Cow with twins

[chevytaHOE5674]

I can't understand anybody in the cattle business not wanting 2 calves instead of 1. It's a home run, especially in this market.

Plenty of reasons to not want twins.
Two smaller calves at weaning
Harder on cow (difficulty breeding back)
Calving difficulties
Twin acceptance
Supplemental feeding

And the list goes on.

 

[Travlr]

I can't understand anybody in the cattle business not wanting 2 calves instead of 1.

Yeah... if it works out. My experience is that half die at birth unless you know which animal is going to twin and watch them closely enough that you can assist. That's not possible in many cases. And the twinning cow throws calves that twin too often. @chevytaHOE5674 has listed good reasons. The juice isn't worth the squeeze.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I can't understand anybody in the cattle business not wanting 2 calves instead of 1.

I guess in an ideal world where every set of twins was born unassisted/alive/healthy, mother accepted both without help, she raised them both to equal WW as the singles, mother requires no additional input, and she bred back 1st of 2nd cycle. Then sure I would take a whole herd of twins.

 

[NIdahoShorthorns]

By the way, one dairy that I tested for over 30 years had quite a few sets of twins... more mixed sets than not.

This is what I was trying to get at; keeping a heifer that's a non twin from a cow predisposed to have twins increases the likelihood of future twins from that heifer and any subsequent heifers, whether they were twins or not. It is something I would avoid, but that's my opinion.

 

[farmerjan]

To each his own... like I listed my one cow that had 3 sets out of 13 successful calvings.... had kept 7 of the 9 heifers.... (kept the set of twin heifers; 2 of the singles had attitude problems so left as feeders after weaning...) and none twinned in the time I had them. I have a great, great granddaughter, and just lost a great grand daughter last year in a freak accident over the winter last year... have culled some out over the years.. but this great great gdaughter gave me a nice heifer, last year... I am keeping her, and has had 3 bull calves also...

The 2 that had twins this year can pretty much feed them decently...maybe with the calves doing a little stealing off other cows (?)....they are totally unrelated.... last year it was 1 set, not related to these, 2 years before my longhorn had twin heifers... TOTALLY UNRELATED... no twins for 2 years previous... and then 2 other cows had twins... So there is no genetic disposition to twins here... can't remember back further, without looking it up....

The twins may be smaller at weaning but the total lbs is greater than a single calf so not a loss... even when 1 is a heifer so sold at a lower price than a weaned steer calf...

KNOCK ON WOOD..... None of the twins in the last 10 years or more... have been assisted births... and all cows took both......and none except the longhorn have access to anything additional in feed...she is at the heifer pasture where the calves learn to go in the creep gate and get a little grain couple times a week..... they go right out to pasture with the rest of the cows...
Longhorn bred back and calved again in 11 months... the others seem to be doing just fine breeding back within allowable time and we don't see any more problems with them breeding than any with single calves.

I know that not everyone has that good a luck... and it might come along to bite us in the butt... BUT.... I like having a few to be able to steal off a cow, if we need to put one on a cow that lost a calf for any reason....
Sounds like @Silver does real well with his multiple sets of twins...

So, some of us don't mind twins and some of us do not want any part of them....

 

[farmerjan]

Dairy animals having twins is much more often due to the nutritional levels those cows are fed at, for the peak milk production... and some of the synching protocols that can contribute to multiple egg releases... Out of a herd of 250 milking cows, having 2-5 sets of twins a year is really a very small percentage in my opinion.... just my opinion.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I've had plenty of successful twins over the years but I've also had plenty not so successful ones.

I prefer singles because I don't like to think twice about the pairs from calving to weaning. No "are they both getting enough to eat", "will the cow breed back 1st cycle", "no put them in a different pasture", etc.

If a cow or calf needs anything more than grass/hay, water, and mineral they have no place in my operation. No creep no supplements.

Should also not that I fall calve, Calves nursing over winter, and breeding in November/December. -20* nursing a calf and breeding back can be tricky.

 

[Nick Wagner]

If one was so inclined to keep a heifer that was a twin to a bull there is a blood teat available for $55 to see if she's a freemartin.

For the first time I have a heifer that I'm thinking of blood testing this spring. She's one of the nicest looking heifers from last fall and weaned the heaviest in spite of being a twin.

Weaned the heaviest. I'd bet she's a freemartin. Otherwise, you better buy a lottery ticket, you'd only need to buy one.

Myself. I don't require my cows to count, she only has to raise one. I hate twins because of the extra work, but they are walking bonus cash.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Weaned the heaviest. I'd bet she's a freemartin. Otherwise, you better buy a lottery ticket, you'd only need to buy one.

99% sure she's sterile, but I'll probably gamble the $55 test just to be sure.

 

[Silver]

Yes, one thing about twins pulling one off and selling as a bottle baby is a great source of pocket money.

 

[Silver]

99% sure she's sterile, but I'll probably gamble the $55 test just to be sure.

I have one I accidentally kept in my replacement pen last fall. I'll run her in a breeding group, and if she shows up as a freemartin at preg test this fall I'll make good money on her when I ship. If she happens to not be a freemartin and is bred then I'll keep her. Win win.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I have one I accidentally kept in my replacement pen last fall. I'll run her in a breeding group, and if she shows up as a freemartin at preg test this fall I'll make good money on her when I ship. If she happens to not be a freemartin and is bred then I'll keep her. Win win.

