What Would You do With This Cow?

[mnmtranching]

Heifer calf born 10/28.

The problem, she has had 5 calves and each year she is a month later. She's a big cow and will take a lot of groceries to get her through the Winter. The good thing is her calves grow like crazy, this calf will weigh 7 hundred pounds by June.

 

[jw]

What Would You do With This Cow?

I'd get her pregnant again and again and again if she keep throwing out calves like that one.

 

[Gate Opener]

I would keep her.

 

[larryshoat]

I would try to get some more just like her.JMO

Larry

 

[randiliana]

Well, in our operation, she wouldn't have a chance to get later and later, within a year or 2 she would run out of enough time to get bred. So she would be gone, or going down the road. However, if you are calving year round, and are happy with her calves then you would maybe want to keep her. I personally wouldn't, because it costs more to get a calf out of her, than it does out of one of the other cows who maintains a regular calving interval.

 

[rockridgecattle]

I kind of agree with Randi. We have a defined season yet allow for straglers. Our season is defined for several reasons.
1. uniformity at the sale. for example we shipped 64 calves and 18 went into a lot and a couple lots with 10 in. Not great but better than one or twos.
2. defined calving to meet the needs of the pre breeding vacciantions
3 cold winters so it's harder on a cow rasing a calf inside and out and maintain BCS.
We have done the lute thing to try and get her to cycle on time or to play catch up and it has worked on a few cows. One did not respond and is continueally late so even though she is a "pet" its off to the cow heaven....got a few of her babies though.

 

[TexLonghornRanch]

What is your breeding schdule?

Can you put her in with the replacement heifers and start breeding her a month earlier?

Sure looks like a good cow, I make allowances for money makers.

 

[Txwalt]

I would ship her down south and donate her to a young straping handsome young rancher that would allow her to grow old on his small yet growing young ranch.

Walt

 

[msscamp]

I would have to agree with Randi - eventually she would run out of time getting bred, and I hate stragglers during calving.

 

[Limomike]

I would say she is too good of a cow to get rid of her. Raising calves like she does would not be a problem for me if she was late. There are ways to correct that problem though.

 

[grannysoo]

I'd keep her.....

 

[Angus In Texas]

It depends on how important she is to your bottom line. Can you afford to get rid of her and buy a replacement that will breed in time or is your herd big enough that the loss of one cow won't make a huge impact?

 

[dun]

She may just be slower to return to heat after calving. If I really thought she was a good cow I'ld give her a shot of GnRH 3 weeks post calving then follow it up a week later with a shot PGF2.

 

[hgfarmer]

Keep her....

 

[Bullbuyer]

Who cares when she calves? There's an auction every week and every week there are calves that will match up with 'em to make a nice size load. It'd be crazy to sell a cow that raises a good calf and gives you no problems - unless you need the money, that's a different and personal story.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

does she stay in good condition? heavy milkers raising a baby and staying in a condition score of aleast a 4 is hard too do with out alot of groceries in the winter months. id keep her but if she aint inline with your breeding program. it can cost you even with the extra weaning weight.

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

At 2.5 to 3 months old, yank the calf away from her for 2 or 3 days, not allowing it to nurse and then let them back together again. Then get her exposed to the bull and see if "tricking" her system that way works and if she gets bred so that her next calf is on time.

 

[CUZ]

Hate to say it, but it's probably time for her to go.

Here's my thinking. Seems like I recall you've been in a drought most of the year. So hays probably a little tight. Didn't you have to cull a few you didn't want to? Unless her calf weighs more than 50 lbs better than all of her running buddies you'd probably be ahead to get a regular 12-month calfer*. She's running 13 month intervals now as a pretty young cow and in my experience that interval usually gets longer and not shorter as she ages. She's probably outside what you want your program to be.

* 13 Year Period
- SuperCow has 12 700 lb calves = 8400 lbs
- Regular Calfer has 13 650 lb calves = 8450 lbs (and a more regular paycheck)

Just my two cents worth
Cuz

 

[ALX.]

Late calving is a sign of infertility.

She wouldn't have gotten a chance to have that many calves here.

Maintaining fertility is something the beef industry has done a good job of and should be proud of. It came from being uncompromising.

 

[dieselbeef]

ill come git her. lemme know when ya want me to come pic her up. ill take the calf to if ya like. but id keep the calf if i was you...lemme know