# what would you do



## wynedot55 (Feb 16, 2009)

i have this real nice beefmaster cow.but she seems to not have enough milk to raise a good calf.she has had 2 calves for me an neither grew off good.she is nursing the 2nd calf now.this cow is in great shape.she will weigh 1300lbs or better.her calf is  about 4 months old.im leaning toward culling her now.sending her an her calf on the next load going to the sale.an putting her in the kill pen.any thoughts.


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## Farmer Kitty (Feb 16, 2009)

That's rough when you have a beef cow that's built good but, doesn't have enough to feed her calf. If you've tried to get her production up and don't want to assist feeding her calf, I guess I would sell her too.  

Does she have any daughters in the herd with calves? I'm wondering if it's passing on genetic wise.


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## wynedot55 (Feb 16, 2009)

no calves in the herd yet.she was the 1st reg beefmaster cow i bought.an she had 2 bull calves for me.she doesnt need extra feed.because she is on good hay.im pretty madd about it.but she just doesnt seen to have the milk beefmasters are known for.mom says keep her.but i cant see keeping a low milking cow for the comm herd either.it just doest make since.


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## Farmer Kitty (Feb 16, 2009)

With two lactations under her belt it's not like you didn't give her a chance. Have you had to supplement feed the calves or how are they doing, if she doesn't have enough milk? Not gaining like they should?


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## wynedot55 (Feb 16, 2009)

they have access to hay an grass like the cows.they just grow slow an gain waeight slowly.


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## Farmer Kitty (Feb 16, 2009)

So they are growing just not thriving. That means it's taking those calves longer to get to weight and therefore costing more to raise. It sounds to me like it's time to let her go.  

Having said that we all have our favorites that we hang on to when we shouldn't so you wouldn't be the first if you decide to keep her.


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## wynedot55 (Feb 16, 2009)

well i know this.i would not raise a bull out of her.an i would not reg any of her heifer calves.so i have some thinking todo.


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## Farmer Kitty (Feb 16, 2009)

I know you know this but, you asked for our opinions and I'm just stating mine and trying to help you work through things.


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## Thewife (Feb 16, 2009)

I'd ship her!
(or I should say, Hubby would use his common sense that I hate so much, and make me ship her)


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## wynedot55 (Feb 16, 2009)

thanks kitty an thewife.i know what needs tobe an has tobe done.but i always like hearing peoples differant take on things.an then i do what i think has tobe done.


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## jhm47 (Feb 16, 2009)

Very rarely we have a calf that fails to grow.  The cow is usually the biggest and fattest cow in the herd.  There is a reason that the cow is fat, and the reason is that she is storing up fat for herself, and shortchanging the calf.  

On the other hand, we sometimes have a cow that stays skinny and rail thin.  They are usually the ones that have the biggest, nicest calves.  

I prefer the ones that stay in fairly good shape themselves, and raise a nice medium calf.  The ones that put everything into their calves seem to have a hard time breeding back for the next calf.  

I have no experience with beefmasters, but this is the way it works with our Sim/angus cows.


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## GrassFarmerGalloway (Feb 17, 2009)

It sounds like a poor milker.  I'd send her in for burger and have a big BBQ.

I know the signs of a poor milker.  I had one once, but it wasn't the cow's fault.  My cow, Udderly, had Wooden Tongue, and she was nursing and pregnant.  She was the kind of cow to give all she had to her calf.  She did her very best, but it wasn't enough.  The calf, which had been born a hefty 83 pounds, (that's huge for a Galloway), ended up the smallest one when we sent her to the slaughter.

That cow isn't worth it.  You'd be better off with another one.  Try a proven cow next time, so you can see how her calf is growing and ask the farmer about how she milked, etc.


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## wynedot55 (Feb 17, 2009)

oh i checked the cow out.after the bombed on the 1st calf for me.im good friends with the guy i bought her from.an he said she raised a real good calf for him.an that he didnt know why her calf wasnt growing off.this is her 4th calf.so she prolly did ok with the 1st 2.an she will go through the packer cow sale.


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## Thewife (Feb 17, 2009)

Ya know!
We will expect a picture of the new one(or 2) you get to replace her!


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## wynedot55 (Feb 17, 2009)

dont know when ill replace her.it could be may or it could be oct.an then again i may not replace her.