The wife and I were just talking we will need freezer beef around the time this one would be ready. If she's open we eat her, if bred I have to find something else to eat. Ha

 

[sunnyblueskies]

Neighbours of ours have lots of twins every year. This season I think 14 pair. I would go insane. To me twins are a lot of work, most of the time anyway. Especially in the beginning.
My choice with twin calves: Bottle feed one, if the cow doesn't have enough milk, and keep it in case you need a calf to graft on a different cow.
Or sell one of them as replacement calf. They've been going for crazy money this year, it's worth while to cut your losses that way.
The second choice would be the most financial wise.

 

[Travlr]

Something's going on with the forum... moderators. @Marie

The ads are back, no profile to click on, and the "

Visit our tractor and agricultural equipment communities:​

" is at the top of the page.

NOPE... It was just because the site kicked me out and I had to log in again.

 

[redcowsrule33]

We haven't heard from @Jeanne - Simme Valley yet.

She hasn't been here for over a month. Hope everything is okay.

 

[Travlr]

She hasn't been here for over a month. Hope everything is okay.

Maybe the site changes got her... Seems to be less traffic to me.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

She hasn't been here for over a month. Hope everything is okay.

I checked with her directly. All is well. She is 'enjoying' herself in Hawaii, if you can enjoy Hawaii while working with cattle.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Yes, I have twins quite regularly. Yes, occasionally, they are twisted up and need assistance. But, sometimes singles are backwards and need assistance. Nephew checked one cow and got a really strange look on his face as he was feeling around. He had twins that were criss-crossed! One calf had it's head coming forward and one calf was over the top of it from left to right. He stuffed both back in & pulled them out one at a time.
My cows have plenty of milk, so raising 2 isn't a problem. I have NEVER seen any relation to twinning out of a twin. Although, I will admit I had a set of twin heifers - sold one and kept one. She was 16 years old and had her first set of twins in the fall while we were at state fair. She raised both through the winter on hay - but didn't breed back, so we shipped her (at 17 years old). But, both heifers were kept as replacements. Was that what you would call increasing twinning?? (twin having twins).

Sorry I haven't been active on here. Life has been super busy here on the farm. Finished calving first week in March. Had to get 4 Lots (2 c/c pairs & 2 heifers) ready for sale pictures and videos for end of March, then fought mud rest of April, 4 days at sale, home 1.5 days to get farm running smooth, gone 9 days Kauai (poor me!!!) - then 8 days to get 5 head ready for our first show! Well worth our effort! Had 48 Simmental cattle there - won Reserve Grand Cow/Calf, Res Grand Bull (with a Jan bull calf!), and won Res. Grand Heifer. 3 different farms took the Grand title - all with purchased animals! We did VERY well.
Now we are working on selling some heifer calves, bred yearlings and a few bull calves. We already have 5 bull calves sold (orders before we started calving). Nephew has been promoting them on FB. Has 1 heifer committed for and several requests for pictures and videos after seeing our prices - which scares "tire kickers away".

 

[Travlr]

The cow that cured me of twinning cattle had a single the first time and weaned it at 825 from a little Hereford bull that jumped the fence. After that she had twins every time and lost half of them. The first set both survived, bull and heifer, and that heifer twinned right out of the chute. She only took one. Worst feeling in the world was seeing big, beautiful twin calves dead on arrival.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Yes, I have twins quite regularly. Yes, occasionally, they are twisted up and need assistance. But, sometimes singles are backwards and need assistance. Nephew checked one cow and got a really strange look on his face as he was feeling around. He had twins that were criss-crossed! One calf had it's head coming forward and one calf was over the top of it from left to right. He stuffed both back in & pulled them out one at a time.
My cows have plenty of milk, so raising 2 isn't a problem. I have NEVER seen any relation to twinning out of a twin. Although, I will admit I had a set of twin heifers - sold one and kept one. She was 16 years old and had her first set of twins in the fall while we were at state fair. She raised both through the winter on hay - but didn't breed back, so we shipped her (at 17 years old). But, both heifers were kept as replacements. Was that what you would call increasing twinning?? (twin having twins).

Sorry I haven't been active on here. Life has been super busy here on the farm. Finished calving first week in March. Had to get 4 Lots (2 c/c pairs & 2 heifers) ready for sale pictures and videos for end of March, then fought mud rest of April, 4 days at sale, home 1.5 days to get farm running smooth, gone 9 days Kauai (poor me!!!) - then 8 days to get 5 head ready for our first show! Well worth our effort! Had 48 Simmental cattle there - won Reserve Grand Cow/Calf, Res Grand Bull (with a Jan bull calf!), and won Res. Grand Heifer. 3 different farms took the Grand title - all with purchased animals! We did VERY well.
Now we are working on selling some heifer calves, bred yearlings and a few bull calves. We already have 5 bull calves sold (orders before we started calving). Nephew has been promoting them on FB. Has 1 heifer committed for and several requests for pictures and videos after seeing our prices - which scares "tire kickers away".

@Jeanne - Simme Valley, that twin that was 16 years old and had twins is support of increasing twinning or at least in line of what is suggested in the thread. The gosh darn problem with your example is that you have twins so regularly that the perceived increase or evidence of increasing twinning by keeping a twin for breeding becomes so diluted or clouded by what is regular on your farm that doesn't really work as solid evidence. In addition, you don't encounter problems with twins.

I appreciate and like your operation. The point I'm making here is that even if you are increasing the liklihood of twins by retaining twins (and we can't tell in your case). It isn't any problem or concern seemingly one way or another for you, which makes it a non-issue for the most part in your case. Most operations that I work with end up with circumstances one way or another with twins - bad or good. You don't seem to have any circumstances that come with twins. It works for you, which is great. Most everyone else has to contend with something as a result of twins.