Dodged a bullet!!

[Nesikep]

I agree. Weight is where the money is. I see all these (kids?) weaning early and using expensive feeding programs to get weight, and yet people do the same thing with genetics and a standard weaning age. I have a problem understanding why anyone would settle for 450# calves.

if you're spending much to get the extra weight if you're selling them at weaning, I don't see it working a lot of the time.. once you get above 600lb weaning weight the price per pound drops off drastically. I remember in 2015 I had a little ugly dink at 325 lbs, he got $1400 CAD, and then I had a BEAUTIFUL 650 lb steer (Ironically, they were pretty much brothers with their mommas being full siblings, and had the same sire).. the ugly dink was only worth $200 less than the one twice his size
Here's the dink


and the big one

 

[Travlr]

if you're spending much to get the extra weight if you're selling them at weaning, I don't see it working a lot of the time.. once you get above 600lb weaning weight the price per pound drops off drastically. I remember in 2015 I had a little ugly dink at 325 lbs, he got $1400 CAD, and then I had a BEAUTIFUL 650 lb steer (Ironically, they were pretty much brothers with their mommas being full siblings, and had the same sire).. the ugly dink was only worth $200 less than the one twice his size
Here's the dink
View attachment 22291

and the big one
View attachment 22292

The entire point being that if the calves were on each cow for the same amount of time you got $200 more for the effort you put in on the bigger calf. More calf... more money.
Isn't it weird that full sisters and the same bull can get such different results. Yet it happens all the time. It's a business of averages.

 

[Nesikep]

The entire point being that if the calves were on each cow for the same amount of time you got $200 more for the effort you put in on the bigger calf. More calf... more money.
Isn't it weird that full sisters and the same bull can get such different results. Yet it happens all the time. It's a business of averages.

it depends also on which cow eats more over the year, etc.. All things being equal yeah, you'd take the bigger calf
I can say I stopped chasing 700 lb weaning weights and look more toward efficient cows now that raise a 550-650 lb calf that looks really good

 

[Travlr]

it depends also on which cow eats more over the year, etc.. All things being equal yeah, you'd take the bigger calf
I can say I stopped chasing 700 lb weaning weights and look more toward efficient cows now that raise a 550-650 lb calf that looks really good

Yup... The trade offs are important. The amount of feed has to be balanced with how a cow maintains condition in cold weather feeding a calf.

I've just never found low weaning weights as economical as high weights regardless of cow weights.

 

[Nesikep]

Yup... The trade offs are important. The amount of feed has to be balanced with how a cow maintains condition in cold weather feeding a calf.

I've just never found low weaning weights as economical as high weights regardless of cow weights.

I had some big shorthorn cows that would do 700 lb calves, but they ate twice as much as my Gelbvieh that raise 600's on far less feed. If they were on someone else's land for half the year and paid by the head it would change the calculation a bit, but they're on my place eating my grass and hay!
I avoid having the cows milking during the winter, they burn through the hay stack way too fast

 

[Warren Allison]

I didn't find recovery all that bad, but as soon as I was able (Bypass surgery was Oct 3 2015) I went thru cardiac rehab, which was in January for about a month, 3 days/week. It helped, a LOT. If they offer it to you, do it. Prior to that, I was up and walking in the hospital and doing their rehab within a a few days. I had to spend a couple extra days in hosp recovery because I developed AFib.
I was building fence by Thanksgiving (But no tpost driving or posthole digging). The worst part was the blood thinners. Any little bump of my arms resulted in bad bruise looking things and bleeding. An oak tree had fallen on my brother's property and I went over and cut it off a fence and sawed it up. Looked like I had stuck my hand and forearm in a meat grinder when I was done.

Do I feel a lot better? You bet, and to borrow a phrase from a TV infomercial "She'll like it too!"
View attachment 22289

Yep. I am allthe time looking down, and see my hands or wrists or arms bleeding, and I never even knew I had cut or skinned them!

 

[Nesikep]

Yep. I am allthe time looking down, and see my hands or wrists or arms bleeding, and I never even knew I had cut or skinned them!

that happens to me without blood thinners.. .. What did I snag myself on this time???

