what would you do

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bigbull338

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here about 2 months ago 1 of the cows i bought calved.an she kept the calf hid for 2 weeks or more.we had seen him 3 or 4 times since he was born.but now he died some way or another.how when or why he died i do not know.but my q is since he was born alive.an died a few weeks later.would you keep the cow an give her another chance or would you cull her.
 
Depends on two things:
1. How bad I needed the money.
2. How far she was up on my S##t list. (Most important)
 
10 years ago, my answer would have been different than today. The only way I keep a cow around these days is if she loses her calf at birth or shortly after due to adverse weather conditions. If she were mine I would cull her, but ask yourself these questions:

1. Is she a genetically superior animal?
2. If sentimental value is important to you, does this cow have it?
3. If you pasture her for a year with no income, will that effect your bottom line, and will you gain it back by keeping her around?

You might be able to cull her and buy a 4-5 wt young female for the same money. At least you could in my market.
 
well she is 1 of 2 reg beefmasters i bought the end of april.so she isnt on my cull list.but her having the calf an it dieing in a month or less.i was wondering what yall would do.my 1st instinct was to cull her.but i wont loose anything by holding her a year to see if she will breed an calve.for all i know a yote or dog killed her calf.
 
yes she would beller for it.but having the cows on 150acs he couldve been anywhere.plus theres another 140acs the calf couldve gotten on.an we have looked for the calves several times.because we keep up with the number of calves that out in the pasture.
 
Could you tell if the calf ever nursed? If it did the mom did her job.
Next time you may want to calf her in a trap that she cannot hide the calf so well in. That is if you have the setup for it.
I check the cows every day for a few days to make sure that the calf is sucking. Even if I cannot find the calf.
 
we had seen the calf with her 3 times since it was born.an that was over a 2 or 3wk period.thats why im puzzled as to what happened to it.i know to last that long it had sucked.she would come up during the day after she calved but only once or twice did she bring the calf with her.
 
if the calf lived a couple of weeks i would give her another shot. you probably have a good bit invested in her. it could have died from anything if you werent seeing it on a daily basis. scours. dogs. pnuemonia. weather conditions. you name it. so you didnt find the body?
 
no we did not find the dead calf.thats why im saying several things couldve happened to it.ill give her another chance.the only reason i asked the q was because some on here seenm tobe hardcore cullers.
 
beefy it was 1 of of the cows i bought at the end of april.the other cow is due to calve anytime now.
 
I had one a few years back that I found as a day old calf. Tagged it and didn't see it again for about 2 months. I had written it off as dead and then one day it was with the cow. It wasn't getting around to well cause it had an injured leg. I guess it stayed put and momma would go to it untill it was able to get around. Course on the other hand, earlier this year I had a cow have one and never saw it again. Don't know what happened to it either.
 
bigbull338":3mpzw5hp said:
here about 2 months ago 1 of the cows i bought calved.an she kept the calf hid for 2 weeks or more.we had seen him 3 or 4 times since he was born.but now he died some way or another.how when or why he died i do not know.but my q is since he was born alive.an died a few weeks later.would you keep the cow an give her another chance or would you cull her.
Click to expand...

Based on the information provided, I would keep her.
 
I have to agree with everyone else, if you have the feed/pasture definitely give her another chance.

On a side note the other gal that you bought the same time as this one I would not let her calve out in the big pasture .I would bring her to a smaller area so you can make sure she is a good mom and her calf is doing well ;just because they are new to you and you don't yet really know their behaviorism's yet. JMHO.
 
i know their behaviors pretty well.before i buy cows i go over them with a fine tooth comb.making sure they are gentle an easy to handle.an that i can walk around them with ease.i sent a trusted friend of mine to look at the cows.an he said to buy them so i did.this same friend wont even let me buy a bull by myself.he told me to call him an he would find an buy me a bull.once i tell him how much ill spend on the bull.
 
I'm only a newcomer to cattle but wonder why not use an electric wire or other fence to restrict them to a smaller area at calving time so you can find them and make sure all is well?
 
theres a few reasons for not using hotwires anymore.i hate hotwires.used them for 27yrs in the dairy business.an ive spent alot of time fixing them when the cows would break them.as well as being shocked more times than i can count.an beef cows will plow through a hotwire no matter how hot it is.
 
bigbull338":2drd8zcj said:
theres a few reasons for not using hotwires anymore.i hate hotwires.used them for 27yrs in the dairy business.an ive spent alot of time fixing them when the cows would break them.as well as being shocked more times than i can count.an beef cows will plow through a hotwire no matter how hot it is.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Most of the dairys aorund here use hotwire and have fewer problems with the cows getting out of the hotwire then they do the barbwire.
 

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