help me prioritize

[scott wilson]

I'd like to get some of your opinions on how you would manage this heard if it were yours. The man I bought has developed health issues and is retiring from the farm. I was able to buy the cattle heard and here is what I have:
55 cows consisting of 6 Reg Herefords, 6 Reg Angus, 6 Reg Simmentals, and the rest are Sem/angus cross. I have two read cows in the crowd and I don't know what they are. Now I have 44-46 calf's with more to deliver.
I have two bulls one is two years and change and the other is 4 years old. Both bulls came from Tokeena ANgus http://WWW.Tokeena.comThe previous owner told me the seed stock farm I just listed bought all of last years calf's. They are having their annual auction tomorrow. There are a couple of heifer lots in the sale from my cows.
The bulls have been left with the cows for the last year or two so the calving times are starting to get spread out some. I will keep the heard all in one pasture so I think I may be able to do with just one bull??? The previous owner pointed out of couple of calf heifers that he thinks I should keep this year.
Because of his health, vaccinations etc… are all over due now.
Opinions.

 

[tncattle]

I'd like to get some of your opinions on how you would manage this heard if it were yours. The man I bought has developed health issues and is retiring from the farm. I was able to buy the cattle heard and here is what I have:
55 cows consisting of 6 Reg Herefords, 6 Reg Angus, 6 Reg Simmentals, and the rest are Sem/angus cross. I have two read cows in the crowd and I don't know what they are. Now I have 44-46 calf's with more to deliver.
I have two bulls one is two years and change and the other is 4 years old. Both bulls came from Tokeena ANgus http://WWW.Tokeena.comThe previous owner told me the seed stock farm I just listed bought all of last years calf's. They are having their annual auction tomorrow. There are a couple of heifer lots in the sale from my cows.
The bulls have been left with the cows for the last year or two so the calving times are starting to get spread out some. I will keep the heard all in one pasture so I think I may be able to do with just one bull??? The previous owner pointed out of couple of calf heifers that he thinks I should keep this year.
Because of his health, vaccinations etc… are all over due now.
Opinions.

Wow! you bought a man and he has health issues? Also, if he sold you a "heard" then you got took.

 

[tuck]

I would say the man has a pretty good herd already, they have probally been productive for years, most older farmers I know are pretty set in their ways and are not interested in all the new stuff as far as AI'ing or any new fads that come along, but they are making money on what they got.

 

[scott wilson]

Tn is making fun o fmy grammer. Even spell check can't help me.

 

[preston39]

Scot...,

Not sure what your question is regarding the herd/heifers.

You can probably get by with one bull if you control mounting where there are heats in close succession. Otherwise breeding will take it's toll. With the best of approaches don't expect the bull to maintain body condition...at times...because he will have his plate full.

 

[scott wilson]

I was thinking I should leave the bull in a coouple more months to try and catch the ones that are calving late. Then leave him out until next spring to try and get calving season shorter. Right now I have calves from new born to 4 months old.
I don't know enough to understand the big advantage to having a short season other than the possibility of selling a whole tractor trailor load at once.

 

[jw]

The advantage of having a short season would be to have your calves all born around the same time. Some people prefer that and some prefer to let nature do its own thing and have them born all through the year. It more or less just depends on what kind of operation you want to run.

If you are on a year round time table now and wish to change to a short season you may have to isolate you herd from the bull until all have calved and start over on your timetable in order to get them all impregnated at the same time.

 

[tncattle]

Tn is making fun o fmy grammer. Even spell check can't help me.[/quot

I'm sorry Scott, I didn't mean no harm please forgive me, seriously.

 

[scott wilson]

non taken. Its good to be able to take it in the ribs every now and then.
TN, why don't you just come to SC for the summer. We have an extra house on the place you can stay in.

 

[Arkieman]

Scott, this is Arkieman from the SPO board (Todd). I bought Buster from ya..(just sold him). Not to hijack a thread, but had to say Hi! My son & I have bought a few Angus heifers. Small world, huh??

 

[Frankie]

I'd like to get some of your opinions on how you would manage this heard if it were yours. The man I bought has developed health issues and is retiring from the farm. I was able to buy the cattle heard and here is what I have:
55 cows consisting of 6 Reg Herefords, 6 Reg Angus, 6 Reg Simmentals, and the rest are Sem/angus cross. I have two read cows in the crowd and I don't know what they are. Now I have 44-46 calf's with more to deliver.
I have two bulls one is two years and change and the other is 4 years old. Both bulls came from Tokeena ANgus http://WWW.Tokeena.comThe previous owner told me the seed stock farm I just listed bought all of last years calf's. They are having their annual auction tomorrow. There are a couple of heifer lots in the sale from my cows.
The bulls have been left with the cows for the last year or two so the calving times are starting to get spread out some. I will keep the heard all in one pasture so I think I may be able to do with just one bull??? The previous owner pointed out of couple of calf heifers that he thinks I should keep this year.
Because of his health, vaccinations etc… are all over due now.
Opinions.

