Dumb as Dirt

[Campground Cattle]

As of this morning after long debate with myself, I have come to the conclusion I am to dumb to own cows. I was reading the post about adjusted weaning weights, I have never cared as I can't sell them. I use two hands to test hay moisture, has never failed me. I have no idea what the hay protien is. I am going to find out so now I can worry about feeding sorry hay. ;-) And last but not least I have been messing with cows since I was 16, and I had never heard the term heiferette in my entire life. Through all of these turmoils I have been able to make money, avoid cancer eye, have only lost 1 calf in the last 7 years at birth. :shock: As a friend of mine put it if the cow can't stay fat on the hay I going to change the cow not the hay! In conclusion I am either the luckest cattleman or only have gotten this far by the grace of God. :help:
Now I worry about bad hay, weaning weights I can't sell,cancer eye that sorry Herefords might get, terminology that bypassed my corner of the world leaving me in the dark with the mushrooms. This is harder than Chinese arithmetic.

I can't take this kinda of pressure. :cboy:

 

[Ryder]

What is a heiferette?
Can you make any money with these heiferettes?

 

[dun]

As of this morning after long debate with myself, I have come to the conclusion I am to dumb to own cows. I was reading the post about adjusted weaning weights, I have never cared as I can't sell them. I use two hands to test hay moisture, has never failed me. I have no idea what the hay protien is. I am going to find out so now I can worry about feeding sorry hay. ;-) And last but not least I have been messing with cows since I was 16, and I had never heard the term heiferette in my entire life. Through all of these turmoils I have been able to make money, avoid cancer eye, have only lost 1 calf in the last 7 years at birth. :shock: As a friend of mine put it if the cow can't stay fat on the hay I going to change the cow not the hay! In conclusion I am either the luckest cattleman or only have gotten this far by the grace of God. :help:
Now I worry about bad hay, weaning weights I can't sell,cancer eye that sorry Herefords might get, terminology that bypassed my corner of the world leaving me in the dark with the mushrooms. This is harded than Chinese arithmetic.

I can't take this kinda of pressure. :cboy:

You gotta remember, this is an awfully wide forum. In any given week you'll read about more problems then most of us will experience in several lifetimes, and it doesn't matter if you 1 cow or a thousand.

dun

 

[sidney411]

Don't feel bad Campground! You know a lot more about cattle then I probably ever will. I only wish I could say that I only lost one calf in ONE year, much less 7! I think that is amazing in itself.

 

[Campground Cattle]

What is a heiferette?
Can you make any money with these heiferettes?

I wanted to PM you about the heiferette deal. Its really a common term in the feedlot/salebarn/order buying business. Used to see it some on some market reports, but I don't know about the government reports. Just refers to a young cow that has only had one or two calves and will still do to put on feed.


This is from a good friend of mine, I am so happy to discover I have a pasture full of heiferettes. Thought I had missed the dang boat again. :cboy:

 

[dun]

What is a heiferette?
Can you make any money with these heiferettes?

I wanted to PM you about the heiferette deal. Its really a common term in the feedlot/salebarn/order buying business. Used to see it some on some market reports, but I don't know about the government reports. Just refers to a young cow that has only had one or two calves and will still do to put on feed.


This is from a good friend of mine, I am so happy to discover I have a pasture full of heiferettes. Thought I had missed the dang boat again. :cboy:

And I always thought I had a bunch of young cows. Must admit heiferette sounds fancier. Are they worth more then a young cow?

dun

 

[Campground Cattle]

What is a heiferette?
Can you make any money with these heiferettes?

I wanted to PM you about the heiferette deal. Its really a common term in the feedlot/salebarn/order buying business. Used to see it some on some market reports, but I don't know about the government reports. Just refers to a young cow that has only had one or two calves and will still do to put on feed.


