Longevity

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farmerjan

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We finally sold our registered red poll at 13 (or 14), and only because the arthritis in the hock joint, that had been broken 8 years earlier, was making it too painful for us to watch him getting up and down with difficulty. Every cow that had been put with him that year was bred but we just felt it was asking too much for him to go through another cold winter; when you could see that the colder temps were making it hard for him to get up. And yes, my son and I both cried when we put bubba on the trailer.

Have a reg angus now that is 10, that we have used for 7 years; sold another that was pushing 10 that would have stayed longer but one day he decided that he didn't want to stay in the pasture, and after 4 times of putting him in, and then moving him to 2 different places and his liking to be elsewhere, we just said enough. Have a bunch of his daughters and granddaughters.
 

cfpinz

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I put my old horned herf bull down last weekend, he was 13 years old. We used him up until recently, cancer eye took him out. He was out of Largent and Sons in Wyoming.

I stopped by Deewall Herefords when I was out that way last fall, great cattle and some of the nicest folks you'd ever want to meet.
 

Rafter S

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I think you should take him to an auction barn close to me. Please let me know which one you're taking him to, and when. :D
 

Nesikep

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If my herd were bigger I'd keep my (good) bulls longer... the one in my profile pic we sold at 7 years old and he was in fine shape and made great calves... but since half my herd were daughters of his, I had to get rid of him...
I definitely like long lived animals, and IMHO you never know how good you're doing in that area unless you actually keep them until they don't work anymore.. and then you can learn what needs improving.. joints? udders? hooves? I have yet to have anything live for over a 18 productive years, but I have a few in the herd now that could just be candidates for that... Nelly is a big old shorthorn cow at 13 right now, and Caddy at 11.. both are in great shape
 

wacocowboy

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Rafter S":3qau46td said:
I think you should take him to an auction barn close to me. Please let me know which one you're taking him to, and when. :D


At sale barn prices you would have pretty good deal you get a good bull that would probably give you 4 years. I saw a nice group of commercial Hereford bulls under 2years old at the sale and unless I missed something they all brought under $2000. One brought $1950 he was nice looking.
 

cfpinz

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Nesikep":zqr50ev2 said:
I have yet to have anything live for over a 18 productive years, but I have a few in the herd now that could just be candidates for that...

I've got a cow here at the house that I bought with a calf by her side at the market in 1995 for 450 bucks. Beats anything I've ever seen.
 

dun

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cfpinz":2wmgdjoc said:
I put my old horned herf bull down last weekend, he was 13 years old. We used him up until recently, cancer eye took him out. He was out of Largent and Sons in Wyoming.

I stopped by Deewall Herefords when I was out that way last fall, great cattle and some of the nicest folks you'd ever want to meet.
Since you used to nap on his back, are you going to get his hide tanned and make a sofa cover out of it.
 

cfpinz

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dun":852ir69t said:
cfpinz":852ir69t said:
I put my old horned herf bull down last weekend, he was 13 years old. We used him up until recently, cancer eye took him out. He was out of Largent and Sons in Wyoming.

I stopped by Deewall Herefords when I was out that way last fall, great cattle and some of the nicest folks you'd ever want to meet.
Since you used to nap on his back, are you going to get his hide tanned and make a sofa cover out of it.

Don't have a sofa that big!

I considered having a shoulder mount done of him to hang in the garage, but figured it'd be a bit morbid and somewhat disrespectful. Need to go back and find a good picture of him and frame it.
 

dun

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cfpinz":3ondqipb said:
dun":3ondqipb said:
cfpinz":3ondqipb said:
I put my old horned herf bull down last weekend, he was 13 years old. We used him up until recently, cancer eye took him out. He was out of Largent and Sons in Wyoming.

I stopped by Deewall Herefords when I was out that way last fall, great cattle and some of the nicest folks you'd ever want to meet.
Since you used to nap on his back, are you going to get his hide tanned and make a sofa cover out of it.

Don't have a sofa that big!

I considered having a shoulder mount done of him to hang in the garage, but figured it'd be a bit morbid and somewhat disrespectful. Need to go back and find a good picture of him and frame it.
Should have tanned a small chunk of the hide and made a "comfort blankie" out of it. Or at least made a purse for Sky out of his sack. If you shot muzzle loaders it would have made a good possibles bag
 

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