How soon?

[Z&J Cattle]

I am considering retaining a couple of heifers from this year's calf crop. At what age will they start "cycling". I need to know when to seperate them from the bull.

Thanks,

Zach

 

[lakading]

I am considering retaining a couple of heifers from this year's calf crop. At what age will they start "cycling". I need to know when to seperate them from the bull.

Thanks,

Zach

What breed are they? How much do they weigh?

There are a lot of variables that come into play here.

 

[Z&J Cattle]

Both calves are Char-cross and are about 6 months of age. They will weigh around 450-500 right now.

 

[cypressfarms]

Both calves are Char-cross and are about 6 months of age. They will weigh around 450-500 right now.

Char. with british cross? If so, you better pull them now. I've seen 15 month olds calve; or at least attempt to. But they were 100% british, which mature quicker. I would think with the char influence you should have more time, but wouldn't chance it, especially if the bull they are with is their father.

 

[bullred]

I agree with Cypress. You should seperate them sometime soon. With Brahma influence cattle (which mature later) we seperate them from any bulls from weaning (6-7 mos) until first breeding at 15 mos. We probably could wait longer, but weaning time is the most convenient time to get it done.

 

[dun]

Both calves are Char-cross and are about 6 months of age. They will weigh around 450-500 right now.

Char. with british cross? If so, you better pull them now. I've seen 15 month olds calve; or at least attempt to. But they were 100% british, which mature quicker. I would think with the char influence you should have more time, but wouldn't chance it, especially if the bull they are with is their father.

The unforseen variable is that 2 animals with similar genetics may start cycling at different ages. Granted ours are all british crosses but we've had some start cycling at 4-5 months and others that don;t start till they're 8 monthsto a year. Some friedns of ours that raised Gelbviehs before the husband died learned early on to give all heifers lute at weaning because of the early pregnancy problem.

dun

 

[AngusLimoX]

Both calves are Char-cross and are about 6 months of age. They will weigh around 450-500 right now.

Some friedns of ours that raised Gelbviehs before the husband died learned early on to give all heifers lute at weaning because of the early pregnancy problem.

dun

Geez, never thought of lute. Have to check that out. I try to keep the drug bill down and don't like them anyways, but it might be a good tool some day.

Do large feed ops use lute?

We do the same as a lot of folks, seperate at weaning, but for us that has been going on 7 months of age or even a little older.

Which is probably taking too much of a chance with the angus.

Have to get them out sooner this year I guess. Hooray more fencing. :lol:

 

[dun]

Do large feed ops use lute?

Probably a case of some do and some don;t. The folks I was speaking of only ran 350 head of cows plus replacements and way too many bulls for me to keep track of (a bull is a bull to me, but I can tell cows apart from each other).

dun

 

[jcarkie]

you have to weigh the cost of having to have a calf pulled out of a 16 month old heifer or giving them a shot. been there done that, this year $100 to pull the calf (that was cheap,took her to the vet during office hours)or $20 shot. plus the sleepless nights, plus the flash light batteries, etc........
i caught mine so, no down heifer, dead calf, etc.........
calving season is enough with all the other cows without some teen mom to have to tend to.