This is from a good friend of mine, I am so happy to discover I have a pasture full of heiferettes. Thought I had missed the dang boat again. :cboy:

And I always thought I had a bunch of young cows. Must admit heiferette sounds fancier. Are they worth more then a young cow?


dun

Don't know scared to ask, with my luck no. As no one around here knows what one is I going to try to sell at a premium. ;-)

 

[Oldtimer]

What is a heiferette?
Can you make any money with these heiferettes?

I wanted to PM you about the heiferette deal. Its really a common term in the feedlot/salebarn/order buying business. Used to see it some on some market reports, but I don't know about the government reports. Just refers to a young cow that has only had one or two calves and will still do to put on feed.


This is from a good friend of mine, I am so happy to discover I have a pasture full of heiferettes. Thought I had missed the dang boat again. :cboy:

You don't hear the term used as much anymore since the BSE case and the packers went to mouthing cattle-- Used to see those young first calf heifers sell for a premium price, go on feed , and slaughtered right along with the other fats- - Now they won't mouth out--- Anymore if I have first calvers come in open they usually get fattened at home and go in my own deep freeze or sold to someone wanting a whole beef-- I think they are better eating, since they are grown out a little more and have good sized ribeyes.

 

[Jake]

a heiferette can also be a heifer or young cow that lost her calf.... lot of variations of meaning

 

[donnaIL]

i heard a heiferette was a 3yo, a mature animal, that had not calved. doesnt mean anything is wrong with her, maybe she was not bred.

you are truely blessed campground...and i feel that way too, because so few problems and such good luck. i know we are no where your size or experience, but we are positive.

as far as the cancer eye, i posted a question and lots of view but no responses... i deleted it ... but i still would ask "when looking at the pupil of the eye, if you saw a boxed shape with no pigment..does that mean anything?" this is a baldie...but both my white faces have these pigment changes.

 

[Campground Cattle]

i heard a heiferette was a 3yo, a mature animal, that had not calved. doesnt mean anything is wrong with her, maybe she was not bred.

you are truely blessed campground...and i feel that way too, because so few problems and such good luck. i know we are no where your size or experience, but we are positive.

as far as the cancer eye, i posted a question and lots of view but no responses... i deleted it ... but i still would ask "when looking at the pupil of the eye, if you saw a boxed shape with no pigment..does that mean anything?" this is a baldie...but both my white faces have these pigment changes.

I have never had a case in my Herefords, had one years ago in an F-1 had a leasion like tumor near the eye, and the eye appeared to have a cataract(sp) look.

 

[Craig-TX]

Allright, I'm comming to Campground's defense. Untill now I've never, in all my entire put-together life, heard the term heiferette. I did a Google search and I do see that it appears to be a legitimate (though rare) word. I feel safe in stating that heiferette is either a yankee term or an English (as in England) term. Nobody, and I mean nobody, in Texas or the South as far as I know, has ever uttered the term heiferette. In fact, if you used that term on an honest to goodness ranch or in a salebarn around here, you would probably have to get in one or two fistfights to prove your hetrosexuality.

Craig-TX

 

[Campground Cattle]

Allright, I'm comming to Campground's defense. Untill now I've never, in all my entire put-together life, heard the term heiferette. I did a Google search and I do see that it appears to be a legitimate (though rare) word. I feel safe in stating that heiferette is either a yankee term or an English (as in England) term. Nobody, and I mean nobody, in Texas or the South as far as I know, has ever uttered the term heiferette. In fact, if you used that term on an honest to goodness ranch or in a salebarn around here, you would probably have to get in one or two fistfights to prove your hetrosexuality.

Craig-TX

Thanks Craig I asked at the feed store over coffee this morning if anyone had ever heard the term. Everyone looked at me like that dog staring in that Victrola. If you used that term around here everyone would think you wear a big pink hat.

 

[Texan]

'Fraid you two Texas guys have been spending too much time in the Showbarn and not enough at the Salebarn. Y'all need to spend a little more time in marketing channels..... ;-)

 

[Campground Cattle]

'Fraid you two Texas guys have been spending too much time in the Showbarn and not enough at the Salebarn. Y'all need to spend a little more time in marketing channels..... ;-)

Never been to a showbarn but I willing to check one out, just don't know where to look. All we have is rundown salebarns not very showy.

