CowboyBlue
Well-known member
I have inherited a small herd of aging cattle from my dad who passed away a couple of years ago. Things have pretty much been on auto-pilot for a long time; good, dependable mama cows (Angus, Hereford, Brangus crosses), a great bull (Brangus) who got low-birth-weight calves that almost literally popped out growing, and virtually no problems.
But now the problems are starting. First, as I said, the cattle are aging. I don't have a cow in my pasture now that is less than 7 years old; some I think are as old as 12-14. I honestly never kept track, and Daddy's record keeping leaves something to be desired. But I do know that two of my older cows have lost calves this year; one birthed a runt that didn't survive, and one managed to break her baby's neck somehow and kill it. That was actually the second time that happened within a two-year period, though the first time was with another cow.
And the bull got to wandering. He was always gentle and followed the bucket, but this past year he grew enormously (2250 lbs) and he discovered fence jumping, bull fighting, and the lure of new cows across the fence. I got fed up with his shenanigans, he was old and getting cantankerous, and I decided to sell him. He brought enough to buy a new, younger (22 months) Brangus bull, and I will pick him up and put him in the pasture next week.
Now, regarding replacements: I have two of my "best" cows with young heifer calves on them, out of the old bull. I have purchased a first-calf cow with a good-looking younger heifer calf and introduced them into my herd. I need to sell off three or four of the old cows, and I need to replace them. IF I DECIDE TO KEEP THE HEIFERS, I will have to rebuild the calving pens at the home place, get some calf-pulling equipment, alert the vet, and all that, if I decide to keep the heifer calves.
Back in the day, Daddy brought the "keeper heifers" to the home place, out of the pasture, to wean. He brought them back to the home place when it came close to calving time. I helped deliver a bunch of calves out there, and sometimes we were pleasantly surprised to wake up with a brand new baby and a proud new mama cow in the pen, where there had only been a fat heifer in there the night before. There were a couple of C-sections, but we never lost a calf or a heifer.
NOW THEN, TO MY QUESTIONS: Things I should remember but don't -
1. How old should those crossbred calves be before they are weaned?
2. How old will they be before they are fertile? And how young is too young?
3. How old should they be before they take the bull?
I am kicking myself on a daily basis because I watched cartoons on Saturdays and played with toy tractors when I was a kid, when I should have been down at the lots with Papa and Daddy learning more about this business than I know now. And I should have paid better attention when I was the hired hand than I did; I just let Daddy make all the decisions. So now I need to acquire and re-acquire some knowledge and information!
But now the problems are starting. First, as I said, the cattle are aging. I don't have a cow in my pasture now that is less than 7 years old; some I think are as old as 12-14. I honestly never kept track, and Daddy's record keeping leaves something to be desired. But I do know that two of my older cows have lost calves this year; one birthed a runt that didn't survive, and one managed to break her baby's neck somehow and kill it. That was actually the second time that happened within a two-year period, though the first time was with another cow.
And the bull got to wandering. He was always gentle and followed the bucket, but this past year he grew enormously (2250 lbs) and he discovered fence jumping, bull fighting, and the lure of new cows across the fence. I got fed up with his shenanigans, he was old and getting cantankerous, and I decided to sell him. He brought enough to buy a new, younger (22 months) Brangus bull, and I will pick him up and put him in the pasture next week.
Now, regarding replacements: I have two of my "best" cows with young heifer calves on them, out of the old bull. I have purchased a first-calf cow with a good-looking younger heifer calf and introduced them into my herd. I need to sell off three or four of the old cows, and I need to replace them. IF I DECIDE TO KEEP THE HEIFERS, I will have to rebuild the calving pens at the home place, get some calf-pulling equipment, alert the vet, and all that, if I decide to keep the heifer calves.
Back in the day, Daddy brought the "keeper heifers" to the home place, out of the pasture, to wean. He brought them back to the home place when it came close to calving time. I helped deliver a bunch of calves out there, and sometimes we were pleasantly surprised to wake up with a brand new baby and a proud new mama cow in the pen, where there had only been a fat heifer in there the night before. There were a couple of C-sections, but we never lost a calf or a heifer.
NOW THEN, TO MY QUESTIONS: Things I should remember but don't -
1. How old should those crossbred calves be before they are weaned?
2. How old will they be before they are fertile? And how young is too young?
3. How old should they be before they take the bull?
I am kicking myself on a daily basis because I watched cartoons on Saturdays and played with toy tractors when I was a kid, when I should have been down at the lots with Papa and Daddy learning more about this business than I know now. And I should have paid better attention when I was the hired hand than I did; I just let Daddy make all the decisions. So now I need to acquire and re-acquire some knowledge and information!
