The Look

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

I remember dun posting awhile back about the look. Now I can't tell you what the look is but I somehow can sense if a cow has it or not. I'm getting rid of a few yearlings that I've decided not to keep over the winter. I've got one heifer that is just a little long in the leg for what I want. The other heifer doesn't have 'the look'. I can run her up beside the other heifers and she is essentially the same size and shape as the rest of them. She's got a fairly square hip, and seems to do real well on grass as she's nice and plump. She is really quiet and has a better temperament than a couple that I am keeping. Yet something in my cattleman's instinct tells me that she's going to give me problems at some point. The last time I kept a heifer that didn't have 'the look', I ended up paying for a C-Section and then that heifer rejected the calf and I ended up bottle feeding it for about a month and then selling it to a guy that had lost one off of a good cow. I couldn't tell you what was wrong with her either. She was about the same size and shape as the other 2 heifers i kept that year and yet all winter, and right up until calving my instinct told me that i was going to have problems with her. I think that its just weird that I can see that there is something wrong but I don't know on a concious level what it is. Anybody else have intuition like that?

 

[dun]

There are two "looks". The one of which you are talking. The other is the one that you see just before something unpleasent happens. If the don;t have the first one they go, if they have the second the go.

dun

 

[Beefy]

i have that same intuition Cattle Rack. always go with your instinct. I've found too many hip-locked heifers that were on my cull list that my dad wanted to keep for some reason.

As far as the other look, there are two of those! the one you see that says "i'm about to eat your lunch, you have a 1 second head start to climb that fence" and the one that says " see you at the salebarn" as the trailer pulls away.

 

[la4angus]

I think that its just weird that I can see that there is something wrong but I don't know on a concious level what it is. Anybody else have intuition like that?

I think that any good cattleman probaly has had that experience. I am not going to say that I am a good cattleman as there is probaly many that would disagree with me. But many times I have made comments that I didn't like a bull or hfr or cow after just glancing at it. Nothing positive caught my eye and I was right. Aftter a closer look I could poiint out several faults. also on the positive side I do the same when at an auction and haven't had a chance to look at the cattle closely beforehand. I will buy something and then later on ask myself why. After looking at it after the sale it was always better than I visualized. A few years ago I bought a hfr for $385.00 and others like her were bringing $700.00 and more. After looking at her after the sale she was as good or better than any of the others. I guess the right people had stepped out for a coffee or restroom break.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

I've had 'the look' right before something unpleasant happens. That's easy to see. I have a borrowed Tarentaise bull in my pasture who has chased my brother a couple of times. He likes to give you 'the look'.

The thing I don't understand about the other look is that I know that there is a reason that I'm not going to keep that heifer and yet I'll be jiggered if I can put my finger on why but something about her just tells me not to. It has nothing to do with her temperament, she'll lick you if you stick out your hand. But its just something....

 

[dun]

I've had 'the look' right before something unpleasant happens. That's easy to see. I have a borrowed Tarentaise bull in my pasture who has chased my brother a couple of times. He likes to give you 'the look'.

The thing I don't understand about the other look is that I know that there is a reason that I'm not going to keep that heifer and yet I'll be jiggered if I can put my finger on why but something about her just tells me not to. It has nothing to do with her temperament, she'll lick you if you stick out your hand. But its just something....

I've seen some that when you look at them you can't see anything you don't like about them. But when all the parts are put together on the same heifer it just isn't right.

dun

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

I've seen some that when you look at them you can't see anything you don't like about them. But when all the parts are put together on the same heifer it just isn't right.

dun

That's a possibility. Ever since spring I've been looking at her and trying to figure out what it is that is stopping me from keeping her. I think its something to do with the way she's built in the back end. Not sure what, but that's always where I'm looking when I'm coming to the conclusion not to keep her. I've been inspecting her real close the last few days because up here, they're not worth much at auction and it would be the time to keep replacements or dump your losers before the fall run. She's off one of my best cows. Its just something about the way her female parts look that tells me she has fertility problems?potential calving problems? I don't know. It'll be a done deal next week anyway and then I'll have one less think to ponder over.

 

[dun]

I've seen some that when you look at them you can't see anything you don't like about them. But when all the parts are put together on the same heifer it just isn't right.

dun

I'll have one less think to ponder over.

But you'll probably still wonder after she's gone.

dun

 

[sidney411]

I haven't been around cattle long enough to really understand the look about a good animal vs. a trouble animal. I can't wait untill I can. Just hearing you all talk about it makes me envious. I believe I am beginning to get it though, we have been through quite a few trouble heifers and there is an inkling of a thought in my mind when I have an idea we might have to pull one or not, and it has been true most of the time. Like right now I have 2 heifers in the pen near the house that are actually overdue now but I am not worried about having to pull them for some reason, I don't know, this may come back and bite me in the a$$ but I just have a feeling they will calve out by themselves. There have been others that I watched like a hawk and we ended up having to pull them.

I bet everyone that has delt with cattle knows the look "I am about to eat you for lunch" This one I would say without a doubt I know what is, and thank the lord because if not, there have been a couple of times I probably wouldn't be sitting here today. Those 'lookers' are hamburger now.

Thanks everyone for sharing such wonderful information!

 

[txshowmom]

I've seen that look. I have also seen "the look" that says as soon as you turn your back I am going to put you in the dirt. That look gets them put in the trailer just as fast.

 

[dun]

The one that gets me is the "I'm just standing here minding my business" look. You turn your back and all you here is hoofs flying. That's the one that gets you hurt in a hurry.

dun

 

[txshowmom]

oh yeah least we not forget the sneaky ones.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

But you'll probably still wonder after she's gone.

dun

I learned a long time ago not to waste time agonizing over things that are already done. I trust my instincts fairly well after that bill for the C-Section and a month of feeding that calf. But I will wonder about why I don't like her on a subconscious level even though she has alot of eye appeal.

 

[frenchie]

Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2004 8:11 pm Post subject:

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Beefy..........I have that same intuition Cattle Rack. always go with your instinct.



I agree with Beefy, trust your instinct..........I have found here that I can pretty much tell ,if animal will make it on this place or not.

Several years ago we noticed a trend in our cowherd it was certain cows or certain types that had 99% of our problems.

Now for whatever reason, there is a problem .She is gone.

As far as bulls chasing people a 270 will fix that problem.Real quick.