re Breeding Imported Summer Calvers from MT & ND

[Stocker Steve]

In some parts of the northern plains there is a big discount on May/June/July calvers. We see a lot of them, claiming to be 3 to 7 years old, sold into MN sales barns. Some high headed bitches, some not. Medium sized blacks were selling for about $1000 last year and are about $1500 this year.

I calve in May/June on grass so they would fit my system: I run improved pastures based on stocker habits, I supply good mineral, and any July calvers I have usually move up if they are a young cow.

I am tempted to go to the source and have a buyer put together a pot load for my new pasture. I realize a few may not meet my disposition requirements when worked alone, but what are my rebreeding odds with running age hard breeders coming off MT or ND prairie? Any selection approach other than age to reduce the hard cull'in?

 

[Galloways1]

Depending on what type of operation they came from, you shouldn't have too much problem. There guts will need to stretch, as they are used to eating less grass (higher quality). Now if they have been dry lotted, or on irrigated pasture, they will trasition quicker.

 

[Beef Man]

Be carefull as some area's of Mt.are loaded with Trich and ofcoarse these cows that have come out of a herd that have been exposed could be carriers. I don't beleive that there is anyway to tell on the female side . Anyway just a thought.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Be carefull as some area's of Mt.are loaded with Trich and ofcoarse these cows that have come out of a herd that have been exposed could be carriers.

Do the Dakotas have problems with Trich also?

 

[Stocker Steve]

I saw a western load of "summer calvers" sold. Big cows must have gone straight to kill since these ran #1188 to 1470.

Wild range angus cows went for $1260 to 1475.
Calmer simi cross cows went for $1275 to 1300.
Pairs sold for $150 more than heavy breds.

I think you could cull about 50% after the calves are weaned between the nut jobs and the slow breeders.

 

[Dave]

Trich is not nearly the issue with cows. They claim that a cow will clean out in a couple months on their own. Bulls are the primary carriers of Trich. They get it and it stays with them. That is why in Trich areas they test or don't allow movement of non-virgin bulls but cows move freely.

About half my cow herd turns over every year. Slightly different program than what you are talking about. But what I do is avoid paying more than what I think the calf will be worth and what the cows value is as a kill cow. If you do that the ones that don't work out are a wash and the good ones you are into fairly cheap. I figure on culling 80% of what I buy and try to buy them where I make money on them as culls.

 

[KNERSIE]

Depending on what type of operation they came from, you shouldn't have too much problem. There guts will need to stretch, as they are used to eating less grass (higher quality). Now if they have been dry lotted, or on irrigated pasture, they will trasition quicker.

I've got recent first hand experience with this, they will really struggle for the first month and then adapt quite nicely.

 

[cow pollinater]

You can lut the cows every fourteen days and speed up their rate of cycle to help get rid of the trich. Use old bulls from your current herd the first year and kill them at the end of the season and replace them with clean bulls AFTER you ship everything that's still open and you'd have it pretty clean.