Feeding Broken Mouth Cows ?

[Stocker Steve]

I see some thin ones come through the sales barns here. A typical one bred back a little late, was not preg checked, and then lost a lot of weight trying to winter on poor hay. At that point the kill buyers do not want them. I know they need more than hay to turn them around for a last calf.

Is it economical to boost them up on a high energy feed like corn silage, take them to grass, and then wean early before they get sucked down?

 

[Kingfisher]

I see some thin ones come through the sales barns here. A typical one bred back a little late, was not preg checked, and then lost a lot of weight trying to winter on poor hay. At that point the kill buyers do not want them. I know they need more than hay to turn them around for a last calf.

Is it economical to boost them up on a high energy feed like corn silage, take them to grass, and then wean early before they get sucked down?

How would you define a broken mouth cow? I've heard that what does that too them is poor pasture over a long time. Eating rocks is what i call it..but seeing as some " markers" at the sale barns can't even tell if a cow is pregnant or not how would they really know if they were " broken mouth" ........what do you say?

 

[Angus Cowman]

Broken mouth is where a cow a at an older age starts losing some of her teeth it usually starts around 10 -12 yrs of age

 

[cow pollinater]

In the past I've made quite a bit of money buying broken mouth short bred cows and running them on irrigated pasture here on the valley floor. I'd put weight on them and let them raise one last calf and haul them and the calves back in. It worked really well. They were proven range cows so I had very little problems with them and I made money both on the gain on the cow and the calf and there were no breeding costs.

 

[Aaron]

I've got (and had in the past) some smooth mouthed cows. No problem keeping condition. As far as I have seen, it all boils down to genetics. The good cows keep their condition as long as they aren't forced to eat pasture that resembles a golf course. But I know a lot of people won't believe me.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I agree that broken mouth cows should be productive on good grass.
I think they can get into poor condition trying to chew meadow hay during arctic conditions.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I've got (and had in the past) some smooth mouthed cows. No problem keeping condition. As far as I have seen, it all boils down to genetics. The good cows keep their condition as long as they aren't forced to eat pasture that resembles a golf course. But I know a lot of people won't believe me.

Aaron I believe you, and agree. The genetics of my cattle definitely make them "easy keepers" at any age.
I also agree with stocker that in that bad weather they have, even a fat girl needs some TLC!

 

[Kingfisher]

Broken mouth is where a cow a at an older age starts losing some of her teeth it usually starts around 10 -12 yrs of age

Usually.......but I am sure it can start earlier in poor rocky pastures. Yall might not have that problem there but some I have seen here sure dont look that old.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

Steve check your pm

 

[jerry27150]

they call them broken mouth here if they have one tooth broken. have seen some at six years. most here that buy them, feed them some corn

 

[skeeter swatter]

I think you can make good money on them if you can have them fleshy in say, mid August or so.
Just kill the cow and have an almost free calf.

 

[js1234]

Broken mouth is where a cow a at an older age starts losing some of her teeth it usually starts around 10 -12 yrs of age

Usually.......but I am sure it can start earlier in poor rocky pastures. Yall might not have that problem there but some I have seen here sure dont look that old.

True. One some of our Nevada ground you'll see some 6/7's with a broken mouth.

 

[Angus Cowman]

True. One some of our Nevada ground you'll see some 6/7's with a broken mouth.

true out in the Oklahoma panhandle we had a lot of 6 and 7s that were short solid or broken mouth it seems the sand would really wear their teeth down
I have an article in a book a Vet and a good friend of mine wrote, it is about putting dental implants in cattle it didn't work very well and the cost was prohibitive but it is interesting
They were trying to get a few more yrs out of middle aged cows whos teeth were wore down from the sand

 

[smnherf]

There is a lot of differences in broken mouth cows. There are those 6, 7 or 8 year old cows coming out of western south Dakota who rarely see a bale of hay that you can buy and put some feed in them and they can raise a couple calves very well with no problems and then there are those broken mouth cows who have been fed corn silage and corn in order to get them to survive the winter and are still on the thin side. They can be a lot of work, have a hard time raising a calf and may just up and die on you any time. I would avoid the later type. You need to know what you are buying. There are lots of people make good money on short term cows.

Brian

 

[Stocker Steve]

You need to know what you are buying. There are lots of people make good money on short term cows. Brian

Got a guy here who seems to specialize in broken mouth cows. He winters them on 50% beet tailings...

Other than the width of the mouth - - are there any other tells when cows are in the ring?