Pics of some calves from today

[SRBeef]

This afternoon I was giving the cows some grain for energy and some specially good hay with the subzero cold sticking around for a few days. We had a couple warm days so much of the snow is gone on the south facing slopes.

I found a divider hotwire that needed repair which is why my calves grazing corn were in a previously grazed paddock they should not have been able to get to... Anyway even though the temperature was in the single digits and heading down a few of the calves grazing corn came over to see what I was doing. They seemed oblivious to the cold but looking pretty good in my opinion.

I took a phone camera picture of one of my heifers. I am considering letting heifer calves graze corn their first winter along with the steers. The paddock behind them has been grazed down so there is not much left but some lower corn stalks.

Here is a picture of this heifer calf and friends from this afternoon:

I really like this heifer and a couple more that look like her: long, low and stout.

The way the calves were prancing around and playing they did not seem to be bothered by the cold. Last night though with the 40 mph wind they did head for the woods. Cows found a draw back in their woods to get out of the wind. Amazing how well they do outwintering, even in the cold.

Even the heated waters have been working well so far this winter (knock on wood).

Jim

 

[Crazy Farmgirl]

Looking good Jim!

 

[SRBeef]

Looking good Jim!

Thank you. Not bad for a run of the mill commercial heifer. They are all coming along and becoming more uniform along the lines I am shooting for with my breeding program. Just takes a long time.

One of the things I like about Herefords is the way they go from a very thick warm coat in the winter to slick as can be in the hot summer then back again next winter. Makes them well suited to outwintering with no buildings, sheds etc as they do here.

Actually maybe it is BECAUSE they are outside all of the time...I like it when they just look healthy.

Jim

 

[KNERSIE]

long, low and stout.

The "long" that counts is the length from hooks to pins, take another close look at the heifer....

 

[southernblues]

I think they look great SR -- they will do great on your grazing management philosophy.

 

[SRBeef]

long, low and stout.

The "long" that counts is the length from hooks to pins, take another close look at the heifer....

Maybe so but what I am looking for is a long ribeye. Maybe I'm wrong but I am looking for more ribeye to roast ratio. Maybe she will grow that hook to pin dimension as she grows. This one is only 9-1/2 months old. Thanks for the feedback, Harley.

Jim

 

[KNERSIE]

I'm looking for balanced cattle, but hey, what do i know? There may very well be an improvement on the round wheel, somewhere out there.

 

[ANAZAZI]

I'm looking for balanced cattle, but hey, what do i know? There may very well be an improvement on the round wheel, somewhere out there.

Subtle as always mr van Rhyn. :banana:

 

[ABrauny]

long, low and stout.

The "long" that counts is the length from hooks to pins, take another close look at the heifer....

Does the length from hooks to pins have to do with the amount of muscle in the rear quarter and also the style of muscle(whether it's short and bunchy vs. long and angular)?

 

[SRBeef]

Temperatures have been really brutally cold with wind. I am giving my cows a bit more grain than usual along with my best hay. But giving them some grain in the fenceline bunks this afternoon I was looking at the pin to hook dimension on a variety of cows as they ate.

I do have to say Harley has a point. There is a very visible difference in the pin to hook distance between different cows and cow families. I don't know what the end result of that difference is.

However just eyeballing it I would say that the ones with a longer pin to hook distance have come from the cows that have had calves with a higher percent of their hanging carcass weight end up in as saleable beef in the box. The shorter pin to hook cows have tended to have a lower net beef to carcass ratio. Maybe more bone?

On the positive side I have a few home raised heifers that have BOTH the long rib and a visibly longer hook to pin than some other similar age young cows. Hope the heifer pictured above stretches out a bit hook to pin as she grows.

Thanks for the enlightenment, Harley.

Jim

 

[KNERSIE]

I doubt there will be much change in the hip length as she matures. Apart from the obvious difference in read meat yield, higher dressing percentage, there is also an increase in the % prime cuts (the rump is a prime cut, but very few people really know where to look to see its size and is often confused with the round, which is just a roast) Probably even more significant it indicates endocrine balance and a sound structure, the oldtimers often referred to the dairy triangle as the breeding chamber and in this case the bigger the better.

ABrauny - Yes I believe its an indication of muscle type, shorter hips are often associated with a harder drier type muscle, where we really want a longer, softer higher yielding type muscle in British breeds.

In the end it all boils down to keeping everything in balance and the rest will take care of itself.

 

[JHH]

I doubt there will be much change in the hip length as she matures. Apart from the obvious difference in read meat yield, higher dressing percentage, there is also an increase in the % prime cuts (the rump is a prime cut, but very few people really know where to look to see its size and is often confused with the round, which is just a roast) Probably even more significant it indicates endocrine balance and a sound structure, the oldtimers often referred to the dairy triangle as the breeding chamber and in this case the bigger the better.

ABrauny - Yes I believe its an indication of muscle type, shorter hips are often associated with a harder drier type muscle, where we really want a longer, softer higher yielding type muscle in British breeds.

In the end it all boils down to keeping everything in balance and the rest will take care of itself.

Can you explain the Triangle thing Harley? I know hooks to pins but Triangle? Just trying to learn something.

 

[KNERSIE]

http://www.whff.info/info/conferences/e ... 20Cows.pdf

Read page 6 to get an idea of the importance of the correct rump structure.

 

[JHH]

Thanks Harley. Nice little read explains feet and legs and udders. Learned something tonight.