TOOK A GAMBLE

[piedmontese]

Last spring i had a 2 yr old shorthorn heifer that we had to pull the calf.very hard pull and dead calf.cow stayed down for several hrs and then when she got up could barely walk for several days.well i had planned to take her to the salebarn when she got to walking good.got busy and kinda forgot bout her until preg check and she was bred so i said what the heck and kept her,knowing it was risky and should sale her.i really about loaded her a month or so ago when prices took off but i thought i'm gonna see it through.well yesterday she had a little heifer all by herself and is mothering it great.i guess sometimes u just get lucky.oh yea bred to a piedmontese bull too.had i planned to keep her i would have moved her over with the saler bull but i guess it did'nt matter.

 

[ANAZAZI]

Congratulations!I think you might have a keeper. Sounds like a cross that makes for a stout and milky cow.

 

[novaman]

The problem I've seen with keeping a 2 year old that lost a calf is they tend to get fat and unproductive once they do finally raise a calf as a 3 year old. I've had it happen several times. Figure I have a bunch stuck into them to get her this far along may as well give her another try. Ends up they usually get culled after a couple years anyway because their calves are the smallest in the whole herd. I wish you good luck.

 

[ANAZAZI]

The problem I've seen with keeping a 2 year old that lost a calf is they tend to get fat and unproductive once they do finally raise a calf as a 3 year old. I've had it happen several times. Figure I have a bunch stuck into them to get her this far along may as well give her another try. Ends up they usually get culled after a couple years anyway because their calves are the smallest in the whole herd. I wish you good luck.

I agree to this; and was referring to the calf.

 

[CKC1586]

Congratulations!I think you might have a keeper. Sounds like a cross that makes for a stout and milky cow.

Yup, she should be a good heifer! And have to say the Shorthorn/Piedmontese cross makes the most wonderful tasting beef, is my all time favorite cross for the freezer.

 

[piedmontese]

i actually have several pied/shorthorn x calves.they have all been solid red,even the calves from roan cows.sold several of my SH cows last fall because they were too motherly.they either let any1 nurse them or i even had a couple cows that nursed other cows.

 

[Jovid]

Congratulations!I think you might have a keeper. Sounds like a cross that makes for a stout and milky cow.

Yup, she should be a good heifer! And have to say the Shorthorn/Piedmontese cross makes the most wonderful tasting beef, is my all time favorite cross for the freezer.

I know a Red Poll breeder that thinks the Red Poll/Piedmontese cross makes the best tasting beef

 

[Stocker Steve]

The problem I've seen with keeping a 2 year old that lost a calf is they tend to get fat and unproductive once they do finally raise a calf as a 3 year old. I've had it happen several times. Figure I have a bunch stuck into them to get her this far along may as well give her another try. Ends up they usually get culled after a couple years anyway because their calves are the smallest in the whole herd. I wish you good luck.

I understand fat yearling replacement heifers may have less milk production due to deposits in their udders.
Is this still true for a 2 or 3 year animal that does not raise a calf?

 

[novaman]

I understand fat yearling replacement heifers may have less milk production due to deposits in their udders.
Is this still true for a 2 or 3 year animal that does not raise a calf?

Over-developed replacement heifers do have less production. That is why it is critical to keep a good handle on your heifer program. There is such a fine line between growing them out to meet their potential and over doing it and hurting future production. As far as the 2 or 3 year olds, I can't say with any certainty as I haven't had enough experience to say one way or the other. I would imagine that they would lay in more fat in the udder though because most of them I've had got pretty well conditioned since they weren't lactating and burning off that excess energy. I just can't justify keeping an animal for around 43 months before I see a return on investment when slaughter prices and feed prices are so high.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I understand fat yearling replacement heifers may have less milk production due to deposits in their udders.
Is this still true for a 2 or 3 year animal that does not raise a calf?

Over-developed replacement heifers do have less production. That is why it is critical to keep a good handle on your heifer program. There is such a fine line between growing them out to meet their potential and over doing it and hurting future production. As far as the 2 or 3 year olds, I can't say with any certainty as I haven't had enough experience to say one way or the other. I would imagine that they would lay in more fat in the udder though because most of them I've had got pretty well conditioned since they weren't lactating and burning off that excess energy. I just can't justify keeping an animal for around 43 months before I see a return on investment when slaughter prices and feed prices are so high.

I have a couple Simi cross cows that raise butterball calves. Will the heifer calves be less productive than their dams?