When Should I butcher?

[tmarsh]

I'm new here...
I have a first calf heifer (Hereford) that refuses to feed her calf. I have tried everything and have decided to butcher her. She calved on April 29th and still hasnt "cleaned" her afterbirth yet. How long should I wait to cull her and is it ok the cull her when she still hasnt cleaned?

any opinions are really appreciated.
Thanks

 

[KMacGinley]

Huh, what are the conditions that occurred at the birth? There may be a reason for her behavior, that was only 4 days ago. I graft calves on cows up to a week later. She may clean at any time.

 

[tmarsh]

Well, she fed the calf for the first two days and on the third day I noticed her bag swollen and the calf was trying to catch her to let it eat. She would only bunt it away and run. I put the calf on her gramdmother for one feeding but she already has a calf on her and I dont think she makes enough milk to support two calves.
The meat is going to be ground into burger for myself, falimily and friends. She has no antibiotics in her at all...

 

[KMacGinley]

Sounds like her bag is sore from Mastitis or for some other reason, Treat her and she will probably let the calf nurse. You don't just butcher a cow, because she has a sore bag. You might try working with her a little first especially since she is a first calf heifer.

 

[El_Putzo]

Either tie her up with a halter or put her in a chute and let the calf suck. She'll figure it out after one or two sessions of that.

 

[certherfbeef]

Pen her, check her udder (find someone who can), take her temp and treat accordingly. If you eat her now you will have a bottle calf...are you ready for that?
Just make sure she doesn't have a high temp.

 

[Double R Ranch]

I think you are jumping the gun on this one. As far as her cleaning out she may have already and you haven't seen it. You say you've tried everything? What have you tried?
If you want meat buy a steer or raise your own. Don't slaughter a "perfectly good" (depending on what you find wrong) cow. You have a valuable animal that may produce for years to come and she may have something simple wrong with her.
Just my 2 cents.
Double R

 

[jp]

I had a cow calf her 2nd calf 3 weeks ago and her bag was too swollen for the calf to get a good grab on her, I tied her, milked her one good time and helped the calf drink for 2 days then everything was fine. IMO you're actin to fast to butcher, give em a chance. jp

 

[tmarsh]

I appreciate all of the opinions. It seems I've come across as being an absolute green horn. I'm not quite that inexperienced. I have penned her, gated her, tied her feet etc... She doesnt have clogged teats. I've milked her by hand. The calf is a very good eater w/lots of energy. She has milk running out of every teat when she is standing still. I have obviously been bottle feeding the calf for a few days now. When I took the calf away and penned it to feed it, She doesnt give a hoot. Any other cow I've had would try to come thru the fence to get to her baby. She just isnt a good mother and I'm afradi she never will be.
. I was wondering if she doesnt clean and gets a little infection wil lshe still be ok to eat right away or should I wait a while.
She still hasnt cleaned.

Thanks.

 

[dun]

I appreciate all of the opinions. It seems I've come across as being an absolute green horn. I'm not quite that inexperienced. I have penned her, gated her, tied her feet etc... She doesnt have clogged teats. I've milked her by hand. The calf is a very good eater w/lots of energy. She has milk running out of every teat when she is standing still. I have obviously been bottle feeding the calf for a few days now. When I took the calf away and penned it to feed it, She doesnt give a hoot. Any other cow I've had would try to come thru the fence to get to her baby. She just isnt a good mother and I'm afradi she never will be.
. I was wondering if she doesnt clean and gets a little infection wil lshe still be ok to eat right away or should I wait a while.
She still hasnt cleaned.

Thanks.

Persoanlly I wouldn't eat her. The stress of calving and being nadled to get her to feed her calf would probably lead to a less then satisfactory eating experience. I would either put wheels under her and sell her as a kill cow or pen her seerate and feed her grain for 30 days or so then wack her.
We had a cow last year that did the same thing. She had raised her first calf with no problems, fed her second calf a coule of times then decided it was a football. She'ld hunt the calf down if it was in the pasture and maul and kick the crap out of it. She topped the kill cow market that week.

dun

 

[tmarsh]

Thanks Alot Dun. Thats exactly the input I was looking for. I was thinking of puting her in a pen and graining her. But I wondered if she'd make good burger for family and friends. No steaks.
I guess if she doesnt clean today, I'll pen her and go in and get it. Then I wont have to worry about that.
Thanks alot.

 

[mnmtranching]

tmarsh Sounds like you got a problem cow there, she will do the same with her next calf. Don't butcher yet, she likely has an infection. Your could give her an antibiotic, feed her grain for a t least a couple of months. I have butcherd a few heiferetts and if fed make great steaks.

mnmt

 

[Carnivore]

If you burger her, you will be wasting a bunch of good t-bones and roasts. Explain to the butcher that you want the best cuts of meat kept, and burger the lesser cuts.

 

[tmarsh]

Thanks for all the info folks. I really appreciate it!