I'd say your first priority should be to get your herd health program right.

You could sell the cows that are calving late and tighten up your calving season. Depending on where/how you plan to sell your calves, a larger group of similar (age, weight, breeding) calves will sell higher than a few head of different weights, breeds, etc.

If you can sell some animals in the Tokeena sale, that might be a good thing. You should know more after the sale.

If you plan to go purebred, get an AI program in place.

The general rule of thumb in my area is one mature bull for 30 cows. We successfully used one Angus bull on 40-45 cows one year. But they were on a rotational grazing program and in small paddocks. If you're putting one bull on that many head in a 300 acre pasture, you'll probably be missing come calves come calving season.

 

[scott wilson]

Hey Todd, I forgot who has buster now but I got a call a couple weeks ago from someone who was really pleased with him.
Thanks Frankie. That was kinda what I was looking for.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

i always recommend a breeding season. i would pull the bulls out now and put em back in around about may 15. then pull them back out the end of june and preg. check this fall. the open ones would go into a fall calving season

 

[Cowdirt]

The advantage of having a short season would be to have your calves all born around the same time. Some people prefer that and some prefer to let nature do its own thing and have them born all through the year. It more or less just depends on what kind of operation you want to run.

If you are on a year round time table now and wish to change to a short season you may have to isolate you herd from the bull until all have calved and start over on your timetable in order to get them all impregnated at the same time.

Jw,
Seems to me that the two goals, going to one bull and shortening the calving season conflict with a herd that size. Can successfully do one or the other but not likely both. IMO

 

[CowpokeJ]

I would probably pen all your cattle. Teeth all of them and sell the short and solids, no teeth, maybe in the spring. The short and solids may be able to have one or two more calves,so that part is optional. Lepto, worm all your cows. At least blackleg, worm your calves. You only have a few left to calve, so you can pull your bulls in May or June. From now on, keep dates on when your calves were born out of your commercials, so you can cull the weaker end by weight at weaning. Call the guy that puts the sale on and ask him what you need to do to sell the calves in his sale or to him. You may get more money than at the sale barn. Tightening up your breeding season will give you more uniform calf sizes if you can sell to him. If you can't market the calves private treaty and you have all of your calves in say 90 day calving period, then you are subject to whatever the market is at the time when you sale your calves. If you are going to register the Angus you'll have to ask someone else what to do with that. Retained heifers are more expensive, imo, than bred replacements of the same quality.If you want to retain some heifers, you can keep the F1's out of the registered stock, sell them at 8-15 mo old, and you may can ring the bell, as Caustic says. Read that thread tips on culling.

 

[jcarkie]

you can tighten up breeding seasons but do it over about three years. we are in the same situation, we bought a herd that the bull ran 365. take out the bull mar 1st till may 1st then take them out from (no summer calves for me) aug 1st till dec 1st. then the next year shorten each the fall season thirty days(dec 1 - feb 1), and the spring thirty days(may 1 - july 1). if you want them all in the same season do it gardually. it is hard to beat the work that has been done over the years. we bought some good cows and 30 years of work (my wifes cousin passed away suddenly)

 

[jw]

Cowdirt,

That was what I was trying to say - guess I wasn't clear enough. I wasn't proposing using both systems at the same time. Thanks.

 

[Caustic Burno]

You have a lot of good options with that herd, get your health program up to speed and you are off to the races. Run an Angus or Brangus bull make Baldie and Black calf's, run a Hereford make red and black baldies, Char bull smokeys and high yellow baldies, all sell good. Being this is a commercial operation I prefer a red cow as the base herd you can turn your calf crop what ever color you want to meet a changing market. Angus is on top right now and this will pass, I have seen it where Brammers, Simms Herf's Chars were hot for years and it passed as well.
As far as calving year around this is a matter of taste and enviroment nothing wrong in any way you choose. If I was going after a season it would be fall calving as spring calfs always bring more money. Downside is you are carrying wet cows through the winter which is not an issue where am at.

 

[Wewild]

you can tighten up breeding seasons but do it over about three years. we are in the same situation, we bought a herd that the bull ran 365. take out the bull mar 1st till may 1st then take them out from (no summer calves for me) aug 1st till dec 1st. then the next year shorten each the fall season thirty days(dec 1 - feb 1), and the spring thirty days(may 1 - july 1). if you want them all in the same season do it gardually. it is hard to beat the work that has been done over the years. we bought some good cows and 30 years of work (my wifes cousin passed away suddenly)

Good post. Been there .... doing that.

 

[Wewild]

Investigate direct programs that save you from going through the barn.

I like CB's "red cow" comment as it does allow you to change between colors.