Two newbies who bought two 6 mo Herford Heifers from

[I luv herfrds]

Since you are going to AI them watch for when they go into heat and mark it on your calendar. What you watch for is one riding the back of the other. If you're not sure what that means, one tries to mount the other one. Hope this does not embarres you.

As for the AI, look at what type of bull you want to use. A low birth weight bull of either a hereford or black angus. Your choice. Look at the actual birth weight. EPD's are a little hard to understand if you're new to them. Took me about 3 years and alot of questions and mistakes to finally understand them myself. Maybe Bez can help out on that end. There are alot of others that could explain it better then I can. Hope they speak up.

If you want to save on the cost of the vet you can give them their vaccines yourself. Ask the breeder you bought them from what he gave them. There was alot of posts awhile back on vaccines. Let us know. Alot of people here can get you going in the right direction.
If you decide to go this route the best place to give them the shot is in the neck in front of the shoulder.
Make sure they have gotten their Bangs vaccine, (brucellosis vaccine.) They need that before they are 12 months old.

Have you decided at what time you want them to calve?
There was a discussion on the best age in which to breed a first year heifer. It seemed to be at age 14 months to 16 months of age. Remember it is up to you. Each breeder has their own preference.

There is a way to post pics on this site, but since I am still pretty computor illiterate I can't help you.
Anybody else?

 

[Ryder]

Dressage check your PM.

 

[dressageophobia]

Update, when I call them now and they see me and the bucket they start running,,,,and they follow me to the corral where I have the feed bucket ready with some grain. I do not give them much, just enough for them to munch a few moments. Tonight I just stood by the bucket and reached my hand out and touched them on the head a few times.

They ran away a little but settled down and came back and let me put my hand in their faces and touch them a little.

I bought a feed through fly block so that should help some with the flys. I plan on getting fly predators,,,they really work at least with horses!

Pretty funny to see my toy poodle with the heifers. One of them thinks she is the boss of this little dog, but he does not think so. She charges him and he just stands his ground and runs back at her. She then takes off running as if he were the badest thing on the planet.

 

[Beefy]

they really like to have their dewlap and back scratched. face, not so much....

 

[novatech]

This may sound dumb, but it may save a bunch of bucks.
Halter break them. If you ever need the vet to come out and you have no facilities you have a problem. Halterbreaking will, somewhat, allow you to work on them. It will gentle them down so that they can be worked in a much calmer way. I am in no way saying to make pets of them.
If you do not not want to do this you, at the very least, need to build a chute. A chute is all that is needed to work them or load them. The chute can even be built like the gate mentioned previously.
If you deside to keep them as breeding stock, post a pick and get some comments. First mentally prepare youself for some direct answers. There are some of the best herford people around on these boards. They may help you and your husband deside on the animals future. If they are junk they are not worth your future input as breeding stock, and you are passing on junk genetics. Start with the best you can afford.

Even with just 2, like Doc says, you need a plan.

I beleive you have taken the first right step in formulateing a plan by getting on the boards.
As far as culls are concerned, most everything sold is probably someones cull. I have bought culls from a man that were better than the mans keepers, just not in his openion.

 

[dressageophobia]

OK, do not yell at me, but what is a dewlap,,,I do not think a horse has one of those?

And I will post pics and ask the board about the two. I am the type of person that does not breed anything (well I guess except myself) without study and research.

If the board says these two are hamburger instead of mommas my husband will also listen.

 

[S&S Farms]

If you want to scratch them do it from the side leave their heads alone or someday a critter, maybe not these two, will head butt you when you least expect it. Just a safety issue.

I can walk up to most of my herd bulls and scratch them on the side when I check pastures. I Spend alot of time walking through them in the winter so they know me.

Jeff

 

[dressageophobia]

I have seen them head butting each other and I would not want to be o the receiving end of those butts, so thanks for the advice on that.

Since they are pretty little I will try to reach down and scratch the itchy spot on their dewflaps. Does this flap actually keep the dew off the cow,,,,?

Or is it an residual toe or hoof from an ancient type of dinoangus?[/i]

 

[Workinonit Farm]

This may sound dumb, but it may save a bunch of bucks.
Halter break them. If you ever need the vet to come out and you have no facilities you have a problem. Halterbreaking will, somewhat, allow you to work on them. It will gentle them down so that they can be worked in a much calmer way. I am in no way saying to make pets of them.

