Do cows need to be kept bred?

[rjpaints]

I have a holstein/angus cross that currently has a 7-8 mth calf on her side. She is approx 3 yrs old.

When we first bought her we intended to butcher her and the calf BUT found she is an easy cow to handle and very easy to milk so we were thinking of keeping her and raising some calves on her. I have kinda grown fond of her.

Here is my ? Do you have to keep them bred to keep her milking or can you just milk her by hand and keep a calf on her to keep her producing?

Her options now are

butcher - if she has to be kept bred as I am not good at calving and know nothing of cattle for long term care.

keep her and raise a few calves on her to eventually butcher and get fresh milk

sell her to someone who need a good easy to handle cow.

Anyway all suggestions are appreciated. Thanks !!!

 

[dun]

After a couple of months post calving the milk will start to decrease. Unless they're really super high producers, most dairys try to freshen them every 12 months. That means she needs to be bred before 3 months post calving

 

[bigbull338]

if you want her to produce milk she has tobe bred.a cow will milk for 9 to 12 months.an then their milk will go to nothing.so if you want to keep her breed her back.she can raise a calf for you to sale or put in the freezer.an open cow dosent do you no good.

 

[angie2]

I have a holstein/angus cross that currently has a 7-8 mth calf on her side. She is approx 3 yrs old.

When we first bought her we intended to butcher her and the calf BUT found she is an easy cow to handle and very easy to milk so we were thinking of keeping her and raising some calves on her. I have kinda grown fond of her.

Here is my ? Do you have to keep them bred to keep her milking or can you just milk her by hand and keep a calf on her to keep her producing?

Her options now are

butcher - if she has to be kept bred as I am not good at calving and know nothing of cattle for long term care.

keep her and raise a few calves on her to eventually butcher and get fresh milk

sell her to someone who need a good easy to handle cow.

Anyway all suggestions are appreciated. Thanks !!!

You maybe don't have to know anything about calving ~ that's her job and she has already done it once. I would hesitate if she were a heifer, but she has already had one calf successfully and should be able to do so again. I realize that cows can have difficulty calving but its less risk than with a heifer.
As far as long term care ~ if you don;t plan on keeing her more than a few years, she is only 3 so she will not display age related health issues for quite some time yet ~ you could easily get more calves from her before then. There are plenty of people looking for older cows 7/8 that are easy to handle, she will be just as easy to sell then as now. She would make a good nurse cow.
I suggest this because you say you have grown fond of her. There is no reason to sell at this point if that is so, but yes, she does need to be bred back.
Besides ~ its way fun to have new babies born on your own place!

BTW ~ time to wean that calf at her side if you have not done so already ;-)

 

[mnmtranching]

I have a holstein/angus cross that currently has a 7-8 mth calf on her side. She is approx 3 yrs old.

When we first bought her we intended to butcher her and the calf BUT found she is an easy cow to handle and very easy to milk so we were thinking of keeping her and raising some calves on her. I have kinda grown fond of her.

Here is my ? Do you have to keep them bred to keep her milking or can you just milk her by hand and keep a calf on her to keep her producing?

Her options now are

butcher - if she has to be kept bred as I am not good at calving and know nothing of cattle for long term care.

keep her and raise a few calves on her to eventually butcher and get fresh milk

sell her to someone who need a good easy to handle cow.

Anyway all suggestions are appreciated. Thanks !!!

You maybe don't have to know anything about calving ~ that's her job and she has already done it once. I would hesitate if she were a heifer, but she has already had one calf successfully and should be able to do so again. I realize that cows can have difficulty calving but its less risk than with a heifer.
As far as long term care ~ if you don;t plan on keeing her more than a few years, she is only 3 so she will not display age related health issues for quite some time yet ~ you could easily get more calves from her before then. There are plenty of people looking for older cows 7/8 that are easy to handle, she will be just as easy to sell then as now. She would make a good nurse cow.
I suggest this because you say you have grown fond of her. There is no reason to sell at this point if that is so, but yes, she does need to be bred back.
Besides ~ its way fun to have new babies born on your own place!

BTW ~ time to wean that calf at her side if you have not done so already ;-)

Yup 8)

 

[Beef11]

Dun wrote

most dairys try to freshen them every 12 months.

They do TRY for twelve months most get it done every 15-16 months.