What age do they stop growing?

[farmwriter]

I've only raised 2, but both of them eventually grew out fine, just took em a little longer. The steer was tasty, and the heifer I raised for a friend has had numerous calves.

 

[novaman]

1. This heifer is a pet more than anything, I don't care if she never produces anything! I know many think it dumb, waste of time and money, but guess what..........its my money loss!

2. I simply asked "WHAT AGE DO CATTLE STOP GROWING?" specifically angus and hereford breeds.

3. I posted in the "NEWBIE" section because after 10 years of not raising cattle, I thought some helpful cattle owners could help with the above question.

4.She is the only cow/heifer/bovine I own, she is fed grassy/alfalfa and straight alfalfa. I am trusting the vets advice to "wait to breed her", just simply had a question...please refer to #2. She also has an iodized salt lick, fresh water, sometimes cob w/molasses and any vegetable table scraps I choose to give her. She also gets horse cookies from time to time.

5. I didn't come here to be reamed up one side and down the other about my little heifer. Who cares if I never breed her, its my money loss! Right? I'm not a producer obviously, I understand that is probably dumb to many cattle owners, however its my choice to pour money into a cow that's a pet.

6. I didn't ask for a second opinion, I only had one question!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT AGE DO CATTLE STOP GROWING?!!!!!!!!!! That's all
Thank you to those who offer good advice and links to info. I have found it very helpful.

I suggest you cool your jets. If all you wanted was to know at what age they quit growing, you got it with the first reply. If you don't care for the rest of the posts on this thread, don't read them. Nobody likes a smarta$$ know-it-all so don't be that guy.

 

[HerefordSire]

1. This heifer is a pet more than anything, I don't care if she never produces anything! I know many think it dumb, waste of time and money, but guess what..........its my money loss!

2. I simply asked "WHAT AGE DO CATTLE STOP GROWING?" specifically angus and hereford breeds.

3. I posted in the "NEWBIE" section because after 10 years of not raising cattle, I thought some helpful cattle owners could help with the above question.

4.She is the only cow/heifer/bovine I own, she is fed grassy/alfalfa and straight alfalfa. I am trusting the vets advice to "wait to breed her", just simply had a question...please refer to #2. She also has an iodized salt lick, fresh water, sometimes cob w/molasses and any vegetable table scraps I choose to give her. She also gets horse cookies from time to time.

5. I didn't come here to be reamed up one side and down the other about my little heifer. Who cares if I never breed her, its my money loss! Right? I'm not a producer obviously, I understand that is probably dumb to many cattle owners, however its my choice to pour money into a cow that's a pet.

6. I didn't ask for a second opinion, I only had one question!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT AGE DO CATTLE STOP GROWING?!!!!!!!!!! That's all
Thank you to those who offer good advice and links to info. I have found it very helpful.

I suggest you cool your jets. If all you wanted was to know at what age they quit growing, you got it with the first reply. If you don't care for the rest of the posts on this thread, don't read them. Nobody likes a smarta$$ know-it-all so don't be that guy.

I have been known to be wrong but it sounded like a woman.

 

[chippie]

..... I know she will never be big...one because she is a bottle baby and two because she is part Hereford.

First off you are wrong on both counts (being small because she is a bottle calf and small because she is part Hereford.)

Your vet may have been trying to tell you in a nice way that your calf is too small for her age.

If you want to keep her as a pet, you might be better off not breeding her. Some cows' dispositions change when they have a calf. On the other hand sometimes Life throws a curve ball and there is no guarantee that you can keep her forever, so she should be productive should you ever need to find her a new home.

Can you post a picture of her?

 

[Allsparksowner]

Thanks to all that called me a "know it all" and a "smartass". Both of which I will a test to being!! I've been called worse by better people.
It amazes me that because I've a asked a question (dumb it may be) and perhaps didn't give every ounce of info because I didn't feel like writing a novel about my heifer and her issues or non-issues, I'm called so many names. Thank you, you've made me feel so good! I go to a vet because I don't know many people in my area that raise cattle, so I come here to get some helpful advice. For crying out loud, I'm learning as I go! Thank you for all your help, I have the info I need and will never again come back to this site. This is second time I've posted a dumb question because I'm learning how to properly raise this animal. Only a few have made this a poor experience for me. I will take everyone's advice into consideration as to what to do with my heifer, thank you for your time. :tiphat:

 

[backhoeboogie]

My apologies if I offended you in any way.

There are good folks here. You should lighten up a little and get to know some of the good ones. Especially if you are going to continue with cattle. Ignore the rest, including me if it suits ya.

Your question was not dumb.

 

[HerefordSire]

Thanks to all that called me a "know it all" and a "smartass". Both of which I will a test to being!! I've been called worse by better people.
It amazes me that because I've a asked a question (dumb it may be) and perhaps didn't give every ounce of info because I didn't feel like writing a novel about my heifer and her issues or non-issues, I'm called so many names. Thank you, you've made me feel so good! I go to a vet because I don't know many people in my area that raise cattle, so I come here to get some helpful advice. For crying out loud, I'm learning as I go! Thank you for all your help, I have the info I need and will never again come back to this site. This is second time I've posted a dumb question because I'm learning how to properly raise this animal. Only a few have made this a poor experience for me. I will take everyone's advice into consideration as to what to do with my heifer, thank you for your time. :tiphat:

When you come back, bring two questions. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[chippie]

Welcome to the real world.

Maybe if you just asked "What age do cattle stop growing?" you wouldn't have received the replies that got your panties in a wad.

