Slick, fat, content cattle

[Ky hills]

Took some pictures after putting out mineral this evening.
Bull is 25 months he's wintered with cows with no special treatment. He's following Maybell today.
The spotted calf in the next to last picture is a shorthorn cross we bought to go in Maybell the nurse cow. In the last picture the darker colored calf is Maybell's own calf by this Angus bull. The red heifer against the gate is by Maybell's daughter that we lost due to getting down in mud around a spring. The calf was born in early March and has transitioned well to eating feed.

 

[Lazy M]

Even the jersey looks fat and happy

 

[Brute 23]

We are having an above avg spring right now with rainfall. We have had several runs the last couple weeks dripping 1-3" each time. You forget how much of a difference a green spring can make.

 

[Ky hills]

Even the jersey looks fat and happy

That Jersey is half beef breed. Our neighbors Jersey bull got in with our black heifers a few years ago. Evidently most of those black heifers were heterozygous black, and the resulting calf came out looking almost like a pure jersey.
We have a Jersey nurse cow too.

 

[Ky hills]

We are having an above avg spring right now with rainfall. We have had several runs the last couple weeks dripping 1-3" each time. You forget how much of a difference a green spring can make.

Yes, our cattle wintered pretty good considering the low quality hay. Late winter some of the first calf heifers with fall calves were pulled down and looked thin. We wormed everything in late March and good pastures have helped. We have fescue and clovers that is good grazing in spring and then the fescue comes back in the fall if there is rain.

 

[ClinchValley86]

What's your secret! lol. Mine are slow to shed this year. They're all halfway there.

I guess having no trees to rub on doesn't help.

 

[Ky hills]

What's your secret! lol. Mine are slow to shed this year. They're all halfway there.

I guess having no trees to rub on doesn't help.

I don't know if it's genetics but I'm leaning towards that. I've got one BWF cow that's still got some rough brown hair, she will eventually shed but it will take a while. Funny thing is she has a very small amount of Brahman in her background, most of the other cattle with the exception 3 more don't have any.
Also our mammoth Jenny still hasn't shed off, but is in the process. I brushed a lot off the other day.
Several of these cattle started shedding off as early as late February early March

 

[ClinchValley86]

I don't know if it's genetics but I'm leaning towards that. I've got one BWF cow that's still got some rough brown hair, she will eventually shed but it will take a while. Funny thing is she has a very small amount of Brahman in her background, most of the other cattle with the exception 3 more don't have any.
Also our mammoth Jenny still hasn't shed off, but is in the process. I brushed a lot off the other day.
Several of these cattle started shedding off as early as late February early March
View attachment 58833

My cows slick off pretty good. But the calves always take a bit. I feel like it has something to do with them being fall born. The few spring born calves always slick off pretty quick.

It drives me nuts.

That's one reason I hold them til closer to yearling. Feel like unshed calves don't bring as well as slick ones.

They're in good condition except for the hair coat.

May be nutrition related too I suppose. Mine aren't soggy fat cause they get zero feed. Maybe I should start weaning those I plan to sell and give them feed for a month or two. See if that helps them shed.

Pretty cattle ya got Ky

 

[AmandaQ]

I don't know if it's genetics but I'm leaning towards that. I've got one BWF cow that's still got some rough brown hair, she will eventually shed but it will take a while. Funny thing is she has a very small amount of Brahman in her background, most of the other cattle with the exception 3 more don't have any.
Also our mammoth Jenny still hasn't shed off, but is in the process. I brushed a lot off the other day.
Several of these cattle started shedding off as early as late February early March
View attachment 58833

Your cows look a lot like my cows. So the red fuzzy part is supposed to come off? I've been fighting lice (actually not me, just the cows) and this is my first spring having cows. The balding spots have gone away and I wasn't sure if the red fuzzy part was coming or going.

 

[Ky hills]

My cows slick off pretty good. But the calves always take a bit. I feel like it has something to do with them being fall born. The few spring born calves always slick off pretty quick.

It drives me nuts.

That's one reason I hold them til closer to yearling. Feel like unshed calves don't bring as well as slick ones.

They're in good condition except for the hair coat.

May be nutrition related too I suppose. Mine aren't soggy fat cause they get zero feed. Maybe I should start weaning those I plan to sell and give them feed for a month or two. See if that helps them shed.

Pretty cattle ya got Ky

Yeah, my fall calves are always rough haired for quite a while, this year is no exception they are still wooly looking . They have been weaned, worked, wormed on some feed and same mineral as the cows, I think with the fall calves it must just be the timing? Maybe nutritional as mine don't get any creep feed while on the cows, and our hay is generally not much, so my cows do get a little feed most days through the winter, but probably not enough to make up much difference.

 

[Ky hills]

Your cows look a lot like my cows. So the red fuzzy part is supposed to come off? I've been fighting lice (actually not me, just the cows) and this is my first spring having cows. The balding spots have gone away and I wasn't sure if the red fuzzy part was coming or going.

Yes, ideally that read fuzzy hair should come off. We are in fescue country and it can get hot here so early shedding cattle are more desired here. Up north and northwest it's probably not an issue as they need hair there for longer.
Lice seem to get really bad in some individual animals early in the spring. Haven't noticed them too bad this year but got them wormed a little earlier this year than some years. We use a pour on wormer, and also the insecticide pour on we used a couple weeks ago is also supposed to work on lice too.
I have had cows that had huge bald spots from lice over the years. One Charolais cow I remember lost the hair off of the whole hip area.

 

[AmandaQ]

Yes, ideally that read fuzzy hair should come off. We are in fescue country and it can get hot here so early shedding cattle are more desired here. Up north and northwest it's probably not an issue as they need hair there for longer.
Lice seem to get really bad in some individual animals early in the spring. Haven't noticed them too bad this year but got them wormed a little earlier this year than some years. We use a pour on wormer, and also the insecticide pour on we used a couple weeks ago is also supposed to work on lice too.
I have had cows that had huge bald spots from lice over the years. One Charolais cow I remember lost the hair off of the whole hip area.

I spend a lot of time hugging them so lice eradication is high on my to-do list now!

 

[Ky hills]

I spend a lot of time hugging them so lice eradication is high on my to-do list now!

That reminds me of years ago, when I raised bottle calves. At first I would spend quite a bit of time petting them and sitting amongst them,
Some got ringworm, then so did I.

 

[MurraysMutts]

I've got one goofy cow that just can't seem to shed and slick off yet. She's shed some, but is clearly a bit different than the others of her species.

She definitely not fat. Taking more time to get in shape than the others too. But I suppose she's just not the quality of the other cows either. Kind of a scrubby cow.

 

[Ky hills]

I've got one goofy cow that just can't seem to shed and slick off yet. She's shed some, but is clearly a bit different than the others of her species.

She definitely not fat. Taking more time to get in shape than the others too. But I suppose she's just not the quality of the other cows either. Kind of a scrubby cow.
View attachment 58839

Seems like there's always one in ever bunch.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

KyHills - nice group of calves!