Fun sale barn cow/calf surprises

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Dead calf looks like she pushed it out while she was standing and the calf fell in a pile. But, we will never know!!

 

[50/50Farms]

But did anyone check the bite?

 

[Caustic Burno]

Part of the fun of buying sale barn cows, especially bred cows, is you never know what you'll get!!
This 4 yr old cow was called 7 months bred 2 weeks ago. Always fun to guess what bull bred the cow!

My buddy thinks charolais.
I'm not buying it. Calf is tiny. Like 60 lbs. And very dainty lil heifer.
If it had any kind of hump I'd think a brahma bull got her. But not enough ear.
Hmmmmmm
View attachment 25562View attachment 25563View attachment 25564View attachment 25565

Brahman over English makes large calves.
English over Brahman small.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have a great slide show on herd genetics using Brahman from Dr. David Riley.
I can't figure out how to load a pdf from my phone.
I can email it if someone is computer savvy.

 

[MurraysMutts]

But did anyone check the bite?

I don't think u can see it in the pics. In person, even as far away as I was, the calfs mouth did not look right. I could see teeth and gums. I sure wish I could've gotten closer or gotten back over there sooner.

On another note...
Here's the cow with my extra steer I pulled out of Bessie n Eleanor's pen. I pulled him because he's the most aggressive nurser.
Not sure how it's gonna work out yet. We are only about 24hrs in. He has tried a couple times, but the cow raises a leg and he seems unsure. By morning he will be DANG hungry. If it don't look like it's working this way, I'll chute the cow and let him nurse her down tomorrow.
Cow is also retaining placenta but it appears she's gonna clear it just fine. Was dragging the ground this evening. So she is making progress there.

I gave thought to still buying this cow from my buddy. But with the dead calf, I don't think I wanna fool with her. She's a 3 yr old registered cow. That was her 2nd calf.

 

[50/50Farms]

I don't think u can see it in the pics. In person, even as far away as I was, the calfs mouth did not look right. I could see teeth and gums. I sure wish I could've gotten closer or gotten back over there sooner.

Damn it, Murray, now she'll show up for sure.

 

[50/50Farms]

Yeah, laugh now, you've damned us to a seven hour lecture on homeopathic cell salts, roadkill deer, potatoes and chemicals.

If she shows up I'm @ing you after all of her posts to make sure you're right here with me.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Yeah, laugh now, you've damned us to a seven hour lecture on homeopathic cell salts, roadkill deer, potatoes and chemicals.

If she shows up I'm @ing you after all of her posts to make sure you're right here with me.

One things for sure...
Her mission is accomplished. Everyone is aware!

Nothing I can do now. The more I look at the pictures and what I can still remember in my mind, I'm of a mind it was a curly calf.
From what I understand, that requires the female and the male mates to carry that specific mutation for it to happen.

Had nothing to do with fertilizer or weed killer. All the cell salts in the world wouldn't help that poor dead disappeared calf....

 

[50/50Farms]

One things for sure...
Her mission is accomplished. Everyone is aware!

Nothing I can do now. The more I look at the pictures and what I can still remember in my mind, I'm of a mind it was a curly calf.
From what I understand, that requires the female and the male mates to carry that specific mutation for it to happen.

Had nothing to do with fertilizer or weed killer. All the cell salts in the world wouldn't help that poor dead disappeared calf....

No, nothing could have. It sucks, but it happens. Old or young, dying is one of their primary skill sets. Had a cow once try to calve on open ground in a storm. She got struck by lightning with the calf halfway out. It was bad, ol' son.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Well here's a fun surprise!
I purposely chose this calf to graft because he was the most aggressive. Good at dodging kicks and getting right back in there. 36 hrs later he still hadn't nursed.
He was HUNGRY!!
A few minutes in the chute and fiddling with him, ta-daaaa!
He's been penned with her long enough I think he's been rubbing that hanging placenta and she pretty well accepted him already. He just wouldn't nurse!!
Got a taste and it's on. Nice cow really!

 

[bird dog]

She doesn't look like you can take the little one away now without a fight. Good job.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Forgot to update!
We turned her and her new baby out Thursday I think it was. They are like 2 peas in a pod!
Mission accomplished.

I'd like to see a couple more calves before we sell em off next month.

 

[gcreekrch]

Heifer with a tight exit, 100 lb calf out the side door last night. All is well so far. She went down at the start, was a challenge keeping clean but think we did ok. We won't be going cheap on the penicillin.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Today was the day we loaded all red tagged cows to haul to a special cow sale nearly 60 miles away.
I get the text, everyone's caught. Head this way.
Then another. Ummmmm. Missing a cow....
Nope nope. She's in the pen.
I get there and sure enough here comes that cow towards the pen of cows/calves.
Shes empty.
Got a calf somewhere. Guess she's staying here today.

Anyway. All loaded up and off we went!
Then went to a local sale afterwards. The whole time it's just eating away at me to go find that calf. Now yall heard me talk about that place. Million places to hide over there.
After the sale I went on a walk. I knew where mama came from, so I had a general idea.
Head that way..... mamas headed for her calf. Just keep following. All a sudden she just stops and starts eating like nothing in the world Is going on.

Now some cows will hide a calf and take ya right to it.
Some will take ya away from it.
We had doubled back from where we started!!

Alright. Ive had enough. So long mama,, I'm gonna go it alone.

So I'm walking.......

What color is it?
Bull or heifer?
Is it even alive!?!
O dear lord.

Safe and sound.....
Right where I was headed to begin with before mama led me astray!

And out of a nice lil red second calf cow. Someone used a nice bull. Good big healthy calf!

 

[Allenw]

This is NOT a fun sale barn surprise. Bought at a fancy bred cow sale. I do not have the papers and it's not my cow. My friends cow.
This cow I really really liked. I had plans of talking him out of her next month. From what I can tell, just a stillborn. I really don't know and wasn't gonna get killed today. Funny, she's the gentlest girl over there too!
View attachment 27671View attachment 27672
If we can get her caught this weekend, I've got a super aggressive nursing steer we may try....

That one had been dead in the cow for awhile is my guess.

 

[MurraysMutts]

That one had been dead in the cow for awhile is my guess.

I sure would've liked to known more on that one!

 

[50/50Farms]

I sure would've liked to known more on that one!

It can get worse, there exists the rare case of mummified calf.

 

[MurraysMutts]

That one had been dead in the cow for awhile is my guess.

It can get worse, there exists the rare case of mummified calf.

I was gonna edit last post but I'll just add here.

Those cows were checked 4 times a week minimum. She seemed to be perfectly normal. Progressing normal with calf. Bagging, springing like normal etc....

I sure would've like to have seen the birth.
Bygones I guess...

I'll let everyone know how that particular pair does at the sale. Got quite a bit in her with the graft calf. Least she took the calf as her own.

 

[tex452]

We bought the Brahman x as an open
The other as a bred cow.
We don't have a Brahman bull.
She is very protective of her baby.

 

[MurraysMutts]

We bought the Brahman x as an open
The other as a bred cow.
We don't have a Brahman bull.
She is very protective of her baby.

That calf definitely has a hump!!
Very very nice!


The graft pair sold VERY WELL.
Even made a few bucks after the purchased calf. Would've made a LOT if hadn't had to put a 300 dollar baby on her.

The one with the "pretty heifer" didn't do as well. Too much brahma in the cow. Didn't win on her but didn't lose either.

The others all did well