Lucky_P said:kdhansen,
We do have both spring and fall calving seasons... and will, on occasion, roll a yearling heifer that didn't breed with her contemporaries at 14-15 months to the next season, to breed at 18 months. If she doesn't stick then, she's taking a ride to town.
Likewise, we'll also occasionally let a good 1st-calf heifer that doesn't breed back on her inaugural outing roll to the next season, especially if she's doing a great job with her calf, and just 'milked down' a bit too much. Is your 18 month basically the date to try to keep her calving age from being past the ~27 month, or at that point (2nd chance), that is not a concern, what will be will be?
Some will say that we're 'making excuses' for too many... but... I like 'em, I'm breeding what I want, and I'm not dependent upon income from them to survive./quote]
Dang heifer!
- Thread starter tncattle
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
farmerjan
Well-known member
@kdhansen
Yes we usually have a spring and fall calving group of heifers; again it depends on how many we kept to raise up. Say there are 10 from the fall born group, they will be bred to calve in the spring @2 1/2 yrs. We do a couple of cullings when we keep heifers. At weaning, we decide who we kinda like; they are kept through and we look them over a little more critically, and maybe sell some. And we will do one final "culling" when it is getting time to put them with the bull. There have been a couple of times where we only really liked 2 or 3 and just held them and so they were nearly 3 when they calved. It also depends on the markets and the prices, I sold several from my cows that my son said I should have kept and I told him that the cows will have more heifers and while they were bringing 2.00 plus per pound someone else could own them as they might only bring .50 next year. He didn't agree and I have fewer to breed now but it was a good move financially. By the way we have his cows, my cows and some joint cows. Since he does the majority of the work and has the majority of the financial outlay as we got bigger, most are his but I guess that you can say I have a herd within the herd. This way my cows, calves etc that get sold are my money. I figure I put in enough unpaid labor to pay for their feed. It works for us. The joint calves go in the general fund for rent payments etc but any cull cows get split and any retained heifers join the herd.
So we were only breeding for heifers to calve once a year and mostly kept replacements out of fall calving cows but now have 2 groups of 8-15 in each. We also will keep an occasional heifer and roll her over into the next group if she doesn't catch and definitely will keep a first calf heifer that raises an exceptional calf if she doesn't catch to a bull with the first group. Any heifer that doesn't catch the 2nd chance goes to town. Have only had one 1st calf heifer that didn't catch the second try with the bull and she also left with her calf. NOT keeping problem breeders but sometimes there are circumstances that allow us to keep them over. It also depends on how much grass we have, sometimes get some pastures to rent at last minute and so we will put some out that might have gotten sold just because we have the grass. We don't make a habit of buying feeders but once in awhile we have. Have a 2nd chance heifer now that is doing an excellent job with her calf and will go right in with the cow herd as she has size and all. She was just short of 3 yrs when she calved but was the last calf out of a real good old cow and took a little longer to get her growth as the cow died when she was only about 5 months. I am the "mean" person in our operation, I will say that an open cow goes when my son will want to give some of them another chance.
We have a spring and fall calving group of both cows and heifers. Try to get down to 60 days but it is usually 90 day interval. Once in awhile if a cow is at the tail end of say the spring group we will hold her over and she will become an early fall calver, but she had better be first in the fall group or she goes on the "out the door" list. I pay attention to the ones that are stragglers and if they don't do what they should then they go. We have kept some old cows that did exceptional for years and they were allowed 18 months between the last couple of calves. I'm talking no teeth kind of cows but as long as they kept on their weight, we gave them a little break and were glad we did. Yes you can have some favourites even when you have as many as we do.
Yes we usually have a spring and fall calving group of heifers; again it depends on how many we kept to raise up. Say there are 10 from the fall born group, they will be bred to calve in the spring @2 1/2 yrs. We do a couple of cullings when we keep heifers. At weaning, we decide who we kinda like; they are kept through and we look them over a little more critically, and maybe sell some. And we will do one final "culling" when it is getting time to put them with the bull. There have been a couple of times where we only really liked 2 or 3 and just held them and so they were nearly 3 when they calved. It also depends on the markets and the prices, I sold several from my cows that my son said I should have kept and I told him that the cows will have more heifers and while they were bringing 2.00 plus per pound someone else could own them as they might only bring .50 next year. He didn't agree and I have fewer to breed now but it was a good move financially. By the way we have his cows, my cows and some joint cows. Since he does the majority of the work and has the majority of the financial outlay as we got bigger, most are his but I guess that you can say I have a herd within the herd. This way my cows, calves etc that get sold are my money. I figure I put in enough unpaid labor to pay for their feed. It works for us. The joint calves go in the general fund for rent payments etc but any cull cows get split and any retained heifers join the herd.
