Need help with a decision

[onecow2many]

I have one cow. It was pastured with neighboring cows until they left the country and sold theirs. We thought we could keep our 1 on our property until spring, when we had hoped to slaughter. She has not been happy and has been getting more aggressive towards me. This weekend, she broke out and is now 1/2 a mile away where the nice farmers let her in with their herd. So - do I send the cow to auction to be sold for finishing or go ahead and slaughter her now? I have no idea how much she weighs. We got her last May so she's a year and a half? She's primarily grass fed, but through winter given hay and corn.

Thanks for any opinions.

 

[rkm]

You keep calling it she, if it is a heifer maybe she is aggresive and get out because she is coming in heat. Anyway sense you don't know what to do with her, sell her and let someone else decide.

 

[3MR]

it kind of depends on what you want. If you want the meat I wouldnt sell her at auction. Is the farmer willing to let her pasture with his for a while for a small fee? Can you build better fences or keep her contained in another manner, maybe a tie out? Cows are herd animals and dont like to be by themsleves most of the time. She wants a friend.

 

[Alice]

You keep calling it she, if it is a heifer maybe she is aggresive and get out because she is coming in heat. Anyway sense you don't know what to do with her, sell her and let someone else decide.

Good suggestion...sell her. Your loss may be someone else's gain...ya' never know...

Alice

 

[3MR]

The poster called it a cow, So I would assume its not a heifer. Just an assumption though and you know what that does.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

IMO if you just have one cow and she has a "traveling" problem, I'd probably slaughter her now. The packaged meat you'll get will probably be worth more than sale barn prices at this time of year.

We figure one yearling bull that is not suitable for breeding that weighs 800# or so will provide us with about $750 in meat.

 

[john250]

I have one cow. It was pastured with neighboring cows until they left the country and sold theirs. We thought we could keep our 1 on our property until spring, when we had hoped to slaughter. She has not been happy and has been getting more aggressive towards me. This weekend, she broke out and is now 1/2 a mile away where the nice farmers let her in with their herd. So - do I send the cow to auction to be sold for finishing or go ahead and slaughter her now? I have no idea how much she weighs. We got her last May so she's a year and a half? She's primarily grass fed, but through winter given hay and corn.

Thanks for any opinions.

Offer to sell her to the neighbor. You'll both be ahead.

 

[Wewild]

Offer to sell her to the neighbor. You'll both be ahead.

That's what I was thinking along with other things.

 

[Susie David]

At a year & a half she should be ready to slaughter...take a good look at her and compare her with the neighbor's cows. Ask the neighbor what he thinks about her.
A 1250# animal in good flesh should yield about 500# of meat packages in your freezer.
DMc

 

[dj]

I agree with Susie David
Put it in your freezer like you planned. Just a little earlier.
If you want to corn finish it ask your neighbor about renting a pen? At 18 mo.s it should be about there anyway.

 

[TEXANGRANCH]

butcher her or sell her, you have no business keeping 1 cow by itself unless it is a show steer or calf raised alone since the bottle.

 

[aplusmnt]

At a year & a half she should be ready to slaughter...take a good look at her and compare her with the neighbor's cows. Ask the neighbor what he thinks about her.
A 1250# animal in good flesh should yield about 500# of meat packages in your freezer.
DMc

I agree at 18 months old I would think she would be ready to eat we usually butcher at around 15 months but that is on full feed, I know grass fed is a little slower process, but I would think she is close enough. I believe you said that was your original intentions with her so take her to the butcher.

What breed heifer is she?