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"Dairy" confirmation - the breed could be any of several with lousy genetics and phenotype - I think she should be wormed - and fed some minerals.

DOC HARRIS
 
Although she's not flash, she's not that awful. When you really look at her, she's got reasonable enough structure, a bit of length and femininity about her. My biggest criticism would be the lack of depth through the barrel. Sure, she's thin and not carrying a lot of muscle, but we have no background on this female, she might have been doing it a bit tough. The cattle in the background look the same.
 
looks like an average commercial female.
 
With all the black breeds out there, it's hard to make any judgment on her breeding. I think Keren's right. Give her some feed and time; you might be surprised at the difference.
 
Looks hungy,she the kind you can buy at the sale barn cheap and turn around pretty easy,with a little min, feed,and wormer.
 
My first impression was that she's sick. Dairy x beef, not sure I want to guess which the background breeds are. Most likely HolsteinxAngus, but there could be a bit of Jersey influence - both have the nice 'scooped' face.

A second look - they're not too bad, might grow out alright. Common sense is saying the deeper-bodied one (second calf) should be a better cow. But I like the way the first is put together. Give her five years...

I'm not sure why, but if I see a cow with evident lick marks I look again to see if I can pick what's wrong with her. It's not a good sign. In this case it might be the lice.
Were these bottle calves?
 
DOC HARRIS":2svx57b7 said:
"Dairy" confirmation - the breed could be any of several with lousy genetics and phenotype - I think she should be wormed - and fed some minerals.

DOC HARRIS

Normally I'm a Doc "fan " - posts are usually about the best ( maybe second only to Knersie ) but I think this comment is way harsh. I think if the health aspects were taken care of , the feed upped there would be a fast and dramatic change.
The second one in particular has the look she could make a very good commercial cow.
 
all things considered(cold wet muddy pens) she aint bad
i'd like to see her again in a couple months after see been turned out on green grass
 
Not bottle calves. Been limit fed on just hay most all winter, snow's melting and they're shedding now. Healthy but certainly "rough".
 
The head looks wrong for a Wagyu, but that hind quarter sure matches alot that I have seen. She looks pinched in the girth and that hind quarter needs more than food. Could be a Wagyu cross, if that is the case, she isn't too bad.
 
she just needs feed in her belly to fill on out.an slick that winter hair.an you might worm her real good.
 
As for conformation, they are built for calving ease, but definitely need more bone and muscle. I would say the typical result of low low birth weight angus genetics. They are coming out of the low maintenance winter ration just fine and just because they are licking themselves does not necessarily indicate lice (sometimes the case, sometimes just indicates an increase in condition from a better ration and that they are starting to shed that winter hair). Most years we will see that in the mountain region towards the end of March when mother nature cooperates, later when no cooperation!

The first heifer needs to see a feedlot and then the kill floor. The second heifer, with some corrective matings, might make a commercial cow. I can't help but also wonder after seeing the twine on the ground if that first heifer hasn't chewed and swallowed some twine and might be suffering from "soft"ware. Wouldn't be the first time it has happened. I can't help but notice that as it bothers me alot when people have invested time and money in cattle and then you see twine or wire laying around here or there. I have been known to drop a twine or two feeding and that happens but I take the time to go pick it up after driving through checking the feed line and cows. There is no substitute for the small details!!
 
MM, yes I'd say that they've been "limit fed" and I believe it was limited too much. I've seen more cattle this spring that look rough and hay was cheap this past winter (at least around here- fescue round bales were $15-$25). I realize you say they are healthy but they do look wormy and I'm beginning to wonder if these pourons haven't changed something because they don't seem as effective anymore and I myself am having to worm 3 or more times per year.

I would say jersey x angus (or vice versa). They seem fine boned (to me) and I'm not fond of that. But then pictures don't always portray the way they really look.

I don't think they are holstein as they don't have the head for it (going by what our own look like). My cousin bred all his angus heifers to a jersey and the calves look similar to that and even have the reddish tint to them. I wondered if perhaps he was lacking something in his minerals but I have no idea.

Perhaps there could be waygu in them, but one could probably do just as well with jersey because according to tables I've seen the jersey is right behind waygu in marbling.
 
Looks like a heifer coming off a long hard winter. 30 days of spring along with a good worming will change her looks completely.
 
DOC HARRIS":16dyj6y6 said:
"Dairy" confirmation - the breed could be any of several with lousy genetics and phenotype - I think she should be wormed - and fed some minerals.

DOC HARRIS

I would have thought someone with your "vast" knowledge would know that its confOrmation, not confIrmation. :roll: :roll:

MM-sure, they look rough, but I agree with others..just hay coming off winter..hard to make a totally condemning or otherwise judgement against them...green grass does wonders. :D
 
I think there's a difference between ok cattle and good cattle that are going to make the most profit. I think that's where Doc is making the comment.

Those heifers are not ideal by any means. Two years ago, I had a weanling heifer that would never eat any grain. All she had that winter was hay. Granted her genetics are probably better than these twos she did not look like that.

We should look for phenotypic traits in cattle that are bred on, not fed on. And yeah I'm sure that they will look better if you pumped them full of corn for the next few months, but each feed bag you buy is cutting into your profits. In my opinion, they'd barely make it in a commerical herd. And if they came out looking like this after every winter, eventually they will be the ones slow to breed back and would be culled anyway.
 
capt":1dyl8xyy said:
... I can't help but also wonder after seeing the twine on the ground if that first heifer hasn't chewed and swallowed some twine and might be suffering from "soft"ware. Wouldn't be the first time it has happened. I can't help but notice that as it bothers me alot when people have invested time and money in cattle and then you see twine or wire laying around here or there. I have been known to drop a twine or two feeding and that happens but I take the time to go pick it up after driving through checking the feed line and cows. There is no substitute for the small details!!

I am not qualified to comment on the heifers one way or the other. It is very interesting, however, that you noticed the twine on the ground. This appears to be poly not sisal. Must be more of it around. Poly and netwrap on the ground scare me. I would agree that success is often in the execution and the small details. Interesting comments.
 

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