Think about what you write. You gave TMI (too much information) and all I can say is YMMV (your mileage may vary).

 

[backhoeboogie]

You gave TMI (too much information)

Thanks for qualifying that. TMI has been the acronym for Three Mile Island for - what - 50 years now. Most of my generation sees TMI and that is exactly what they think.

 

[TexasBred]

However after a trip to the vet to discuss the issue of breeding, I was told she was too small and to wait until she is finished growing. About what age would my heifer stop growing?

The question seems simple enough. The answer a little more complicated. Cattle quit growing when all long bones have reached their maximum length. Now when is that?? Nobody really knows as each is different but within breeds there are some generally accepted averages. I don't have the answer either. Physically she'll probably continue to grow until at least 5 albeit more and more slowly. Sexually she's already "grown" and theoretically can do anything a 5 year old can do. If she's small for her age she may always be a small cow. Best of luck with her.

 

[hillsdown]

.She is the only cow/heifer/bovine I own, she is fed grassy/alfalfa and straight alfalfa. I am trusting the vets advice to "wait to breed her", just simply had a question...please refer to #2. She also has an iodized salt lick, fresh water, sometimes cob w/molasses and any vegetable table scraps I choose to give her. She also gets horse cookies from time to time.

You might want to add some grain in her ration, 3-5 lbs a day should help with her frame score some may suggest even more . Even if she is a pet, and I completely understand as cattle really are special creatures, she needs proper nutrition . You are doing well, but make sure she has free choice minerals each day as well.

Like I said before it sounds like she was not bottle fed properly and has been stunted..Not that it is your fault as bottle feeding is not as simple as it sounds.

BTW I have a smaller framed cow that was stunted as she was weened to early, she has some of the highest weening weights in the herd, always calves on her own and just raised two huge twin calves all by herself. So size does not necessarily mean calving problems. Next time you go to your vets do not be afraid to ask 50 million questions ,that is what they are there for..

Anyways, good luck with your pet, there is nothing wrong with having a pet cow. You should halter train her if you haven't already and maybe teach her to pull ..She might as well be useful as well as having fun working with her.

 

[Bez+]

It will grow as long as you feed it - unless it is a runt, a dwarf, out of mini genetics even from several generations back, has poor genetics, is stunted for a variety of reasons or it is just a dink - and those do happen - even in the best of families.

Five years is a fair answer but I have seen them go longer and I have seen them stop sooner. Variations are such that an absolute answer is not truly possible - so it will stop growing when it appears to have stopped growing.

You appear to have made some good friends here 8)

Cheers

Bez+

 

[Kate]

Well, I can tell you from experience that everyone says to breed at 14 months but everyone we did almost all had to have assistance with the calf. I wait till heifer is 18 or 19 months old and have not had to help one time so far. You may loose 4 months but thats better than losing a heifer and calf to me. We have had little heifers calf the easiest. I would just wait till shes 18 or 19 or even older to breed since she is a pet. No need to rush things.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Well, I can tell you from experience that everyone says to breed at 14 months but everyone we did almost all had to have assistance with the calf. I wait till heifer is 18 or 19 months old and have not had to help one time so far. You may loose 4 months but thats better than losing a heifer and calf to me. We have had little heifers calf the easiest. I would just wait till shes 18 or 19 or even older to breed since she is a pet. No need to rush things.

Kate - if heifers are grown out properly and bred to a moderately easy calving bull, you should not have to assist any of them at calving as a 24 month old. And some people (like Dun) can achieve proper growth with good grazing & hay with only a minimum of time being fed grain. Depends on your location as to how you need to feed to achieve proper growth to breed at 14 months of age. Depending on weather harshness, grass and hay may not meet their growth nutritional needs.

 

[dun]

Depends on your location as to how you need to feed to achieve proper growth to breed at 14 months of age. Depending on weather harshness, grass and hay may not meet their growth nutritional needs.

Genetics plays a huge part also. You have to all of the pieces in place, lack one and you can have problems.

 

[Stocker Steve]

There are heifers known as a "slow breeder." Most experienced cattemen will not bid on a slow breeder at the sale barn unless they are bidding for a slaughter animal. If you get an old cattle vet to look at her and he tells you, "She's going to be a slow breeder", you might want to wait a few more months. I culled three such heifers a few months back. Some of it has to do with size but more of it has to do with development.
quote]

How do they know "She's going to be a slow breeder" when they run through the sale barn ring?

 

[Stocker Steve]

Its always safer to wait longer and breeds do vary... but we have had success breeding 6 wt. wf heifers to a low bw bull, and having them spurt to about 1000# before they calve on grass. We don't have 600# weanlings but we do run a high stocking rate and the calves are vigourous.

Pretty hard to end up with a moderate size cow if you don't breed till you have 750 to 1000# heifers.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Its always safer to wait longer and breeds do vary... but we have had success breeding 6 wt. wf heifers to a low bw bull, and having them spurt to about 1000# before they calve on grass. We don't have 600# weanlings but we do run a high stocking rate and the calves are vigourous.

Pretty hard to end up with a moderate size cow if you don't breed till you have 750 to 1000# heifers.

If you have a "calving season" (like 60 days), you cannot arbitrarily "wait longer". As a breeder, it is your responsibility to raise your own heifers to meet your herd requirements. My herd requirements are to breed within a 60 day period. So, I raise my heifers to weight about 1000# at 14 months of age.
"Moderate size" can be diferent size to different people. To me, moderate size is 1350# - 1600#. Especially since, not too many years ago, I had cows weighing 1700-1900# !! :banana: