Keeping heifer calves 1st calves

[uncle]

My grandfather use to warn against keeping the 1st calves from heifers as cows.

Sounds like some old "farmers" tale to me as I don't understand the genetic (or other reason) for this decision. Is there any truth in this belief?

 

[dun]

In theoryu, unless the bull used is strictly a freshener, the heifer calves form your heifers should be the best genetics. There are folks that use a scrawny junk bull or longhorn or jersey on heifers for calving ease. That's just foolish. To put another misconception to rest, using a calving ease bull on heifers doesn;t casue calving problems with those heifers daughters unless the bull used is the wrong one to provide both direct and daughters calving ease.

 

[jilleroo]

No, there's no truth to it. I'm sure this has been discussed on the boards before!

 

[MO_cows]

I have heard that before but don't agree with it. Some people talk like the first calf is just about a throwaway. But I can see how the myth could have gotten started. Like Dun said, if they used an undesirable bull just for calving ease. Also, 2 yr olds don't milk as well as they will in the future so the calf could be held back by nutrition and stunted in an extreme case of low milk. But in a normal situation, I wouldn't hesitate to keep a heifer from a first calver.

This cow is a 2 yr old with her first calf at 4 mos. I think she did OK.

 

[mrvictordomino]

Like dun said, if you are making genetic progress, the calves out of your top heifers should be some
of the best genetics in the herd providing a top quality bull was used. I would never consider the
first calf from a heifer as a throwaway unless the quality just wasn't there. Our two year old heifers
always have several daughters in the replacement group as well as in the bulls being developed.
DM

 

[Douglas]

But you don't have much of a tract record to even know if you should keep the heifer.

 

[dun]

But you don't have much of a tract record to even know if you should keep the heifer.

That's true. But what track record do you have for a young bull that's gonna make a bigger impact on your herd? At least you know how the weaned heifer performed under your managment and how it' mother performed.

 

[fargus]

But you don't have much of a tract record to even know if you should keep the heifer.

If she was able to develop enough to breed as a heifer here, get through her first winter pregnant and calve with no problems she's got a better than 75% chance of being a good one. Good management isn't nearly as important as consistent management. Our heifers get run with the cows.... if they can make it through all of that and rebreed as a 3, their gonna be okay. If you had the numbers to do it, you could use that as part of your selection criteria. If her momma didn't rebreed to calve as a three year old, ship the daughter. We don't do that, there are other factors involved.

 

[Nesikep]

I've heard it as well, and the only reason I can think of is that they aren't going to be as big as their future sisters would be at weaning time, but if they're competing in size with the rest of the herd anyhow, then I think they're good... I have one like that this year, she'll be about 575ish by the fall I think, but is nicely built..., meanwhile I know one that my old man will force me to keep is one that'll be 750 in the fall, but when she grows up will probably have 2 of the following 3 problems; attitude problems, bad hooves, and most likely a bad udder (she's already got an udder at 2 months)

I also think heifers should be kept with the cows and all animals treated equally, at least until they prove themselves for your conditions... so during the summer, they all have to fend for themselves, however, once I decide on which calves I keep, I will feed them as much as they want... I don't feed smaller calves more with the hope that they will catch up though and look good by decision time.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Said differently - - some folks prefer to keep heifers out of old proven durable cows. Since I am getting a bit tired of the purchased heifer crap shoot, I have started to buy older cows with decent udders at dispersals, and hope for heifers.

Also, this spring I plan to AI heifers so their calves should be very good, and I will keep them if they are. The issue will be if the dam breaks down in a couple years.