cypressfarms
Well-known member
I had posted a thread concerning a different way of looking at profitability with cows, as far as weaning a percentage of their weight each year. One of the posters cited an article which showed a correlation between low miking cows and high efficient cows. According to the article, while heavy milkers started out with heavier calves, by 60 days of age, the calves were of comparable weight (from low milking momas versus heavy milking momas). This apparently has to do with the calf being forced to forage at a youger age.
So my question is:
Should we start to use cattle with low to moderate milking EPD's as opposed to high milkers? Common sense tells you that extremes on either side are not desirable, but perhaps the cow on the lower end of the milk spectrum could be more efficient? The heavier milker could be providing too much milk - which would not require the calf to work (forage), and a side affect of this is that the moma's daily nutrient requirements would be drastically increased - possibly affecting timely rebreeding. Any thoughts?
So my question is:
Should we start to use cattle with low to moderate milking EPD's as opposed to high milkers? Common sense tells you that extremes on either side are not desirable, but perhaps the cow on the lower end of the milk spectrum could be more efficient? The heavier milker could be providing too much milk - which would not require the calf to work (forage), and a side affect of this is that the moma's daily nutrient requirements would be drastically increased - possibly affecting timely rebreeding. Any thoughts?