Small Heifer Calf

[dawnrogerl]

A while back I purchase a cow at a sale that had a 30 day old heifer calf at side. It took me quite some time to get her home as the seller kept them and bred to cow for me. When we got them home, the calf had been weaned and looked awful small. Sometime, after we installed a scale and I weighed the calf. It was 10 months and weighed 500 lbs. (Reg. Angus) I am giving it 6 lbs. of supplement a day as well as hay and it is only gaining .85 lbs. per day. She has had all shots and pour-on. I am wondering where to go next with her. If I was to ship her now she would bring about $400-500. I am thinking about continuing with her and possibly being able to breed her at about 18 months. She would be a small cow. I guess my questions is this. How much would her own size effect the outcome of her calves. Her mother is a large frame, deep bodied cow, about 1800 lbs and her sire is Predestined. Her mother's milk EPD is +17. What is her chances of giving good calves?

 

[angie1]

What is her chances of giving good calves?

Your sig line states you are in the business of raising quality reg angus. Is this calf the quality you refer to? If not, I suggest selling her. She cannot contribute to your herd in a positive way in my opinion. 500 lbs at 10 months is awfully small.

 

[Nesikep]

What angie said... no point in keeping that... it should be 600 lbs at 200 days


Question, how do people know the milk EPD of beef cows???

 

[CPL]

What angie said... no point in keeping that... it should be 600 lbs at 200 days


Question, how do people know the milk EPD of beef cows???

Maybe this will help? I didn't take the time to read it so I'm sorry if it doesn't contain useful information. http://simmgene.com/pdf/sim_talk/Early% ... 20EPDs.pdf

 

[greatgerts]

I would ship the calf. There is going to be too much invested in her by the time she is 18 months old to make her profitable as a cow. She will probably also wean calves that light. Hopefully, the bull that the cow is now bred to is not the same as the sire of the calf. Could be another trainwreck in the making.

 

[LoveMoo11]

If she's a nice animal other than her size, I'd hold onto her and see what you can do with her. Look at her sire/do some research and see if the size comes from him. If not, it may just be from poor care at a young age before you got her.

 

[Bez+]

If she's a nice animal other than her size, I'd hold onto her and see what you can do with her. Look at her sire/do some research and see if the size comes from him. If not, it may just be from poor care at a young age before you got her.

This comment and the originators possible thoughts are exactly why more than 70% (my percentage is likely low) of animals that should be killed, culled or de-nutted do not get shipped.

Lots of folks who breed "quality" registered animals want to think they can and should keep "all the heifers" and sell all the boys as "bulls".

I could not disagree more strongly with keeping this animal - especially after reading the original description.

There are a tonne of breeders out there that sell or try to sell some really bad stock. We have all seen them. Many have come here to brag their stock and then cannot believe how good some commercial stuff is.

This animal is under sized - and under performing. The reason is no longer important.

Keep it and breed it - and the offspring will end up in the genetic pool.

Then some newbie will come along and buy into the "quality" herd and take home registered "breeding" / quality stock from this herd - start his / her own and the beat goes on.

We see many pics of animals here from people thinking an animal is a great breeder - simply because it is registrered!

Or because it comes from great blood lines. Not all star blood lines produce excellence every time.

The best breeding / registered stock producers out there kill or de-nut the vast majority of their product - they do this for a reason.

This animal is an under performer.

Kill it and eat it.

Or sell it to a feedlot and let them kill it.

Just because it is registered - or could be registered - does not mean it deserves to be registered. In fact it does not even mean it deserves to be anything more than food on someones plate.

You breed it and sell it if you want - and I have to admit I have not seen the animal - but have read your own description - you might be perpetuating the problem and at the same time negating your own mission statement.

Far better for you to be wrong and miss a good one once in a while than to be wrong and bring an underperformer into the gene pool.

Your reputation rids upon the quality not the number of cattle in your herd. Take care.

Best regards

Bez+

 

[hillsdown]

I am thinking along a different line. Are you sure you got the right calf. It might be a switch up, and the calf you got is much younger than what you think. Wouldn't be the first time it has been done ,and I don't care how reputable the breeder is, that is why we have a tool called DNA testing..

I am giving it 6 lbs. of supplement a day as well as hay and it is only gaining .85 lbs. per day

but then again either way this is not very good..

 

[Bez+]

I am thinking along a different line. Are you sure you got the right calf. It might be a switch up, and the calf you got is much younger than what you think. Wouldn't be the first time it has been done ,and I don't care how reputable the breeder is, that is why we have a tool called DNA testing..

I am giving it 6 lbs. of supplement a day as well as hay and it is only gaining .85 lbs. per day

but then again either way this is not very good..

Crikey! That would be a bit of a pickle wouldn't it?

Was it sucking on that cow?

Fairly good indicator - not completely accurate - but .......

Stiil - at .85 pounds per day gain - it is not a keeper.

Bez+