weaning weight vs cow weight

[Nesikep]

I think (and I've seen it reported in veterinary journals) that a lot of people underestimate their mature cow weights, unless you have a skinny animal like a jersey, it doesn't take a big cow to be 1400.. she'll be wide, but she doesn't need to be terribly tall.
Secondly, when it "weaning".. some people do it at 250 days, for me, when the oldest ones are around 205 I'll wean them all, except for some replacement heifers.. I do this because it really saves my fall pastures and works for me.

 

[Muddy]

There are plenty of #1000 cows that wean well over a #500 calf.

A #1400 cow is a big animal.

A 1,600lbs cow is a big animal but a 1,400lbs cow is perfect for us. They holds their condition better and bred back on time.

I wondered what's their slaughter weight of a calf from a 900lbs cow/1,000lbs cow vs a calf from a 1,400lbs cow.

 

[Brute 23]

I would say our average weight is around #1100. That doesn't count the straight Grey Brimmers, they are big animals.

I've just started getting cows sinced up the past 2 calf crops. Both times I weaned right about, on average, 6mo. There are plenty of #1000-1100 cows that produce #6+ calves at weaning.

My dad and his family run a lot of Beefmaster cross cattle. They do a lot of things wrong but one thing I strive for that they do really well in produce smaller cows that grow some big calves. They keep bulls for slaughter for the family and well before they are yearnings they are bigger than their mommas.

 

[Nesikep]

Here are a couple of my "perfect" cows as far as size goes.. I'm figuring they're around 13-1400

 

[Nesikep]

Can someone explain to me how a herd of 900 lb cows is going to give the packers f what they like... a 12-1400 lb finished weight on heifers and steers?
Either the heifers are going to out grow momma or they will finish too early
Only way around this is to have a seedstock herd and a terminal herd

 

[angus9259]

Say a smaller frame cow in the 900 lb range weans a calf... (470lb) vs a 1300 lb cow weans a calf (580lb).
In todays market ,which is more profitable?
Is there a simple equation to figure the profitability?

2 variables needed to develop your equation.

1. you need to assign a $ value to both the small frame 470 lb calf and the 580 lb calf.
2. your cost of feed and how much each cow will go through per year.

IF 580 lb calf is worth $150 more than the small frame 470 lb calf ($850 vs $700)
THEN what is your cost to carry the little 900 lb cow per year vs your cost to carry the 1300 lb cow?
and go from there
IF 1300 lb cow cost is $465 per year and 900 lb cow cost is $365 then 465 - 365 = 100
150 - 100 = $50 advantage to 580 lb calf.

your mileage WILL vary

this is the only way to answer this question

 

[Franke]

I would say our cows range from 1200-1600 pounds and some years others outperform the others. The most consistent ones year in and year out are the ones in the middle, the average, the money makers. We have a bunch of embryo calves which affects our weaning weights but I think a 1400 pound 5.5-6 frame is a good cow.