culling from your registered herd
- Thread starter redangus
- Start date
Black Angus 100%
Well-known member
No, I wouldn't. If the sire of the bull to your marias daughter corrects udder problems, shut I wouldn't get rid of the heifer. My opinion.
KMacGinley
Well-known member
Do you creep feed?
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Being registered doesn't make it a good cow. I love this about registered breeders they think every bull calf is herd bull quality.
Running Arrow Bill
Well-known member
Caustic Burno":3pb4fo99 said:
No so for us! We generally cull about 90% of bull calves: Steer some to go to sale barn; Keep one for our freezer each year; Others available for commercial X-breeders. The remaining "best 10%" are available to other LH breeders for registered breeding stock. "Our" breeding bulls are purchased from top quality stock from other breeders.
redangus":1sd00tin said:
I was checking the fresh 2 year olds earlier this summer. I stopped and did a double-take on one, thinking 'how did 0640 get in this pasture?' Well I knew there wasn't much chance that cow would have gone through 2 electric fences so I got the tag number from the young cow. This young cow had a goat udder, and I know 0640 has one for the first few weeks after calving. I looked up the mother of the young cow, and yep, 0640 is her mother. 0640 got on the short list but managed to miss the cut for cows being culled this summer. She's got a whopper of a bull calf, as does her daughter. I won't keep a bull from that line but as long as they wean pounds and I have others that need culled worse, they'll probably stay as well as daughters. Hopefully in another generation of breeding to maternal bulls those goat udders will disappear.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
MikeC":1h87x7jz said:
Some people don't know what are when to cull ;-)
bullpeddler
Well-known member
Bad udders and bad dispostions are automatic outs in my book. No exceptions.
DiamondSCattleCo
Well-known member
Caustic Burno":38qecjin said:
I guess I'd stay away from the registered breeders that you know then, huh? The breeders that I buy from (and myself) cull heavily and only choose the top kick animals for sale. The rest go for beef.
Rod
SEC
Well-known member
If the cow has a poor udder rid them!
But, for the SAKE of argument think about things this way.............
I would guess that in the background of lots of cattle there are more poor udders than we would ever know about. So should a guy keep a calf off a cow that has a bad udder to see if the bull would improve the udder structure? How else would we know if you don'tuse him on animals like that.
But, for the SAKE of argument think about things this way.............
I would guess that in the background of lots of cattle there are more poor udders than we would ever know about. So should a guy keep a calf off a cow that has a bad udder to see if the bull would improve the udder structure? How else would we know if you don'tuse him on animals like that.
I think we have bigger issues than to worry about culling a cow that "MIGHT" have a less than a perfect udder.
Each producer works on the things that's important to each of his/her herd.
We are in the "FOOD" production business.
The "SHOW" business is a sideline for promoting our herds.
Each producer works on the things that's important to each of his/her herd.
We are in the "FOOD" production business.
The "SHOW" business is a sideline for promoting our herds.
MikeC":14spcliv said:
I agree completely. I am a little flummoxed by all these strings about 'I have this great cow, who has big great calves; BUT her udder is not perfect or her topline is not ideal, or she is too masculine about the head or I don't like the set to her hocks or I don't like her EPDS, etc etc so should I cull her? Maybe I am too much of a commercial cattleman; but some mama that is an easy keeper who weans a calf in the top half of my herd year in and year out has a home....even IF she has a goat udder! until she causes me a problem or wears herself out! IF the dam is not perfect, don't use her as a donor, take her to a show, or put a picture of her on your wall; but who chops off the head of a proven cow because she is not eye appealing/sexy enough???? These are cows not debutantes at a dance! That phenotypically perfect cow with the photo perfect calves that weigh in in the bottom 20% of the herd is the cow that better watch out in my mind.
Caustic Burno":2e5b2bm1 said:
I think you misrepresented my question, and automatically come to the conclusion that I know nothing.
I'll restate the question in a different manner. If a momma cow beats my weaning weight average by 5%, but she has a terrible udder, would you take the chance & keep her even though you might sell a replacement to a customer that has bad udders? I don't want to sell something to someone in a sale, with my name on the heifer, and someone get a bad product.
Word travels fast if you send a bad product to someone. I want to be proud of what I sell, and I want the people who buy from me to have confidence in my word.
Brandonm2":2t1xa4fs said:
I think a lot of the concern about conformation and udders stems from the theory that poor conformation or a lousey udder will decrease the animals productive life span or will have reprodctive/calving problems.
The reason I say theory is because it isn;t alwasy so. We have one cow that we bought as a 10 year old with a goat udder. The reason for the poor udder is poor rear attachment, the other is she milks so much. She had the youngest calf but he weaned as the 3rd heaviest. Granted, a great udder and lots of milk would be more desirable, but she's doing her job well and her udder hasn;t caused any problems. We curretnly have 2 coming 4 year olds that look like there udeers are going the same direction, they had the 2 heaviest calves at weaning. We retained the first heife out of one of the younger cows and won;t hesitate to keep them out of the others if they ever have heifers.
Pretty is as pretty does!
dun
Way too much stock put in cattle pictures here. I could put a bad picture of a wonderful animal on here and get laughed at.
On the other hand, if I put a good picture of a poor performing cow..............she might get rave reviews.
On the other hand, if I put a good picture of a poor performing cow..............she might get rave reviews.
I agree with you Mike, and I don't think anyone here would throw my cows out either..
If there is anyone with perfect cows, please throw the first stone.
This whole perfection thing really gives the wrong impression to the beginner or anyone. If a cow gives you a calf, grows it and contines to produce, with little cost to you, she is doing her job... If she isn't doing her job, I think you will know.
Keep the cow.
If there is anyone with perfect cows, please throw the first stone.
This whole perfection thing really gives the wrong impression to the beginner or anyone. If a cow gives you a calf, grows it and contines to produce, with little cost to you, she is doing her job... If she isn't doing her job, I think you will know.
Keep the cow.
