Ebenezer
Well-known member
copper
Heifer bull prospect?
- Thread starter Ky hills
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Ebenezer
Well-known member
The head is either two things: feminine tendency/late maturing or a healthy dose of New Design 036 to get a true nail keg head shape.
OP
OP
Ky hills
Well-known member
Bingo, he goes back to New Design through Predestined
Ebenezer
Well-known member
That type followed the breeding. Not a negative but a clue to the past.
faster horses
Well-known member
As to the brown coloring, I would call that genetic. Copper deficiency usually shows up in a brown triangle on the wither and down. Don't ask me how I know...
Lee VanRoss
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2020
- Messages
- 2,392
- Reaction score
- 2,682
If you are right then I have learned something I did not know. For that I am grateful. Thank you.
OP
OP
Ky hills
Well-known member
Seems like a few years ago someone was on here trolling all the time about sulphur. They kept bringing up about the reddish or brown on the backs. Maybe the gist of it was that sulphur messed with the absorption of copper?
It was kind of akin to the underbite obsession but more so.
It was kind of akin to the underbite obsession but more so.
faster horses
Well-known member
Here is how I know. We had copper deficiency in our cows. We were in an area where there was high sulfates in the water, but we didn't know that til years later. Our herd health suffered because of it. We even moved our ranching operation across the state, because no one back then, had any idea why our calves got so sick. For 8 years. After getting on Vigortone mineral (that's why I am so passionate about feeding mineral) the area manager used our cattle for before and after pictures. Honestly, we were ready to quit. Then we found out it was copper deficiency from him. We had tried universities, feed dealers, veterinarians, eveyone and no one knew til he looked at our cattle in 1994. This sickness started in early 1985 and it wasn't until 1994 that we were able to identify and fix the problem. It was smooth sailing with our cattle/herd health from then on. Oh yeah, we gave all the vaccines, but without a good immune system the vaccines aren't effective. We lived it for 8 years, so we know about copper deficiency and how it marks brown on their wither. It's pretty easy to identify once you know to look for it.
Here is a bit on it. https://www.producer.com/livestock/copper-deficiency-a-problem-when-sulfates-are-high/
"Lower levels of sulfates in the water or diet can cause less obvious problems in cattle. Sulfates bind with copper and other trace minerals in the rumen, making them unavailable for absorption. The effect on copper becomes even more significant if molybdenum levels are high in the diet because molybdenum can also tie up copper absorption. Higher levels of sulfates are common in water in many areas of the Prairies and if distillers grains are used as part of a finishing diet, they can also raise the sulfate levels in the rumen. Copper deficiency may be a significant subclinical risk in these situations.
Copper deficiency in cattle has been associated with a wide range of problems including poor growth, loss in milk production, changes in hair colour, and anemia (low levels of red blood cells). Copper may also play a role in the immune response and cattle that are copper deficient may be more prone to infectious diseases."
I'm always happy to help because of what we went through. I would not want anyone to have to experience that. Now more is known about copper deficiency than almost 40 years ago. That is such a good thing.
coachg
Well-known member
Beauty is in the eye of owner ; and hopefully the buyer when you get ready to sell his calves . My view of first calf heifers is I want a live calf ! I'll take a little smaller calf that first go around but I've never made money on dead big calves . Many on here carry a different view and that's fine . That's why they make different flavors of ice cream and different makes and color of automobiles . Todays society doesn't view different opinions as being acceptable. You have to believe like me or you're wrong . That calf may not be what some would use but if you feel he'll throw live calves out of your heifers, go for it ! My 2 cents
Stickney94
Well-known member
A few years ago I was watching an online sale on the off chance some yearling heifers sold for prices that were reasonable. Well they did -- I'd only evaluated using online video and I purchased a couple that I had noted as prospects based only on video, pedigree, and epds. When they arrived it was remarkable how different they were in person. Things like height, thickness, length -- can be very hard to ascertain via video or photo only.
I'd love a side by side of this calf and the one in your other thread. But you probably can see things in the pen with them that we simply can't.
I'd love a side by side of this calf and the one in your other thread. But you probably can see things in the pen with them that we simply can't.
OP
OP
Ky hills
Well-known member
Those two are in different groups so I haven't been able to compare them side by side. The white face calf is definitely the thicker of the two, I believe there is more difference than just what could be discounted from the black calf being from a first calf heifer. Even though they are sired by half brothers the females in their pedigrees are notably different.
