How old before retiring a mama cow

[herofan]

In your experience, at what age do you feel a mama cow is closing in on retirement from the herd? I know there will be stories of people who had a cow that was 109 and still had great calves, but at what age do you start feeling a little nervous about keeping the cow?

 

[TCRanch]

Age is relative, it depends entirely on the cow; whether she has maintained good condition, still produces quality milk, still has a lot of teeth, no significant health issues. There are 15 year old cows that are way better produces than cows half their age. I would say it's time to retire a cow when you're constantly worrying about her or her calf.

 

[Katpau]

I've decided to start culling routinely at 15 even when they are still producing well and looking good. I have had some over the years that I kept longer, but then I usually end up with a cull cow that looks her age and brings me a lot less at the sale barn. If she is good enough to still be here at 15, I probably have a few good daughters to take her place. Of course maybe only one out of 8 or 10 will last that long. Most will either come up open, or I will find something about them I don't like before that.

 

[cow pollinater]

I've always shot for around seven or eight. That does a couple of things. You get some return on the cow as a replacement beyond cull price, you avoid old cow problems pretty much all together, and you keep your genetics fairly current(at least you should if you're using quality genetics), you produce more pounds per calf by running young cows in their prime, you cut feed costs as young cows convert feed better.

 

[Bigfoot]

I've always shot for around seven or eight. That does a couple of things. You get some return on the cow as a replacement beyond cull price, you avoid old cow problems pretty much all together, and you keep your genetics fairly current(at least you should if you're using quality genetics), you produce more pounds per calf by running young cows in their prime, you cut feed costs as young cows convert feed better.

Exact same thought process for me. I sell at 10 though. CP's environment is different than here though. His 8 may be like my 10.

I'd need a chalk board to explain it properly, but you have gross sales, and net sales. I'm only going to be able to run X amount of cows on my 260 acres. I'm better of selling a 10 year old cow at a back to the farm price, than I am a kill cow.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Age is relative, it depends entirely on the cow; whether she has maintained good condition, still produces quality milk, still has a lot of teeth, no significant health issues. There are 15 year old cows that are way better produces than cows half their age. I would say it's time to retire a cow when you're constantly worrying about her or her calf.

Bingo she retires herself here.
The longer they maintain BCS, have good teeth and produce every 12 months the more profit in them.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Age is relative, it depends entirely on the cow; whether she has maintained good condition, still produces quality milk, still has a lot of teeth, no significant health issues. There are 15 year old cows that are way better produces than cows half their age. I would say it's time to retire a cow when you're constantly worrying about her or her calf.

:nod: :nod: :nod:
That pretty well sums it up for how I do it.

 

[js1234]

Age is relative, it depends entirely on the cow; whether she has maintained good condition, still produces quality milk, still has a lot of teeth, no significant health issues. There are 15 year old cows that are way better produces than cows half their age. I would say it's time to retire a cow when you're constantly worrying about her or her calf.

:nod: :nod: :nod:
That pretty well sums it up for how I do it.

In normal range conditions that's the long and the short of it. We freeze brand a year iron on heifers and its a really interesting tool. Some cows crumble at 8 while others are making a living at 12 plus. A good doing cow lasts to 10 fairly easy for us on our CA ranches. On the NV ranches it's not as easily done.

 

[Nesikep]

Around here I find by about 12 they don't have much jump in their step anymore.. just sold one that slipped her calf.. I have 3 12 year olds left... One will be kept for another year (steps on her teats as she walks), the other two.. well.. one is my dad's pet and is in top shape, the other is showing signs of age, but makes excellent daughters, wouldn't mind another couple from her.
I found the younger cows are at least as likely to screw up as the older ones, if not more so... They also kinda know the routine of how I handle them, where they're supposed to go, etc, so it's good to have a few around.

 

[Aaron]

As long as they have no issues and raise at least an average calf. Have never made it past 14-15. Some guys will push it, just so they can say that have a cow that is 20 years old, even if if she doesn't produce a calf with much value.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Depends on the breed as well 20+ is nothing unusual or special
out of a Brahman cross cow.

 

[BRYANT]

Depends on the breed as well 20+ is nothing unusual or special
out of a Brahman cross cow.

I agree and as long as they are breeding back good, raising a good calf and cow stays in good shape she stays.

 

[dun]

Another Granny story. Registered black Angus. It took until she was into her early 20s before her calves weren't in the upper 20% of all calves. She never dropped below 50%, but we finally put her down because she was getting infirm and couldn;t get around much.

 

[Nesikep]

Another Granny story. Registered black Angus. It took until she was into her early 20s before her calves weren't in the upper 20% of all calves. She never dropped below 50%, but we finally put her down because she was getting infirm and couldn;t get around much.

My granny got to 18, and her 16th calf has turned out to be a nice cow

 

[JMJ Farms]

I see valid reasons for all the above answers. I keep them as long as they calve on schedule and maintain condition. If she starts losing condition, then the next summer she goes to town. I've got one that literally does not have a single nub even resembling a tooth in her head. Fat as a butterball as long as she's on grass. I'm gonna hate to see her leave in June.

 

[callmefence]

Age is relative, it depends entirely on the cow; whether she has maintained good condition, still produces quality milk, still has a lot of teeth, no significant health issues. There are 15 year old cows that are way better produces than cows half their age. I would say it's time to retire a cow when you're constantly worrying about her or her calf.

Bingo she retires herself here.
The longer they maintain BCS, have good teeth and produce every 12 months the more profit in them.

Double bingo..when she can't maintain the bcs I feel she should for the conditions.

 

[bird dog]

I have an 12 year old that I caught and checked a couple months ago. She had three nubs left for teeth which didn't surprise me because of her age but did surprise me because of the good shape she was in coming out of winter. She stays until things change and should calve again in Sept.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I keep them as long as they calve on schedule and maintain condition. If she starts losing condition, then the next summer she goes to town. I've got one that literally does not have a single nub even resembling a tooth in her head.

2X

 

[creekdrive]

As long as they are raising a good calf, staying in good shape, walking good etc. We are just about maxed out numbers wise now & unless we find more pasture we will probably start having to sell some of the older girls. We want to keep some replacement heifers each year as it is nice when you are selling bulls to know how the daughters/sisters produce in order to make future breeding decisions & advise customers. And there isn't enough problem cows to sell to make room so we will probably start selling some of the real old girls soon while they are still worth something.

This is one that I would like to keep around, but the boss says it is time for her to go

purebred BA, 17 years old, bought her when she was 10 or so. Has had a calf every year we've owned her, always first cycle and always a real nice put together calf. I convinced the boss to keep her around for one more year hoping for another heifer. She started limping in February and wasn't coming to the tractor to eat, made me worry she was going to keel over dead or something so we chased her up into the corral.

And she did give us another heifer!

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

This gal here is 11 years old, and that is her heifer calf behind her. We bought her as a bred 6 year old, and she has raised a few bulls, several embryo calves, and now this heifer (sired by Wide Track). That heifer calf was 120 pounds at birth, no assistance (she will be her replacement!). That cow lays down each year and gives me a good one, and weans off one of the heaviest whether it is her calf or an embryo calf. We already have another embryo set up in her for next time, so she will be twelve. She did take a little longer to return to heat this time (80 days), but is right on schedule to calve on the same day as this calving so she stays. She is butterball fat, and never really shows rib, but she sure is getting a lot of white hairs around her eyes! You can even see them in this picture....