So we were only breeding for heifers to calve once a year and mostly kept replacements out of fall calving cows but now have 2 groups of 8-15 in each. We also will keep an occasional heifer and roll her over into the next group if she doesn't catch and definitely will keep a first calf heifer that raises an exceptional calf if she doesn't catch to a bull with the first group. Any heifer that doesn't catch the 2nd chance goes to town. Have only had one 1st calf heifer that didn't catch the second try with the bull and she also left with her calf. NOT keeping problem breeders but sometimes there are circumstances that allow us to keep them over. It also depends on how much grass we have, sometimes get some pastures to rent at last minute and so we will put some out that might have gotten sold just because we have the grass. We don't make a habit of buying feeders but once in awhile we have. Have a 2nd chance heifer now that is doing an excellent job with her calf and will go right in with the cow herd as she has size and all. She was just short of 3 yrs when she calved but was the last calf out of a real good old cow and took a little longer to get her growth as the cow died when she was only about 5 months. I am the "mean" person in our operation, I will say that an open cow goes when my son will want to give some of them another chance.
We have a spring and fall calving group of both cows and heifers. Try to get down to 60 days but it is usually 90 day interval. Once in awhile if a cow is at the tail end of say the spring group we will hold her over and she will become an early fall calver, but she had better be first in the fall group or she goes on the "out the door" list. I pay attention to the ones that are stragglers and if they don't do what they should then they go. We have kept some old cows that did exceptional for years and they were allowed 18 months between the last couple of calves. I'm talking no teeth kind of cows but as long as they kept on their weight, we gave them a little break and were glad we did. Yes you can have some favourites even when you have as many as we do.
skyhightree1
Well-known member
tncattle":21lmmetz said:
I retain all my heifers almost and flukes happen all the time. I wouldn't have shipped her but tried to find a calf to put on her. Cows were heifers before becoming cows I just see it as part of the game. That could have happened to a well seasoned cow.. However, Not my operation but do as you see fit but as for me I retain and calf out heifers I raise and some that come from the sale barn. I would also add paying a little bit more isn't insurance to not have a problem.. The cow is only one part of the equation. Their is no pay more option with cattle to alleviate all birthing problems or death loss in general. If there were such an option I don't think anyone would mind paying extra. :2cents:
Lucky_P
Well-known member
kdh,
Yes. I'm trying to get 'em calved out no later than that 27 month benchmark...and most do. It's been 10 years since I remember one that we hung onto late enough to calve out at 3 yrs, and she was a 'special' case, if you will...bottle baby and the last of a particular cow family.
It's not a set-in-stone deal, and even a 3-yr old with fused pelvic bones would probably calve reasonably easily here... even on cows, I don't use huge BW/poor CED sires.
Yes. I'm trying to get 'em calved out no later than that 27 month benchmark...and most do. It's been 10 years since I remember one that we hung onto late enough to calve out at 3 yrs, and she was a 'special' case, if you will...bottle baby and the last of a particular cow family.
It's not a set-in-stone deal, and even a 3-yr old with fused pelvic bones would probably calve reasonably easily here... even on cows, I don't use huge BW/poor CED sires.
City Guy":2fhbio93 said:
I'm sure this is a rhetorical question for which you already have the answer. As said before, my greatest struggles are with twins and malpresentations. Not much the list you have will do about those situations.
Nesikep
Well-known member
I had a smallish heifer lose her calf this spring, 110 lb heifer calf.. Had the vet been nearby and been able to do the C section in a timely fashion the calf would have been alive. I'm still on the fence about whether she gets a second chance, she did breed back on the first round, and with a scar on her I know I"m lucky to get $800 for her
True Grit Farms
Well-known member
Nesikep":yxtljkwl said:
I'm curious if that heifer could ever have a calf naturally? I'm hoping this heifer - section will catch traction and someone with some experience will chime in. My train of thought is she would be a lot more prone to calving problems because her pelvic bones never got stretched out.
We've had a few that we kept and they did fine. I do ask my vet at the time of the c section if he would keep them. If he says yes, i keep them. I'm guessing we've kept 2 or 3 in the past 36 years. We've had several more that had the surgery, but did not make the cut at selling time or our vet said to sell....
Nesikep
Well-known member
True Grit Farms":2l2txliv said:
I don't see how it would be different than breeding at 2 years old... and with the size of that calf it's not surprising she had trouble, most of your southern folk get scared when a grown cow has a calf that size. If I do keep her, I'd pay more attention to her exercise regime before calving.. make her walk for water a little more, and not have her penned as long doing nothing... She is bred to the same bull, which except for that calf had very good BW's... My option was the Limo bull which I had bad luck with the year before with 2 close calls (jack required) and another significant pull out of 4 heifers... I have 1 certain cull already for this fall, and possible another other than this heifer.. cull too many and I have no income next year.
Nesikep":2ugrmvg5 said:
It seems to me there will always be more heifers. It sucks to lose money on one but not as much as it sucks to lose money on the same one a year later too. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
