Fat Cows

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I see well muscled cattle in great condition. I only saw the one animal with ugly tail head fat on her. None of the others appeared super fat to me. If I am correct, these were mostly bred heifers. Not milking yet. I want my heifers in BCS of 6.5 to 7 prior to calving. They look spot on.

 

[Bright Raven]

I see well muscled cattle in great condition. I only saw the one animal with ugly tail head fat on her. None of the others appeared super fat to me. If I am correct, these were mostly bred heifers. Not milking yet. I want my heifers in BCS of 6.5 to 7 prior to calving. They look spot on.

You can talk like that all day!

Seriously, I am glad to hear that. I do worry about them getting too fat.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I did not see bulging briskets or fat deposit in the flanks. Not trying to boost you up or saying that because they are Simmies. They just look like really good quality cattle IMHO. Just the way I like them.
A producer can try to save money by "grass feeding" their weaned calves thru breeding & calving. But, the little I spend on a weaned heifer is MORE than paid for by not losing a calf because she was not grown out properly.
They will lose any excess fat when they start milking.

 

[BFE]

Good problem to have! That's what I'm going for here. So many claim the Simmental is hard doing, but ours stay in better than good flesh and raise good calves on nothing but grass and mineral.
Same here on the grass. I was chasing a calf through a hayfield yesterday, chest high fescue and OG, and I'm 6'2". We should be making hay next week.

Even longhorn and Corriente cattle would be pig fat on that kind of grass. Hard doing cattle don't show up in good times, it's the hard times that separates cattle that can hustle and those that can't.

I seen more ponds dry up last year than I ever have in my life, and those sim cows stayed in good flesh with no feed or tubs. I guess extended drought is good times.

 

[callmefence]

You fall calve right?..... seems you would want wet cows on your best grass of the year.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

fence - you talking to me? If so, I "mostly" calve 1-1 to 3-10 with a small group (10 this year) in the fall.

 

[callmefence]

fence - you talking to me? If so, I "mostly" calve 1-1 to 3-10 with a small group (10 this year) in the fall.

No ma'am.
I was talking to Raven.. his cow's get to fat every year on his high caliber Kentucky grass.
But he fall calves. The solution seems obvious to me.

 

[Bright Raven]

fence - you talking to me? If so, I "mostly" calve 1-1 to 3-10 with a small group (10 this year) in the fall.

No ma'am.
I was talking to Raven.. his cow's get to fat every year on his high caliber Kentucky grass.
But he fall calves. The solution seems obvious to me.

Andy, I am 100% AI. For 2 reasons: 1. I enjoy the process. 2. It relieves me of the cost and management of a bull.

As a result of doing all AI, I found in my area, heat detection and access to the facility is difficult and frustrating during the spring. When it warms up and the grass comes on, the cows become inaccessible for AI. They spend their time in remote areas and get down in the hollers. To have spring calves on my farm would require a bull. Therefore, I went to all fall calving. All my calves are born in September and October. I begin my AI breeding on Thanksgiving. The cows are on hay, they stay close to the headquarters, and Heat detection is easy. When I need to AI, it is easy to move them into the facility.

No way I will ever go back to spring calving!

 

[TexasBred]

Don't change anything. You have too many "GOOD" things going with your cattle to begin playing games with them. BTW only one you showed was a bit overconditioned.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

TB - I totally agree.
We all need to manage our herds under our own individual "management", facilities, and environment.

 

[boondocks]

I couldn't see the pics. :(

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

They are still there on my computer this morning.

 

[angus9259]

This is the exact boat I find myself in every year. I fall calve as well. It's a function of fall calving I think. No world is perfect. What I've gone to is retaining my calves and putting them on pasture as well and selling the calves in the summer. Keeps the pasture in check to some extent. But cattle will flush with all that grass. It is what it is.

 

[kenny thomas]

fence - you talking to me? If so, I "mostly" calve 1-1 to 3-10 with a small group (10 this year) in the fall.

No ma'am.
I was talking to Raven.. his cow's get to fat every year on his high caliber Kentucky grass.
But he fall calves. The solution seems obvious to me.

Andy, I am 100% AI. For 2 reasons: 1. I enjoy the process. 2. It relieves me of the cost and management of a bull.

