Katpau
Well-known member
My guess is that your opinion on twins is going to be greatly influenced by your operation. If you calve in a highly controlled environment, where experienced people are usually on hand to assist with any calving difficulties, you won't lose many twins. The most common problem is one or both twins coming backward. I assume this is because the space for turning before birth is limited. A quick and not terribly difficult pull could get them out before the cord breaks and they suffocate. If you have cows with adequate milk who are then turned out into a nutritious pasture or even subsidized with grain, the cows can likely feed both. If the pastures are smaller and a wayward calf is unlikely to be separated from the cow by any great distance, you probably won't lose a calf because the cow left it behind. I can certainly see where in that environment twins might be a good thing.
However, if cows are out on a large range where they are only checked periodically, cows with twins are likely to show up with only one or even no calf. If you do find a cow with live twins, it likely means taking the spare calf to graft on another cow or sell. That isn't a bad scenario, but all too often you find the cow with one or both twins dead. If you should decide to leave surviving twins on the cow, you will likely need to move her somewhere more confined and ensure she has better nutrition. It is the exceptional cow that will actually bring in both calves to be weaned off a large range. More often they will have just one surviving calf who is smaller than the other single calves. Twins can cause a certain amount of stress for operators even when they both survive birth. That is why you will almost never hear of a commercial producer who desires twins.
However, if cows are out on a large range where they are only checked periodically, cows with twins are likely to show up with only one or even no calf. If you do find a cow with live twins, it likely means taking the spare calf to graft on another cow or sell. That isn't a bad scenario, but all too often you find the cow with one or both twins dead. If you should decide to leave surviving twins on the cow, you will likely need to move her somewhere more confined and ensure she has better nutrition. It is the exceptional cow that will actually bring in both calves to be weaned off a large range. More often they will have just one surviving calf who is smaller than the other single calves. Twins can cause a certain amount of stress for operators even when they both survive birth. That is why you will almost never hear of a commercial producer who desires twins.
