than 1200 lbs, but to me, she is pretty ideal. Moderate framed (5.5 frame), very easy keeping, breeds back on time, perfect udder, and a calf raising machine and has the stay porwe we all need as she is 10 years old now. We are working to get our entire herd to be just like her, even though she isn't a 1200 lbs cow.

Her she is again when she was 8 years old.

 

[mnmtranching]

I think a cows weight should be figured at the time she goes into Winter feeding. I have a dozen or so cows that will weigh in that 1700 pound range before calving. Then settle down to about 1500 pounds going into Winter. It's nice having a big cow at kill time, top price and lots of pounds. I'm working at getting the cows smaller. Not real sure how to do it? I save the best doing heifers as replacements and they just seem to get big. So how do you go about getting 11-12 hundred pound cows these days. I'm sure not going to sell out and start over. :help:

 

[SEC]

Nice cow Brad, pretty good looking!

There are 17-1800 lb cows around I do know that. The herds/breeders whom I work on their sales for don't have them as a general rule of thumb. There are some that have them too, I would say the average up here would be more like 5-6 frame cows weighing 1300-1500lbs.
The way things are going, I don't think there will be many cows around that size for much longer. I am with BRG on this one.

 

[dun]

The vet commented last week that we should trade cows. I want them a smaller (lighter), he wants his as big and easy keeping as ours.

 

[Oldtimer]

I think around here most are weighed when they come off pasture in the fall- and many of the operations preg test- and do their culling....

I know thats where I do most of the figuring on my sizes...And over the years of following the bigger, better, faster- higher EPD's-- and all the bull/semen salesmens bull of the year- the size of my cows went up a frame size or two- and the weight of my cows went up 200-300 lbs...Now I'm just trying to work back to that happy medium I had before of around a 4-5 frame cow that weigh somewhere between 1100-1200...Somewhere in that general area- anyway.....

In the last few years- I've had more of a chance to make it to many more sales around the state- and the interesting thing I see is the number of registered angus ranchs when selling their old/cull cattle that these are sometimes now 1700-1800 lb cows...I think "frame creep" caught up with some of them too....

 

[ANAZAZI]

From now on ANAZAZI will use his old kgs!
Weights I am refering to are three months after calving.
Weaning weights are at two hundred days here but I know that you are using 205 so I will follow that.
My cows so far average 550 kgs but range in fact from 480 to 700. They wean 285 to 340 kgs calves, where bull calves are truly superior to heifer calves and we do not cut any bulls.
There is no problem to find charolais, blondes and simmenthals with700 to 900 kgs weights at breeding, and imagine the herd sires these people use. And birthweights at often fifty kgs and weaning 300 to 350 kgs calves . Nobody here speak of frame creep ecept for me, and I am a nobody with no history and few cows.

Our birthweights range from 35 to 45kgs, with an average of39kgs; as piedmontese make their influence this will change to some 40 + so we have to put some true calving ease breeds in the mix.

Weaning weights per acre is an issue, use smallframed cows and put some nitrogen on the grass!

 

[KNERSIE]

Weaning weights per acre is an issue

That is where the biggest difference will be for those who have the space and resources to make such an experiment.

 

[dieselbeef]

Weaning weights per acre is an issue

That is where the biggest difference will be for those who have the space and resources to make such an experiment.

that and how ell you do a rain dance....nitro aint much good w/o water and my grass is dry as crackers here. but those pics are an awesome cow,,,awesome