Longevity

[cfpinz]

I bought this cow with a calf beside her in 1995 for $450, pretty sure I've broke even on her...




This is the first year she didn't calve with the rest of the girls, and I hope she doesn't cycle anymore. She's paid her way and then some.

 

[TCRanch]

Wow! She's definitely earned her keep.

 

[True Grit Farms]

She has a perfect udder for a beef cow. Any ideas on her make?

 

[cfpinz]

She has a perfect udder for a beef cow. Any ideas on her make?

Her udder and feet are better than most 10 year olds. Had cancer cut out of one eye about 10 years ago, other than that she's been trouble free.

Based on her calves and other factors, I'm fairly certain she's a Pinz/Herf cross - she carries the horned gene.

 

[True Grit Farms]

She has a perfect udder for a beef cow. Any ideas on her make?

Her udder and feet are better than most 10 year olds. Had cancer cut out of one eye about 10 years ago, other than that she's been trouble free.

Based on her calves and other factors, I'm fairly certain she's a Pinz/Herf cross - she carries the horned gene.

Horned gene is an easy fix, the other two not so much. How many heifers did you keep from her?

 

[Bright Raven]

Nice to hear that. She is a pretty animal.

 

[Lucky_P]

Yep; Pinzgauer are good cattle. We had a couple of PZ-cross cows that we bred back in the late 90s... danged good ones... that line is now gone from the herd, though... fellow bought them off me back in '07 when we were cutting numbers due to drought.
I'd be breeding more if the buyers here wouldn't just steal the calves claiming they were Longhorn crosses.

 

[WalnutCrest]

I bought this cow with a calf beside her in 1995 for $450, pretty sure I've broke even on her...




This is the first year she didn't calve with the rest of the girls, and I hope she doesn't cycle anymore. She's paid her way and then some.

1 -- This is tremendous.

2 -- I love your sig line.

 

[cfpinz]

She has a perfect udder for a beef cow. Any ideas on her make?

Her udder and feet are better than most 10 year olds. Had cancer cut out of one eye about 10 years ago, other than that she's been trouble free.

Based on her calves and other factors, I'm fairly certain she's a Pinz/Herf cross - she carries the horned gene.

Horned gene is an easy fix, the other two not so much. How many heifers did you keep from her?

Every one of them, except one - freemartin from a set of twins.

I didn't realize there was anything about her that needed fixing.

 

[Coosh71]

That's GREAT! man we have neighbors that cull great looking cows at 9 "because the tires are gonna fall off any minute"! We have bought several for nothing that gave us 3-4 more trouble free calves. Thanks for posting.

 

[farmerjan]

We do the same. Have a guy who sells anything over 8-10 years old. Have gotten several of his cows for decent prices and kept several heifer calves over the years. I love the pinz crosses but they will kill you at these "black cattle " markets. They usually milk good, hold their udders... are easy keepers.
I am all for longevity in cattle. Kept one char/holstein cross cow that I raised from a baby on a nurse cow, for 17 years, and she got down with a 5 month steer calf on her. Have several of her grand daughters and couple great grand daughters in the herd.

 

[gizmom]

We delivered a bull to a customer, rode through his herd. He pointed out a bunch of cows that were anywhere from 16 to 19. Longevity will sure help keep you in the Black. That is a nice looking cow i don’t know that I have ever seen a 23 year old cow before. I would say she has earned her way!

Gizmom

 

[R V]

We delivered a bull to a customer, rode through his herd. He pointed out a bunch of cows that were anywhere from 16 to 19. Longevity will sure help keep you in the Black. That is a nice looking cow i don’t know that I have ever seen a 23 year old cow before. I would say she has earned her way!

Gizmom

I think it would have to be at least 25 years old if my math is right as she had a calf at side.

 

[Nesikep]

That's great.. Oldest I've had here was 18 with 16 calves.. she had 11 heifers, I have 3 daughters in my herd now, 5 granddaughters, and lots of great granddaughters coming up.. Oldest daughter is 12, I see no reason why I should get rid of her for age alone.. she's in great shape and makes exceptional calves.. I wish every heifer I kept performed like that.
Place I'm looking to get my next bull had a Gelbvieh cow that got to 28, and had 24 calves

 

[WalnutCrest]

That's great.. Oldest I've had here was 18 with 16 calves.. she had 11 heifers, I have 3 daughters in my herd now, 5 granddaughters, and lots of great granddaughters coming up.. Oldest daughter is 12, I see no reason why I should get rid of her for age alone.. she's in great shape and makes exceptional calves.. I wish every heifer I kept performed like that.
Place I'm looking to get my next bull had a Gelbvieh cow that got to 28, and had 24 calves

Can you get one of her sons or grandsons?

 

[Nesikep]

I don't know.. They did offer a bull to me from an older cow (16y/o), and the bull didn't like grain, so his numbers were significantly less than his peers.. That cow had made good bulls in the past.. so I'm a little torn.. BW's were good, but they have some more balanced (by numbers at least) bulls in that price range. I kept a grandson of my old cow, Marko.. with the exception of color patterns, I'm really happy with what he's thrown, my best heifers last year were all from him

 

[cfpinz]

We delivered a bull to a customer, rode through his herd. He pointed out a bunch of cows that were anywhere from 16 to 19. Longevity will sure help keep you in the Black. That is a nice looking cow i don’t know that I have ever seen a 23 year old cow before. I would say she has earned her way!

Gizmom

I think it would have to be at least 25 years old if my math is right as she had a calf at side.

You would be correct, she's at least 25. I'd love to know her actual age and background.

I've tried to "recreate" her with straight Pinz cows and Herf bulls, with no luck. Sometimes you just have to accept things for what they are.

 

[Bestoutwest]

The only other super old cow I've heard of.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFPTYRmjeNO/

 

[Nesikep]

My mother remembers in Switzerland a 20something year old dairy cow was nothing unusual.. Perhaps they weren't at peak production anymore but they certainly wasn't an economy that could afford freeloaders either.. I think all cattlemen have lost a lot on one end of the rope trying to grab the other.. If someone always gets rid of cows at 10 years old how do you ever know if you're breeding for longevity?

 

[JW IN VA]

Oldest ones we've had were 19 and 21.One of them raised a set of twins her last time.Kept the heifer even though she had a brother.I figured she deserved a chance after what her Mom had done.She did have several calves for us.