keep or sell?

[Lazy M]

I'll let y'all be the jury:
7 yr old char cross cow lost her calf this evening. The calf was still warm when I found her. Appears that the bull calf suffocated on the placenta (it was plastered over his face). I feel like the cows should have cleaned him off better, and may have saved him if she had. It didn't appear to be a hard labor. He probably only weighed around 65 lbs, and she was up licking him.
I kept this cow as a heifer. She has calved on time every year. I do remember that she lost her second or third calf, but I don't remember if it died during labor or later on. She is gentle and maintains her condition really well. She has had very average calves; no standouts but no dinks.
sell or keep?

 

[Bigfoot]

Most will say sell, but I'd probably keep that cow.

 

[ANAZAZI]

Sell, unless you can graft another calf to her. She will cost you for years if you keep her, a heifer will not because she grows while you wait for the calf.

 

[slick4591]

With the info you've given she would stay in my small herd.

 

[branguscowgirl]

With the info you've given she would stay in my small herd.

X2 I wouldn't cull for that unless I just did not care for the cow for other reasons.

 

[bse]

Id sell she has already lost you 2 out of 5 calves as a 7 year old, I usually cut my loses after the first loss.

 

[Rafter S]

Id sell she has already lost you 2 out of 5 calves as a 7 year old, I usually cut my loses after the first loss.

I agree. Two strikes and she's out. Especially at current prices.

 

[BRYANT]

I agree. Two strikes and she's out. Especially at current prices.

Id sell she has already lost you 2 out of 5 calves as a 7 year old,

sell take the money and replace

 

[1982vett]

I agree. Two strikes and she's out. Especially at current prices.

Id sell she has already lost you 2 out of 5 calves as a 7 year old,

sell take the money and replace

as long as you have roughly another $1000 to boot for a replacement.

 

[skyhightree1]

Tough one. I would probably truly flip a coin.

 

[Lazy M]

Tough one. I would probably truly flip a coin.

Yeah me too. I do really like the cow, but she's burned me twice. I have some fall calves to sell in a couple months, I'll probably wait and make the call on her then.

 

[skyhightree1]

Tough one. I would probably truly flip a coin.

Yeah me too. I do really like the cow, but she's burned me twice. I have some fall calves to sell in a couple months, I'll probably wait and make the call on her then.

If sold I would breed her back and sell as a bred cow.

 

[bigbull338]

well going back on what i hear CB saying here all the time.it cost $500yr to hold that cow over so your looking $1000 for 2yrs.so i say sell her.

 

[TexasBred]

I'll let y'all be the jury:
7 yr old char cross cow lost her calf this evening. The calf was still warm when I found her. Appears that the bull calf suffocated on the placenta (it was plastered over his face). I feel like the cows should have cleaned him off better, and may have saved him if she had. It didn't appear to be a hard labor. He probably only weighed around 65 lbs, and she was up licking him.
I kept this cow as a heifer. She has calved on time every year. I do remember that she lost her second or third calf, but I don't remember if it died during labor or later on. She is gentle and maintains her condition really well. She has had very average calves; no standouts but no dinks.
sell or keep?

Had that happen about a month ago....cow went to the sale as soon as swelling went down from her udder...too valuable as a kill cow to sit around for a year waiting on any return on my money and not gonna pay nearly $600 for a baby calf to put on her in hope she accepts it and raises it. Being big and heavy she brought nearly $1900 and I bought another cow 5 months bred for $1665.00. Not quite as good a cow but got a 6-7 month jump on my open cow.

 

[BRYANT]

I agree. Two strikes and she's out. Especially at current prices.

Id sell she has already lost you 2 out of 5 calves as a 7 year old,

sell take the money and replace

as long as you have roughly another $1000 to boot for a replacement.

Well then keep her if he is on that tight of a budget , I don't care , just said what I would do. I sold an old poor cow the other day that didn't breed back got 1000.00 set there and bought a bred 3 year old for 1800.00
If you keep her next year she will either be 2 for 6 and he will be happy or she will 3 for 6 and he will only be at 50 % live calves.
Just the cost of doing business I knew he would have to add some money with it.

 

[Nesikep]

I don't like bringing new cows into the herd.. so in my case it's keep her, or sell her and not replace her... I'd probably get rid of her before grass grows, I'm tight on pasture and any food that goes towards a productive animal is better.. she's going to get pig fat on you this year unless you keep her locked up and on a diet. Around here cows are getting 1.25-145, so it's not hard to get $2000 for a big cow..
I have a couple FAMILIES of cows (one with 64 calves so far), that have never, ever lost a calf from birth to weaning, so one that's lost 2 at birth isn't looking so good.

I did have a cow that aborted 3 consecutive sets of twins.. she saved her bacon 3 times by adopting the needy, and had tons of milk, and raised them well.. finally I had enough and sold her with the calves.. just wasn't going to try it again, and lo and behold the next year I didn't need her services!

 

[cow pollinater]

Sell her unless you're understocked. If you keep her plan on making excuses for her daughters as well. In the market that we're in cattle are profitable even if they miss every now and then but in lean times it only works when they don't miss and the only way to get to that point is to get rid of the ones that miss.

 

[jerry27150]

unless you are in it as a hobby, a cow has to provide income every year & you should always have some replacements on hand

 

[gus2121]

unless you are in it as a hobby, a cow has to provide income every year & you should always have some replacements on hand

I agree.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I think I might keep her. Really depends on the cow for me though, I have some that could lose a calf and I would sell them that week, then some I like well enough that I will keep.