Temperament, Tenderness and Carcass Quality

[Bama]

Every time my cattle go through the chute its a bad experence for them. Like its always a bad experence for me to go to the doctors office. Even if you don't get a shot you always think its a possibillity.

We have a few cows that want in the chute, they've been fed oats there and you can stab a cow as much as you want as long as she's got a bucket she's happy. :lol:

So what is your rattle index at the doctors? :lol:

Do you feed oats while they are in the chute??
this could get expensive and time consuming.
For me quick in and out is much more profitable.
Sometimes I will leave them where they have to go through the chute just to get used to it. I just leave the gate open and they can walk, run, or turn cartwheels on through.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I never meant to imply that you have mistreated her and if you read it that way my apologies.

No no, I didn't read it that way. No need for an apology either. But I do appreciate it nevertheless. :lol: :lol:

I was simply stating fact. The cow has no call to be the way she is. But she is just that way. Her steers are my preferred freezer filler each year. This year she had a heifer I am retaining.

The biggest problem with cows like this is injury. If they go climbing the chute and such, they are at risk. That is my opinion and that is why I prefer cattle that are a bit more docile.

 

[Victoria]

It is still horse dung do you think the big operators are petting there cows. There are operations that dont pen every other day do you think these are gentle cattle not hardly.
By your study all the steaks will be tough thats B.S.
You couldn't sell 3/4's of the Brangus they would be so tough you would need a chainsaw to cut one. Same goes for the Tigers and they are the number one momma cow of the south.
I hauled some Brangus the other day that would fight a cirlce saw and they brought top dollar. I guess someone forgot to tell the Cargill buyer that bought them not to bid.

This study has nothing to do with petting cows, it has to do with docility. A cow does not have to be patted to be docile. Just as penning them often doesn't have anything to do with being docile. Other than AI'ing which we just started this year our cows are run through once a year and they are docile.

This study doesn't state that all steaks from non-docile animals are tough. It states that the docile group averages more profit and on average has more Prime and Choice grades.

Guess your Cargill buyers are different than ours here. Glad you got top dollar for your calves. One guy here who had a steer that was snorting around the ring running into the bars and they split him out of the group and sold him for less.

 

[Victoria]

Bama,
We are new to AI'ing and when I was reading up about it I kept reading the same thing - keep them still and stress free for higher conception rates. So, all of our purebreds are bucket trained. They will follow anywhere I lead them keeping their head out of the bucket until it is put on the ground. So I thought oats would be the easiest way to keep them still and calm. They followed me up the chute had their oats (a small bucket filled to the first joint on my finger - it's a joke but don't tell them that) and went out. The cost is nothing because I don't give them much and I had thought it would be time consuming but it actually took less time because they were all in a hurry to get to that bucket and there was no hesitation. I've never used that method before but I am starting to think it may be the way to go for vaccinating too, for the purebreds anyway. I'm like you, I want quick in - quick out and no stress for cow or person.

 

[Victoria]

backhoeboogie you are right about injury, I worry about the cows and myself.

 

[Bama]

Bama,
We are new to AI'ing and when I was reading up about it I kept reading the same thing - keep them still and stress free for higher conception rates. So, all of our purebreds are bucket trained. They will follow anywhere I lead them keeping their head out of the bucket until it is put on the ground. So I thought oats would be the easiest way to keep them still and calm. They followed me up the chute had their oats (a small bucket filled to the first joint on my finger - it's a joke but don't tell them that) and went out. The cost is nothing because I don't give them much and I had thought it would be time consuming but it actually took less time because they were all in a hurry to get to that bucket and there was no hesitation. I've never used that method before but I am starting to think it may be the way to go for vaccinating too, for the purebreds anyway. I'm like you, I want quick in - quick out and no stress for cow or person.

that makes more sense. Thanks for the clarification.