Poor Mothering ?

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Stocker Steve

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I had a nice looking cross bred (purchased) heifer calve last month. Came up when I called them for a paddock shift with the placenta hanging out. I left the gate open so she could go back for the calf, but I never saw her go there... I have had a couple simi crosses that also pulled something like this so I looked for the calf, but did not find it. Not sure what really happened but I found a leg a couple days later...

Thinking about giving her genes a ride to the locker plant. What are the odds she will mother up the second time?
 
Hard to say. It is possible the coyotes or wolves out smarted her the first time and she may never let it happen again. I have seen a cow lose a calf to a predator and the mother still turned out to be a good mother. The question would be is she worth saving and taking that chance.
 
u4411clb":32yup30l said:
Hard to say. It is possible the coyotes or wolves out smarted her the first time and she may never let it happen again. I have seen a cow lose a calf to a predator and the mother still turned out to be a good mother. The question would be is she worth saving and taking that chance.

Id be interested in what kind of predator you lost a calf around these parts....
 
SSGenetics":2sa7j2a8 said:
u4411clb":2sa7j2a8 said:
Hard to say. It is possible the coyotes or wolves out smarted her the first time and she may never let it happen again. I have seen a cow lose a calf to a predator and the mother still turned out to be a good mother. The question would be is she worth saving and taking that chance.

Id be interested in what kind of predator you lost a calf around these parts....

Dogs?
 
We have coyotes and yes we have wild or pets packing together acting wild dogs in my area. I have found that if a calf is just born more often than not it is a coyote and if you see bones at a later age usually pack dogs are the culprit. But coyotes are a big problem around here that is why you see on the news people losing their cats and small dogs because of how brave they have become. The coyote problem is really bad around Redstone Arsenal where they are not pressured or hunted due to it being a military base I have seen some driving to work that looked to weigh 50+ lbs easy. But I have purchased 6 donkeys and have not lost any calves in the last couple of years.
 
Personally, they get one chance to impress me then its down the road while you can still turn a profit. If i keep her around and she loses another calf by then i have alot of money into her over two years for zero return. After a few years of selecting for good mothers i find i don't have much to worry about now.
 
429421blkangus":3mg0e6hz said:
Personally, they get one chance to impress me then its down the road while you can still turn a profit. If i keep her around and she loses another calf by then i have alot of money into her over two years for zero return. After a few years of selecting for good mothers i find i don't have much to worry about now.
There are too many variables in this scenario. I would agree with you if she wasn't a heifer. Maybe.
Mostly I just agree with my own advice so its hard to know.....
 
With no income generated from her for the year and the high costs of everything these days --I'd load her
 
Do you have bears in your area? Not uncommon that a bear or coyote will wait until a cow is down and they get the calf before it is all the way out..
Might be something happened that is the heifers fault, but then again it might not be.
Calf could have been breech and born dead. Also, first calf heifers sometimes are not real smart, but are fine next time. You have to decide whether she is worth a second chance or not.
Nite Hawk
 

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