As a result of doing all AI, I found in my area, heat detection and access to the facility is difficult and frustrating during the spring. When it warms up and the grass comes on, the cows become inaccessible for AI. They spend their time in remote areas and get down in the hollers. To have spring calves on my farm would require a bull. Therefore, I went to all fall calving. All my calves are born in September and October. I begin my AI breeding on Thanksgiving. The cows are on hay, they stay close to the headquarters, and Heat detection is easy. When I need to AI, it is easy to move them into the facility.

No way I will ever go back to spring calving!

In fescue areas why would you be feeding hay at Thanksgiving. You need to manage your grass and feed hay in February and March.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

No ma'am.
I was talking to Raven.. his cow's get to fat every year on his high caliber Kentucky grass.
But he fall calves. The solution seems obvious to me.

Andy, I am 100% AI. For 2 reasons: 1. I enjoy the process. 2. It relieves me of the cost and management of a bull.

As a result of doing all AI, I found in my area, heat detection and access to the facility is difficult and frustrating during the spring. When it warms up and the grass comes on, the cows become inaccessible for AI. They spend their time in remote areas and get down in the hollers. To have spring calves on my farm would require a bull. Therefore, I went to all fall calving. All my calves are born in September and October. I begin my AI breeding on Thanksgiving. The cows are on hay, they stay close to the headquarters, and Heat detection is easy. When I need to AI, it is easy to move them into the facility.

No way I will ever go back to spring calving!

In fescue areas why would you be feeding hay at Thanksgiving. You need to manage your grass and feed hay in February and March.

We fed hay November through April this year. Grass was slow to grow this spring.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

It wanted to grow, but winter wouldn't let it.. Those extended frosts we kept having we're kicking it's butt..

 

[Bright Raven]

No ma'am.
I was talking to Raven.. his cow's get to fat every year on his high caliber Kentucky grass.
But he fall calves. The solution seems obvious to me.

Andy, I am 100% AI. For 2 reasons: 1. I enjoy the process. 2. It relieves me of the cost and management of a bull.

As a result of doing all AI, I found in my area, heat detection and access to the facility is difficult and frustrating during the spring. When it warms up and the grass comes on, the cows become inaccessible for AI. They spend their time in remote areas and get down in the hollers. To have spring calves on my farm would require a bull. Therefore, I went to all fall calving. All my calves are born in September and October. I begin my AI breeding on Thanksgiving. The cows are on hay, they stay close to the headquarters, and Heat detection is easy. When I need to AI, it is easy to move them into the facility.

No way I will ever go back to spring calving!

In fescue areas why would you be feeding hay at Thanksgiving. You need to manage your grass and feed hay in February and March.

I have used that practice. The other practice I use is - starting hay at Thanksgiving. Feeding through February. Which allows me to have easy access to the cows for breeding. Then put them out on stockpiled grass to hold them until the grass takes off.

 

[alisonb]

They look good Ron, wouldn't be worrying if I was you.

 

[callmefence]

fence - you talking to me? If so, I "mostly" calve 1-1 to 3-10 with a small group (10 this year) in the fall.

No ma'am.
I was talking to Raven.. his cow's get to fat every year on his high caliber Kentucky grass.
But he fall calves. The solution seems obvious to me.

Andy, I am 100% AI. For 2 reasons: 1. I enjoy the process. 2. It relieves me of the cost and management of a bull.

As a result of doing all AI, I found in my area, heat detection and access to the facility is difficult and frustrating during the spring. When it warms up and the grass comes on, the cows become inaccessible for AI. They spend their time in remote areas and get down in the hollers. To have spring calves on my farm would require a bull. Therefore, I went to all fall calving. All my calves are born in September and October. I begin my AI breeding on Thanksgiving. The cows are on hay, they stay close to the headquarters, and Heat detection is easy. When I need to AI, it is easy to move them into the facility.

No way I will ever go back to spring calving!

Well their your cows....you have every right to do it all wrong.............wink

 

[wbvs58]

Well Ron I think you are just gonna have to deal with your "annual fear", you have been given a solution but it doesn't suit you to change and you are doing good with what you do so you just gotta work on that "fear" now. Just have to keep working on that mower, have you thought of a flail type mower that will mulch the grass rather than windrow it to give more rapid break down of cut material back to your soil?

Ken