Some Cows drying up at 205 days, some still nursing strong

[SRBeef]

I was in the pasture with my Herefords today and noticed that some of my cows are still nursing their spring calves (average maybe 210-215 days old right now) while others appear to be starting to dry up.

Is this good, bad or normal? Drying up at 210 days a plus or minus? I noticed a couple of my target 12-1300 lb cows with the very high 205 day ww/cow wt ratios are still milking strong.

Jim

 

[dun]

The only part of drying up at that stage for me would be how long ago did they start drying up and did it short the calf any. Other then that I could care less

 

[KNERSIE]

Its definately a good thing to rather select for cows that continue to milk for longer, I have seen quite a few cow starting out by milking very heavily for 3 months and at 7 months the calf weighs very close to what it did at 3 months. Sustained moderate milking ability is certainly advantageous over those that supply milk in abundance for a short period.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I left all replacement heifers on the cow last winter. They did well and one did exceptionally well, but her dam lost too much condition. I should have helped wean her off Oprah - - a pushy Simi-Angus 3 year old cow.

I also bought some Hereford ranch cows bred black that had very nice April calves, but now I can see where a few have dropped milk production and their calves growth rate has slowed. So one nice bwf heifer will not make the cut for replacements...

 

[SRBeef]

Its definately a good thing to rather select for cows that continue to milk for longer, I have seen quite a few cow starting out by milking very heavily for 3 months and at 7 months the calf weighs very close to what it did at 3 months. Sustained moderate milking ability is certainly advantageous over those that supply milk in abundance for a short period.

Since I can't keep visual track of who is still milking and who is not, I hope that the calf 205 day ww to cow weight at weaning ratio would be an indicator of this length of milking. There appears to be a significant difference in bag yet between various cows. Thanks Harley. Jim

 

[Stocker Steve]

Do you cut any slack for a heifer that appears to be a below average milker, and has a light calf at weaning?

 

[SRBeef]

Do you cut any slack for a heifer that appears to be a below average milker, and has a light calf at weaning?

No. If anything heifers should have a higher calf 205 day ww to her wt ratio since the heifer is probably not quite at her full mature weight yet as a 2.5 year old. I don't have time to figure out if she will milk better next year. I find milk seems to flow in families. If her dam was a good milker the heifer seems to be a good milker. Especially since the T21 sire also had good milk numbers. My lowest ratio cows are going on the trailer after weaning. Jmho. Jim

 

[KNERSIE]

Do you cut any slack for a heifer that appears to be a below average milker, and has a light calf at weaning?

There are certain lines that milk very poorly as a first calver and then much better from the second lactation on. It will ultimatey depend on how well stocked you are what your decision on them should be.

 

[dun]

There are certain lines that milk very poorly as a first calver and then much better from the second lactation on.

We had one heifer a couple of years ago that raised a real substandard calf. When it came time to ship the open cows we didn;t have any so she stayed around another year. Her next 3 calves were the heaviest calves weaned on the farm. She was also always the first or second one to calve. This year she was open and went to the salebarn last monday. (The only one we shipped)

 

[Angus Cowman]

I usually never cull a cow because of her first calf, I will always give them a 2nd chance because it could be several things that has affected the growth of that calf I have seen 4 and 5 yr old cows that have always raised a good calf and then have a dink, IT JUST HAPPENS sometimes but if a cow has a dink 2 yrs in a row then she is gone
there are alot more outside elements that come into play than just how much milk she has and sometimes it just happens
example: if you have brothers and sister and you all have the same mother and father
are you all the exact same

 

[Stocker Steve]

We did not cut heifers much slack in the dairy but that is a different deal.
I do have some smaller purchased heifers, and a lot of hay, so I will have to think about ratios till we see a second calf out of them.
My cull list keeps getting shorter. I am down to a two crosses with the diluter gene and a white eyed witch, before doing preg checks.

 

[Stocker Steve]

example: if you have brothers and sister and you all have the same mother and father
are you all the exact same

My wife says the whole family is messed up. Could have been some line breeding back in the old country.

 

[KNERSIE]

example: if you have brothers and sister and you all have the same mother and father
are you all the exact same

My wife says the whole family is messed up. Could have been some line breeding back in the old country.

Linebreeding humans would work if it wasn't frowned upon to cull the duds.

 

[dun]

Linebreeding humans would work if it wasn't frowned upon to cull the duds.

I've always been a strong believer in retroactive birth control

 

[Angus Cowman]

Do you cut any slack for a heifer that appears to be a below average milker, and has a light calf at weaning?

No. If anything heifers should have a higher calf 205 day ww to her wt ratio since the heifer is probably not quite at her full mature weight yet as a 2.5 year old. I don't have time to figure out if she will milk better next year. I find milk seems to flow in families. If her dam was a good milker the heifer seems to be a good milker. Especially since the T21 sire also had good milk numbers. My lowest ratio cows are going on the trailer after weaning. Jmho. Jim

You also have to figure that the hfrs aren't on the same nutritional plane as the cows as the hfr is still trying to grow herself
unless you manage your hfrs differently than your cows this wt of calf to cow ratio will never work in the long term

that would be like taking a High School football team and asking them to perform at the same level as a NFL team

 

[dun]

that would be like taking a High School football team and asking them to perform at the same level as a NFL team

If they played dallas they probably couldn;t lower their performance enough to make it fair

 

[Angus Cowman]

that would be like taking a High School football team and asking them to perform at the same level as a NFL team

If they played dallas they probably couldn;t lower their performance enough to make it fair

I should of said a competent NFL team :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[cypressfarms]

Do you cut any slack for a heifer that appears to be a below average milker, and has a light calf at weaning?

No. If anything heifers should have a higher calf 205 day ww to her wt ratio since the heifer is probably not quite at her full mature weight yet as a 2.5 year old.

A couple of years ago I posted some numbers on heifers in my herd. All of the heifers, but one, weaned a first calf substantially below the average weight of the herd. My granfather used to say that the first calf is a waste; not so sure about that, but I've seen it in my herd year after year - heifers that wean small first calves come back to the herd average on the 2nd calf. I aways cut heifers slack. SR, I don't understand your line of logic that a heifer that hasn't reached mature weight can milk more?

As far as the opening topic, I have the opposite problem; cows that milk too long and will draw themselves down going into winter if I don't pull the calves.

Stocker Steve, it's killing me, what does Oprah look like?

 

[Stocker Steve]

Oprah is a big pushy black Angus x Simi. Moved her up from fall calving since she calves every 10 to 11 months. Likes to walk up close and put her head in the bucket, or nug you while giving you the look like where the heck is the bucket??? Raises a very nice calf but her udder is starting to sag a bit.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have a couple whopper calves out of heifers but these are exceptions. These heavy milking heifers are not growing much, and I think they will become small cows. Heavy milking hiefers could be a factor in the small cow/bigger profit theory.