Stocker Steve
Well-known member
I have run stockers for a number of years but have only had a cow/calf operation recently. We have had a hard global cooling winter here with a lot of minus 20, and some minus 30 temps. This has been an eye opener on genetics:
I held back and bred shiny good doing angus cross heifers from the stocker herd and they all look fine. BCS 5 to 6
I purchased some Hereford/shorthorn cross cows and they look fat except for one old cow. BCS 6 to 7
I purchased some contienential cross cows and some of them are look a bit thin... BCS 4 to 5
The neighbor told me to supplement lots of grain but that is just not in the budget. I feed 1# per day of by pass protein and provide free choice hay.
- I am thinking about hauling the poor doers in to the next bred cow auction and let someone else feed them. Is there a situation where a profitable cow/calf operation should afford to sort off and grain hard keepers?
- Are heifers usually better keepers than cows or did I just selection for a forage diet?
I held back and bred shiny good doing angus cross heifers from the stocker herd and they all look fine. BCS 5 to 6
I purchased some Hereford/shorthorn cross cows and they look fat except for one old cow. BCS 6 to 7
I purchased some contienential cross cows and some of them are look a bit thin... BCS 4 to 5
The neighbor told me to supplement lots of grain but that is just not in the budget. I feed 1# per day of by pass protein and provide free choice hay.
- I am thinking about hauling the poor doers in to the next bred cow auction and let someone else feed them. Is there a situation where a profitable cow/calf operation should afford to sort off and grain hard keepers?
- Are heifers usually better keepers than cows or did I just selection for a forage diet?