 

[Travlr]

I had some big shorthorn cows that would do 700 lb calves, but they ate twice as much as my Gelbvieh that raise 600's on far less feed. If they were on someone else's land for half the year and paid by the head it would change the calculation a bit, but they're on my place eating my grass and hay!
I avoid having the cows milking during the winter, they burn through the hay stack way too fast

Yeah, as said... trade-offs.

I like to wean my calves in September, so a cow has to feed a calf well enough to get them through the spring blizzards.

 

[Nesikep]

Yeah, as said... trade-offs.

I like to wean my calves in September, so a cow has to feed a calf well enough to get them through the spring blizzards.

I usually calf in Feb/March and wean end of september, that really extends my fall grazing well enough to make it worthwhile to feed the mommas better when it's still cold in Feb.. we don't get near the blizzards the Dakotas get, but 0F and windy is possible in Feb, and then you have wet, rainy and muddy in March (can't win!)
This is one of my small cows that really impressed me, this is her first calf at a week old or so

5 months

He's grown to be a nice boy now, should make some good eats!


4 month old full brother looks good too

 

[Travlr]

I usually calf in Feb/March and wean end of september, that really extends my fall grazing well enough to make it worthwhile to feed the mommas better when it's still cold in Feb.. we don't get near the blizzards the Dakotas get, but 0F and windy is possible in Feb, and then you have wet, rainy and muddy in March (can't win!)
This is one of my small cows that really impressed me, this is her first calf at a week old or so

5 months
View attachment 22340
He's grown to be a nice boy now, should make some good eats!
View attachment 22341

4 month old full brother looks good too
View attachment 22342

I think you and I have similar tastes in cattle. And real estate for that matter. My place in SD was nowhere near as beautiful but my cows/calves were very close. I miss my cows...

 

[Nesikep]

I think you and I have similar tastes in cattle. And real estate for that matter. My place in SD was nowhere near as beautiful but my cows/calves were very close. I miss my cows...

I'm gonna be missing mine before long here, 8 more of the "pets" are going to their new home next week, I'll be moved out by the end of the year.

 

[Travlr]

I'm gonna be missing mine before long here, 8 more of the "pets" are going to their new home next week, I'll be moved out by the end of the year.

Damn... that's tough to hear. I don't like hearing that people are retiring, especially people that do it well. At least we have this site where the bulls**t is deep and warm...lol

 

[Nesikep]

Damn... that's tough to hear. I don't like hearing that people are retiring, especially people that do it well. At least we have this site where the bulls**t is deep and warm...lol

I'm not really retiring (don't have that kind of bank account), but I'm probably going to either turn wrenches or run heavy equipment out in the bush. For now, the best pets are going to a friends place, she's recently bought her farm, I'm retaining ownership of the breeding animals and selling her my 2 big fat steers and all my steer calves, it works for both of us, I don't need the income from them and have a place for them, for her, she gets the calves without the initial investment on the mommas. This is their new place and my friend. after an 18 hour trip there, they had to do 10 laps around the field and they didn't wanna have anything to do with me.. then they slowed down, and with a few bribes of apples and such they settled down

A few days later they were warming up to her (she was using zucchini for bribes)
View attachment 309428362_8759495827397691_8841375218680732730_n.mp4

 

[wbvs58]

Does she know their names yet Nesi? Looks like they will be happy and well looked after there.

Ken

 

[alacowman1]

I didn't find recovery all that bad, but as soon as I was able (Bypass surgery was Oct 3 2015) I went thru cardiac rehab, which was in January for about a month, 3 days/week. It helped, a LOT. If they offer it to you, do it. Prior to that, I was up and walking in the hospital and doing their rehab within a a few days. I had to spend a couple extra days in hosp recovery because I developed AFib.
I was building fence by Thanksgiving (But no tpost driving or posthole digging). The worst part was the blood thinners. Any little bump of my arms resulted in bad bruise looking things and bleeding. An oak tree had fallen on my brother's property and I went over and cut it off a fence and sawed it up. Looked like I had stuck my hand and forearm in a meat grinder when I was done.

Do I feel a lot better? You bet, and to borrow a phrase from a TV infomercial "She'll like it too!"
View attachment 22289

I do the same.my arms look like a dog bone..

 

[Nesikep]

Does she know their names yet Nesi? Looks like they will be happy and well looked after there.

Ken

working on that yet!