I agree.

If you have no facility to work them, you can halter them and snub them to a good stout post or tree. People have done this and it works.

I too have purchased a few culls from where I work. While they didn't fit their program anymore, they worked well for mine.

Go ahead and post those pics. Be prepared to hear things you may not want to hear, however the majority of the answers will be straight-up and honest.

Keep learning, people have to start somewhere. Have fun and be careful.

Katherine

 

[rosebudbeef]

an old guy who the vet said to buy from. Heifers were supposed to have all shots, wormed, etc.

Both seem to be doing well, but one has had a poopy butt since we have had her. They are not tame.

Questions:
1) I have been working on taming them with food. They will come within a few feet of me when eating. I could lock them in a small pen. What do I do to tame them. I am a horse person, these are our first cattle. Really they are curious and sweet, but do not trust me at all! Suggestions? You have them close enough.

2) Is there something I can feed to clear up the poopy butt thing one of the heifers has? They are eating and do not look near death or anything. They are on 7 acres of grass all to themselves in Oregon where we have grass almost all year long. I give them a little grain in the night so they go in the pen with me and get used to me. This is probably nervous poop. New place new people.

3) We have flys, is there a feed through I can get to stop the flys. Do you just put up with the flys on the cows? How do you deal with flys? Fly predators (horse people stuff)? What?
Fly spray Fly dust either or. Both serve their purpose

4) We do not have a sqeeze shoot or anything like that, just a
30 by 40 pen and a 7 acre pasture. What would you suggest if we have to vet them??? If oyur poles are strong halter them to a pole in the pen

5) They are not registered Herford, should we breed them to an Angus next year or butcher them and start with something registered?????????

Registered cost $$$. Keep it simple. You'll enjoy them more.
This board is new to me I hope you get my info.

 

[dressageophobia]

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Here are a few bad pics of the heifers. What do you think? Are they worth breeding?
What would you breed them to when they are older?[/img]

 

[I luv herfrds]

Those are a couple of nice looking heifers. I like them. Can you get a shot of them from the sides straight on and a rear shot also straight on?
I know I'm sounding picky also, but since we raise commercial herefords I have certain areas I look at on our replacements.
I look for a straight back, no sway in the middle. Like a sway backed horse.
Are their bodies narrow or wide. Do they have a deep chest. Color. Temperment. Growth, how fast.

From what I saw of them at those angles they do look nice.
I would plan on breeding them.

 

[dressageophobia]

Thank you for your opinion I luv Herfrds!!

I will try to get some better shots and from the rear as well and their body width.
I do not know how to tell how fast they are growing? We have only had them for about a month and a half. How do you tell? Weight them? Measure their girth?

They look bigger, but it is hard to tell when you see them everyday.

They look to me to have a deep chest.
I am pretty sure their backs are straight as I have looked at that.

You are not picky, coming from the horse world we look for everything, every little detail of perfection.

Thanks again for the encouragement on these two. I am looking for honest opinions. The guy I got them from has been raising these herefords for over 40 years so I would think he would know something about the breed!

 

[I luv herfrds]

Unless you have a scale it is hard to know who much they weight.
Just a thought, next time they stand close to a fence post make a mark on the post at back level. Them check it a couple of weeks later and see if their back is the same point or if it is starting to go past that mark. It works well if it is a wood post and it is a notch cut into it. Make sure you put something there to remind you where the notch was made our you would forget where it is, been there. Spray paint is an idea.

 

[donnaIL]

They look like nice heifers...I wouldn't turn them down,.gotta look at the rears of some of the herfords, so breed them to a good sire that has some if needed.

they look healthy and well cared for, cannot tell the frame size they look young. I would continue to try and work on them trusting you and work on "moving or herding" them, I am not sure horses are the same, so that you can work them if needed. Handling facilites are a plus but like said before a gate and good manuvering can do the job.

Its really the pits tha just because some one if new that the people here really let them have it...BLESSINGS...let us know how it goes. And if you have a scale, let us know what they weigh.

donna

 

[dressageophobia]

Donna IL and I luv Herefords...what should the butt look like on a Hereford? Big like a quarter horse, flat crop? steep crop? what is the angle of the rear end you are looking for? Cows are built downhill (horseterm) with a short neck. You seem to breed for alot of bone.

