old hereford

[RTA Cattle]

As long as they are making me money my old cows will have a home. Ihave several over the age of 13, but I also have thier replacements here too.

 

[greenwillowhereford II]

Just went over to visit an uncle Thursday night to see a 15 year old Herf/limi cross cow that has about run her course. She still has a flawless udder, and a slick coat, but her hips were injured when the bull bred her this summer, and she gets around slowly. She has a big, dandy heifer calf on her, probably 650# Jan calf. Uncle said it would be a hundred pounds or more heavier normally if the old girl was able to get around to graze like she should. I guess he just hated to give her up when she kept raising calves like that. Talking about turning her to hamburger.

I've heard of a horned Hereford cow lasting to 29 years old and raising a calf every year until she died. This came from a most reliable source. It is not uncommon for 16 and 17 year old cows to still be weaning 600# calves for Richard Day.

 

[jilleroo]

Well I suppose it all depends on how worn the old girls teeth are how long they stay in good condition for.....they go at ten years old here as a general rule of thumb. Most times they look great and may go to a restocker, although at present meatworks money is outstanding so we are having a good old cleanout as we wean batches of calves. I know its like selling old mates, but they live on in their excellent progeny.
Don't you all have good heifers coming on that you need to make room for? Hopefully we keep improving our genetics and selecting better bulls and want that progeny in our paddocks. Something has to give!

 

[dun]

Don't you all have good heifers coming on that you need to make room for?

Not when the cow you wish to have the most daughters from has only ever had one heifer.

 

[jilleroo]

Well I suppose we are in a different situation to some, having numbers, and needing to make a living solely from our cattle. We don't keep any records of which cow has had what sex calf, other than in casual observations whilst checking the different mobs. Hopefully, if one cow has only had bulls, there's plenty of other cows of equal quality who are producing heifers.
We have to have some sort of a plan and stick to it - otherwise in this type of country you can get into a lot of trouble really quickly with a batch of old cows and have nowhere to go with them. Also, if they get a bit light in condition and then good rains come, the old cows are the first to bog. Sell them before you smell them, the old blokes say!

 

[dun]

Well I suppose we are in a different situation to some, having numbers, and needing to make a living solely from our cattle. We don't keep any records of which cow has had what sex calf, other than in casual observations whilst checking the different mobs. Hopefully, if one cow has only had bulls, there's plenty of other cows of equal quality who are producing heifers.
We have to have some sort of a plan and stick to it - otherwise in this type of country you can get into a lot of trouble really quickly with a batch of old cows and have nowhere to go with them. Also, if they get a bit light in condition and then good rains come, the old cows are the first to bog. Sell them before you smell them, the old blokes say!

Granny being 18 this year has pretty mcuh proven the ability to pay her way for a lot of years, that's one of the reasons I've wanted daughters from her. She doesn;t raise quiet as good a calf as she used to but still in the upper 20%. Still has all of her teeth and is still S&S like she has been for the past 10 years or so. I wish a had a pasture full of cows just like her.

 

[novatech]

Longevity is just another argument for moderation. High input, high output operations that attempt maximum weaning weights will not keep old cows because they are burned out before they get old. Look at the dairy folks. How long do they keep cows in production?

Raising beef cattle is not the same as dairy. We are not in the milk production business.
A proven old cow is a known producer where as a raised replacement heifer is a risk. The risk is high or low depending on the breeding. Secondly the cost of raising replacements is high. The only reason it should be done is to improve the genetics in ones herd. Keeping these old cows that have excellent longevity just makes good business cents, $.
I have bought several older cows 12 years plus that are excellent proven producers. At 12 I expect to get 8 to 10 more calves. They cost less but still produce moneymaking calves. I love it when someone just wants to cull for age and just want to show off those good looking young heifers. It took some dang good cows to produce them.

 

[dyates]

Longevity is just another argument for moderation. High input, high output operations that attempt maximum weaning weights will not keep old cows because they are burned out before they get old. Look at the dairy folks. How long do they keep cows in production?

Raising beef cattle is not the same as dairy. We are not in the milk production business.
A proven old cow is a known producer where as a raised replacement heifer is a risk. The risk is high or low depending on the breeding. Secondly the cost of raising replacements is high. The only reason it should be done is to improve the genetics in ones herd. Keeping these old cows that have excellent longevity just makes good business cents, $.
I have bought several older cows 12 years plus that are excellent proven producers. At 12 I expect to get 8 to 10 more calves. They cost less but still produce moneymaking calves. I love it when someone just wants to cull for age and just want to show off those good looking young heifers. It took some dang good cows to produce them.

I'm not in disagreement with you at all. I was just thinking that some folks have kind of been in the milk production business. If cows are pushing mega-high weaning weights, they have to push out a lot of milk to do it. Cows milking that hard will not stay in a herd for very long, at least I've never seen 'em. I think you should have cows with staying power to be profitable, that just doesn't mesh with jumbo sized weaners. Again, moderate weaning weight and extend the profitable life of your cows.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

no way will i cull one at ten years,on years alone. she's just a dab past her prime, and should still cycle otherwise i wouldnt even want her or any off spring out of one like that . plus i do retain my own heifers the more i squeeze out of one the more she's earned her keep...

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Dyates what do you consider a mega weaning weight?

 

[dyates]

Dyates what do you consider a mega weaning weight?

Anything over 700. Usually 650. I'm also talking about 1100-1200 pound cows. I just don't see how folks can push 700-800 pound plus calves at weaning and keep cows in the herd for very long.

 

[hopalong]

There one person on here that weans at 3 months of age 1000# calves off 1200# salers,
The same person who has 70++ head running on 70 acres, and sells off anything that reaches 10 yrs old?
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I have some 18 yr old cows still dropping calves, and they have always done good by me, one old cow that i am not sure how old she is but i have had her for 15 yrs bought her as a 3 fer, this old cow will finish out her years here and not owe me one penny.
But then none of my cows are pampered and checked on 3 times a day maybe that is why they like the others that have older cows are still dropping good calves!