Heifer mauling new born calves ? Injured new born

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faster horses said:
Lannie said: ". If she was some special pedigreed something that you really wanted calves out of, that would be different. If she's "just another herd member," man, I'd get rid of her."

I disagree. Those cattle should be culled, same as on any operation.
Why would a purebred producer who was selling registered offspring to others,
knowingly keep something that could very well be a genetic fault?
The ones I know would NOT do this.

And it can be genetic. Don't ask me how I know.

While I'm on the subject, when you are sorting off your replacement heifers as calves, watch their attitude. You can tell then how they are going to be as momma cows. Not 100% but enough to pass on some you would like to keep. Culling can start early.
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This cow was quiet. I was shocked to see her so aggressive.
 
faster horses said:
Lannie said: ". If she was some special pedigreed something that you really wanted calves out of, that would be different. If she's "just another herd member," man, I'd get rid of her."

I disagree. Those cattle should be culled, same as on any operation.
Why would a purebred producer who was selling registered offspring to others,
knowingly keep something that could very well be a genetic fault?
The ones I know would NOT do this.

And it can be genetic. Don't ask me how I know.

While I'm on the subject, when you are sorting off your replacement heifers as calves, watch their attitude. You can tell then how they are going to be as momma cows. Not 100% but enough to pass on some you would like to keep. Culling can start early.
Click to expand...
The special pedigree is the one that got injured, I wanted to shoot the heifer myself.
 
Don't waste time thinking about if it was the right decision to sell her, in my experience second chances rarely work out. Usually, I'm disappointed a second time which has made me less forgiving over time. Culling will solve most of your problems.
 
Richnm said:
This cow was quiet. I was shocked to see her so aggressive.
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I bought a 400 pound Jersey heifer at the sale barn to make hamburger out of after she grew a little. Just something to keep the weeds down and eventually go in the freezer. Very gentle and calm... until I put a ewe and her lambs in the same pasture. The heifer was Jekyll and Hyde, and she turned into a predator. I'd never seen that kind of a change in an animal. Intense and focused violence. She would have killed the sheep.
I've had more than one long bred young cow birth a calf out of my sight and the calf ends up dead. Usually they are sale barn cows, so suspect anyways. Those animals go back to the sale barn immediately.
 
Lannie said:
Geez, you guys, I was only trying to think of a possible reason someone MIGHT want to keep a cow like that, not that someone SHOULD. I've never had a registered cow, and probably never will, so I know nothing about it, I was just picking that out of the air. Sorry!
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I've kept a few that lots of other folks would've shipped.....
 
I came home around 7pm went to check the calves, they were both laying quietly. I offered a bottle the the rejected calf. She didn't seem interested. She got up and sprinted around the corral. I gave the cow 10 pounds of sweet feed. The injured calf got up, walked around the pen then nursed for a while, much stronger than the previous times I watched her nurse. She was head butting the bag well.
 
Lannie said:
Geez, you guys, I was only trying to think of a possible reason someone MIGHT want to keep a cow like that, not that someone SHOULD. I've never had a registered cow, and probably never will, so I know nothing about it, I was just picking that out of the air. Sorry!
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No need to be sorry. It's just a discussion.
 
Richnm said:
I came home around 7pm went to check the calves, they were both laying quietly. I offered a bottle the the rejected calf. She didn't seem interested. She got up and sprinted around the corral. I gave the cow 10 pounds of sweet feed. The injured calf got up, walked around the pen then nursed for a while, much stronger than the previous times I watched her nurse. She was head butting the bag well.
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That sounds like a good deal. One problem with feeding milk replacer, after awhile they forget about sucking a cow. If the abused calf is sucking a cow and she gives enough milk (it doesn't take much milk at this point) I'd say you are doing great!!!
Be careful with the sweet feed, You don't want to upset the rumen in the heifer at this point.
Good luck to you!! This is coming along well!!!
 
coachg said:
I think you made the right choice selling her . If the other cow is letting the abused calf nurse I would invest in a little extra groceries for that cow and not buy milk replacer.
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Agree totally... feed the cow letting and mothering the orphan calf, as good as you can (within reason) and let her feed both calves. If the orphan continues to come for a bottle, then you might supplement it with 1 bottle a day so it does grow good... but if the cow can do it, then she deserves some extra TLC....bless her heart for taking care of her own injured baby and taking on the orphan. Some are just good cows.....
 
As a PB breeder, I also want to add any negative disposition is about the only reason we would cull a heifer calf. I have a very tight herd for quality, but occasionally you will get a nut job and she gets shipped to a feedlot.
One bad dispositioned animal can kill your reputation. Reputation is everything.
You did good taking care of your two calves and getting rid of nut job.
 
Jeanne - Simme Valley said:
As a PB breeder, I also want to add any negative disposition is about the only reason we would cull a heifer calf. I have a very tight herd for quality, but occasionally you will get a nut job and she gets shipped to a feedlot.
One bad dispositioned animal can kill your reputation. Reputation is everything.
You did good taking care of your two calves and getting rid of nut job.
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I worked for Peterson Industries in NW Arkansas. They are a big outfit whose main business is meat chicken breeding stock. They have their own jets and deliver eggs and chicks all over the world.

But they also have one of the most magnificent herds of Santa Gertrudis anyone has ever seen. They had a two year old bull in the mid eighties that was as good as any Gert bull in the world, valued at 200K. Massive weaning and yearly weights. But the bull had an attitude. They were working the bulls one day and this particular bull was in the chute behind two others. They'd catch a bull in the headgate and park a one ton dually flatbed backed up against the gate so the bulls wouldn't damage the gate and get through... and the expensive two year old pushed the two bulls ahead of him through the headgate and the truck out of the way.

I saw him in the trailer soon after and the guy driving was headed to the slaughter house.

That's some pretty expensive hamburger... but they lived by what you said. "Reputation is everything."
 
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R lazy 7 said:
So she injured another calf AND won't take her own? She might not even live long enough to get a ride to town on this place!
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Yeah, I would probably shoot the heifer-mom A.S.A.P. and butcher her out the best I can with a buddy or two. I wouldn't take the time to sort or take her to the sale barn. I'd be so stunned at her awful act.
 
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Ironically, the cow that is nursing both calves is the dam of the bat sh!t crazy heifer that went to the barn. It had to come from the sire side TK Driller ( Rampge generics). Maybe the Rampage docility is the culprit ?
 

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