Do people use the term cow hocked because it is desirable in cows,,,or should cows have straight back legs when viewed from behind like a horse? Goofy questions, but I am a little baffled by the behind of a cow. Just never focused on a cow hinnie before. What do you look for?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

You obviously know your horses! Yes, the legs on a bovine need to be properly placed like your horses. From the rear, they should be evenly spaced from top down. You want upper leg muscle to bulge like a quarter horse and carry down to the hock. They should have a boxed look rather than a "funnel" look from the rear. From the side view, you need a nice angle (of bone) from the hip to the hock than pretty much straight down from there. Your heifer on the left in the middle picture "appears" to be "post legged", meaning TOO STRAIGHT, and also appears to be cow-hocked (not good) meaning too close in the hocks as viewed from the rear. Post legged is a bit unusual for Herefords as they tend to be the opposite problem, being "sickle hocked" meaning too much bend (looking like a sickle) so when they take a step their hock really bens low.
For 6 months they appear to have plenty of rib (nice round shape) good loin. I like the one on the right in the bottom pic. Both look good, just little concerned about the post-legged cow hock look of the one.
When analyzing cattle (just like horses) you start at the base & work up. They should have a good ROUND shape to their hooves. Big feet is GOOD! Adequate flat bone, not real fine or rear round boned. Good shape to the leg, good square hips. Don't want the pin bones a lot lower than the hook (hips). Lots of volume (rib & depth) and smooth flat shoulders.

 

[I luv herfrds]

I was always told to look for the square. Go to:
http://www.largentandsons.com
Look at Golden Achiever 2072. That should hopefully give you the idea of the rear end you would want to bring in your herefords.
We are hoping to do that with our herefords.
You are mainly looking at the muscle development on the animal.
You can also look up Cooper Herefords. They have some really good looking cattle.

 

[brahma_show_girl]

Questions:
1) I have been working on taming them with food. They will come within a few feet of me when eating. I could lock them in a small pen. What do I do to tame them. I am a horse person, these are our first cattle. Really they are curious and sweet, but do not trust me at all! Suggestions?

You are doing the right thing. Let them get used to you talk to them. Sit by them as they eat. But be very still. With time comes trust. All of my cattle are tame. They are big pets. But there are some cattle who don't want to be messed with. They don't have to be big pets if you don't wnat them to be. But they do need to be tame enough to be easily handled.



2) Is there something I can feed to clear up the poopy butt thing one of the heifers has? They are eating and do not look near death or anything. They are on 7 acres of grass all to themselves in Oregon where we have grass almost all year long. I give them a little grain in the night so they go in the pen with me and get used to me.

Some cows get that way when there nervous and the new enviroment and new home can cause it. It could also be the amount of green grass they are eating. The scours or Poopy Butt is really nothing to worry about unless they are young calves.

3) We have flys, is there a feed through I can get to stop the flys. Do you just put up with the flys on the cows? How do you deal with flys? Fly predators (horse people stuff)? What?

There is a mineral lick that we buy that has fly repellant in it. YOu will just have to talk to your local feedstore about the diffrent options he has.

4) We do not have a sqeeze shoot or anything like that, just a
30 by 40 pen and a 7 acre pasture. What would you suggest if we have to vet them???

I highly suggest getting a squeeze shoot. That is somwthing any cattle rancher needs, no matter how many cattle they have. It is something I would invest in.

5) They are not registered Herford, should we breed them to an Angus next year or butcher them and start with something registered?????????

There is a good market for F-1 Cattle Brahman x Herford Black Baldies are also selling well here in Texas. Commercial cattle sale just as good as registered.That is solely up to you.


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[dun]

Everyone can have a hearty laugh, but I've been known to sit out in the pasture or on the feed bunk and read outloud. Nothing that will get an excited sound in your voice, just something calm and soft. I read the Weekly Trader to them, it's a weekly paper of stuff for sale. heir natural curiosity will get them hangin around in most cases. When we wean calves I do the same thing, surprising how much the retained heifers are when they
re used to you bing around and not doing anyting. Wife cracked up last when she saw me sitting on a stump in the pasture and all the calves were laying around chewing their cuds in a circle around me. It won;t work with total boneheads, they're best reserved for range cattle or better yet the freezer.