 

[Texan]

Never been to a showbarn but I willing to check one out, just don't know where to look.

Well, maybe txshowmom could help you out. Showly a showmom could show you a showbarn, huh?

 

[CattleAnnie]

Up here you hear the term "heiferette" alot around the auction markets. Describes young cows that have only calved once. So if you've got a first calver that was a dud and sent her to town, the auctioneer will refer to her as a heiferette. Buyers used to like them, if they had any quality.

But one thing I really enjoy about this board is all the education I'm getting...learn new thing every day, it's seems. Don't know if I'll ever be smarter than dirt, if not, oh well.

Take care.

 

[Bez]

Jumpins' !!!

I am in the Campground camp. Basically, I have come to find out I know nothing about cattle.

Even had a city fella try to tell me his "hay moisture meter" was better than my hands for telling if the hay was ready for baling. Funny, I took off some decent hay this year - no mould. His is already dusty. Maybe his batteries were old?

Hay protein? What is that - good quality hay can be felt and smelled. I toss the cows that do poorly as well. If yours is 10% and mine is 9% - does that make your animals happier - mine seem to do well. Tested some this time for the first time ever - funny - the piles I selected for feeding in the last trimester were the best quality by the protein meter - been doing it this way for years and it worked. Now I need a scientist to tell me what to do and at what cost?

But then again I have never heard of brangus and hangus and bramfords and steer bulls and such before - cattle were always purebred or crossed - now they do the "official names for crossed animals". Technology has gone into the vocabulary. And would someone tell me - is there really such a thing as a show barn? What in the heck are they - fancy barns with carpets and air conditioning? I have never seen one - but I am open to learning.

And do cattle get cancer and hoof (vs foot) and mouth and mad cow instead of BSE and what in the h#ll is a heiferette? Why do we have fats, over fats and greasy and such?

Where do all those people who ask about sick or dying cows / calves - who never call only but only one vet - if they even do that - who in turn never seems to have an answer - come from? Why do so many seem to be afraid to ask for a second opinion let alone a first opinion from a qualified professional? Yet they are ready to accept a diagnosis of a potentially dangerous sickness from one of us strangers?

Why do all those people out there ask things like - is it ok to graze on a certain type of grass? When in fact most of us cannot do anything more than offer an opinion - and the local ag guy who can usually give expert on the spot advice for free - is almost always the last person to be considered - it is after all his job to do this.

I think my favourite questions are the questions related to - can a cow raise a calf to a bzillion pounds in six months if it has a certain percentage of some cross added to the blood line? Like the thread asked - do we really want weaners at 1000 pounds? And can my pastures support this? Can my cows live long and productive lives if we continue to muck about with Mother Nature?

Adjusted weaning weight? When it stands on the scale - that is what it weighs. No adjustment required - other than zero the scale. Wean and weigh them all on the same day - done. Sell them and pocket whatever money - hopefully at a profit.

Someone will take offense to this because they believe they have been centred or ridiculed - not true. I understand this is a good place to get info - but ...... will someone tell me how to grow an animal that comes boxed and ready to ship to the customer - already frozen and inspected - I could cut out some middlemen and make a buck or two.

I guess I am another who is dumb as dirt. Campground - you and I are in what seems to be good company. :cboy:

Bez

 

[Craig-TX]

Up here you hear the term "heiferette" alot around the auction markets. Describes young cows that have only calved once.
Take care.

We always called that a first calf heifer regardless of quality.

Craig-TX

 

[CattleAnnie]

Yeah, on the ranches first calver's the term generally used, but in the rings I guess those boys are getting paid to talk, so I suppose a variety of words comes in handy. I get a kick out of listening to those auctioneers chatter... horse sales are usually the best for hearing new and descriptive terminology for livestock.

Take care.