Which one would you put in the freezer?

[cowmaker]

Hello,
I want to get some opinions from people with experience on which heifer to slaughter. Is there any difference?
Heifer 1 - Long legged, calm and easy to handle, solid black nonregistered brangus. Seven months old now, and just seems small, but maybe it is because of those tall legs.

Heifer 2- Average framed, timid, spooky, hard to handle just like her mom. Brangus hereford mix. Nine months old now and seems to be putting weight on real good.

My plans are to creep feed heavily this fall and put one in the freezer, but I can not decide if one would be better than the other. I think I have read a previous post about long legs being good when it came time to slaughter???

I enjoy the boards and read at least weekly, for the last several years. I've learned alot! Thanks!!!

 

[dun]

I would base it on how you plan on having them slaughtered. If you are going to have to haul them I would eat the calm one, if you are going to have a farm kill and it can be done without stirring her up, the other would be a better choice based on your comment about weight gain.

 

[angie1]

Personally I enjoy eating the mean ones more! :lol2: If you are keeping what you don't eat, eat the mean one. dun is right though, slaughter plans have to be considered. Either way the spooky one and her mom would be leaving were it mine.

 

[ANAZAZI]

Eat the spooky one and her mother and keep the calm one!

 

[Weaver]

Take a look at them this fall and choose the one that has filled out the best by that time. No matter which one you pick, you will have to load the number 2 heifer at some point so don't let that stop you from picking her.

 

[dun]

Take a look at them this fall and choose the one that has filled out the best by that time. No matter which one you pick, you will have to load the number 2 heifer at some point so don't let that stop you from picking her.

It isn;t the loading, it's the eating an animal that is all spun up at the time of slaughter. That's a recipe for a freezer full of tough beef.

 

[Weaver]

Dun, i agree with you. I have no thought though on what cowmaker defines as spooky and hard to handle. Some people consider an animal spooky if they cant get within a few feet of it while others define an animal as spooky it they can't within a few hundred feet of it. Im not trying to argue with you, just stating that i don't believe whether an animal is spooky or not the foremost basis on which to make a decision on which animal to slaughter. Heifer number one may act completely different when by herself on a trailer.

 

[dun]

I have no thought though on what cowmaker defines as spooky and hard to handle.

Very true, I based it on my idea of spooky, i.e. a nutcase. Tried to eat one of those once. Turned out to be delicious burger, but you needed a chansaw to cut the styeaks. Ended up grinding her as we took meat out of the freezer.

 

[1982vett]

Assumptions being made seems to be you are going to keep and breed the one you don't eat. I would recommend you pick wich one you want to eat and sell the other. Who wants another crazy nutcase cow or one that has a less than desireable growth rate, weight gain, or conformation.

 

[bigbull338]

butcher #1 because she is gentle an easy going.#2 is spooky an highstrung.she will be whats called a dark cutter.send #2 to the sale barn.

 

[Weaver]

Yes, heifer number 2 is more likely to be a dark cutter than heifer number 1, but by no means does it mean she will be. Bulls are more likely to be dark cutters than heifers. Also gentics and handling practices play a large role in determining dark cutters. So to pick number one on the sole possibility on her being a dark cutter because she is spooky seems illogical. Heifer number one is two months younger than heifer 2 and seems small for her age. If one is butchered this fall or winter, heifer number two which is two months older and growing better would seem to be closer to being finished out especially with an average frame. But heck, number 2 might be a dark cutter, but i would definitely take that risk.

 

[angie1]

We butchered 2 nut cases and were worried about what you are talking about. So we paid a guy $75 and he came to our farm, we brought them up to feed and he shot them once on the head ~ they dropped where they stood. He dressed and quartered them, and we hauled them to the locker. No one had to get worked up. All of it was good.

 

[dun]

We butchered 2 nut cases and were worried about what you are talking about. So we paid a guy $75 and he came to our farm, we brought them up to feed and he shot them once on the head ~ they dropped where they stood. He dressed and quartered them, and we hauled them to the locker. No one had to get worked up. All of it was good.

We had our nutcase farm killed too. She was calmly eating grain until she heard a strangers voice, then she went nuts and hid behind the barn. He waited 5 minutes or so and she peaked around the corner to see what was happening and he dropped her on the spot with a single shot. Still ended up having to grind her.

 

[cowmaker]

Thanks for all the responses!
I don't think my spooky heifer is a certified nutcase, you can get close as 10-15 feet, after that and she's looking for an exit. She does not go in the pen for feed with the rest of the herd unless pushed and I know from past experience that her mom's calves are always the last to get trailered, because if there is a way out they find it!!

So, it sounds like her dispositon should at least be a consideration. Unfortunately, farm kill is not an option, so a 30-60minute trailer ride will be required.

I will wait until the fall to pick the grand prize winner!

 

[3waycross]

Sounds like her mother should be making that trailer ride with her. Life's too short to mess around with crazy cows or their offspring. Slaughter cows are bringing real good money, why not ship her and replace her with something better?

 

[cowmaker]

Shipping and replacing mom is on my list of things to do. Other than the attitude, she's a good cow.

 

[dun]

Shipping and replacing mom is on my list of things to do. Other than the attitude, she's a good cow.

Depends on how bad the attitude is and how it shows itself. Attitude/disposition is supposed to be pretty heritable but we have a heifer who's mother was shipped becuse she truned into a stalker and would try to corner the wife. The heifer is a pain in the butt because she's so calm and friendly. No flight zone, tried to crawl into the mule with me last week, which wouldn;t have been bad except she weighs 1000 lbs. When we work the cows she's always underfott wanting to hang around and see what I'm doing and help. The disostion had to come from the bulls side, although other daughters of his aren;t as calm and overly friendly like she is.

 

[3waycross]

Funny thing about those super friendly pet cows, sometimes they will hurt you worse than the others.
The worst I have been hurt by a cow this year is by my pet Cookie. She got upset because her daughter, who is just like her, came over to get some scratchin and I had my head turned when Cookie decided to run her off. Knocked me flat.

The super nice ones can sure kill you too.