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## Farmer Kitty (Feb 17, 2009)

wynedot55 said:
			
		

> oh i checked the cow out.after the bombed on the 1st calf for me.im good friends with the guy i bought her from.an he said she raised a real good calf for him.an that he didnt know why her calf wasnt growing off.this is her 4th calf.so she prolly did ok with the 1st 2.an she will go through the packer cow sale.


Sounds like a short life cow.


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## Farmer Kitty (Feb 17, 2009)

thewife said:
			
		

> Ya know!
> We will expect a picture of the new one(or 2) you get to replace her!


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## wynedot55 (Feb 17, 2009)

kitty i got her from the guy that owned black granite.an he sure dont know why she went backwards.


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## Farmer Kitty (Feb 17, 2009)

wynedot55 said:
			
		

> kitty i got her from the guy that owned black granite.an he sure dont know why she went backwards.


Some cows just are not meant to be long in production, whether beef or dairy. Genetics can be funny that way. Some gene from way back when decides to show up.


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## wynedot55 (Feb 17, 2009)

he dont know she went boom on this calf.


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## m.holloway (Feb 17, 2009)

ok, here's one.kitty farmer (he don't know she went boom on this calf) what??


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## Farmer Kitty (Feb 17, 2009)

m.holloway said:
			
		

> ok, here's one.kitty farmer (he don't know she went boom on this calf) what??


Meaning the guy he got her from doesn't know she didn't do well with this calf-not enough milk once again.


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## wynedot55 (Feb 17, 2009)

she is right boom means she didnt have enough milk again.


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## CowCop (Mar 1, 2009)

I love beefmasters~!

There are certainly some dissapointments when it comes to raising quality beef animals.

Nothing worse than buying a GOOD cow and having her not produce enough quantity of milk to have her calves meet the standard weaning weights.

I hate shipping GOOD cows, for beef, because of this, but I also kick myself when I decide to keep them in the herd too, and have the same repeating low weaning weight the very next year.

So... several years ago, I devised a plan of action for my GOOD cows, so they could still have a "job" and so I could sleep-guilt free..

First, take some really good photos of her and her calf.
Make sure you have a nice clean foreground & background with some color ( trees, hay etc )

You now have several options:

1. The usual---Ship her soon or keep her and feed her on some good Texas grass and then ship her when the price of beef goes up.  Which it is sure to do in April.

OR......

2. She may not be the type of cow that fits into your specific breeding program, but she may fit just fine into someone elses, who has lower expectations.
Advertise your cow/calf pair on Craigslist (www.craigslist.com ) and use those good photos~!         Its FREE.
Lots of folks are looking for easy calving "experienced " cows to buy to start their own backyard herd. Plus there is a really good market for weaned grassfed calves.

The better the photos and wording of your ad, the more inquieries you are sure to get.

I put ONE ad on Craigslist, with 4 excellant photos, last May and I sold 1/3 of my cows and calves at premium prices.
PLUS I am already recieving calls about purchasing more cattle from my herd in April & May.  
I met lots of nice families who came out to the farm and gave them the full tour and explained all the family trees of cows that I have.  My cows are very approachable and this made a big impact on all the folks who came out to shop.

The one thing that was emphasized by the people who wanted a pregnant cow was ease of calving and low maintenance.  They all started out wanting bred heifers and I encouraged them to consider older more"experienced" cows.  I call it the "Auto pilot " cow program.   Its a success here, so I encourage you to consider giving your good cow a new job in someone elses backyard herd.

Best of luck,


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## wynedot55 (Mar 2, 2009)

if i sale her she will go to the packer.i wont pass on low milkers to any1.she could stay in the comm herd.but i know her calves wont grow off well.


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## WildRoseBeef (Mar 2, 2009)

wynedot55 said:
			
		

> i have this real nice beefmaster cow.but she seems to not have enough milk to raise a good calf.she has had 2 calves for me an neither grew off good.she is nursing the 2nd calf now.this cow is in great shape.she will weigh 1300lbs or better.her calf is  about 4 months old.im leaning toward culling her now.sending her an her calf on the next load going to the sale.an putting her in the kill pen.any thoughts.


Forgive me wyne if this is too late, since you probably did what needed to be done already, but if I were in your shoes I would definately cull her.  A cow like her that can't produce milk for her calf is just going to be a hard keeper, and more work because that means you gotta feed the calf extra in order to grow them to a satisfactory weight.

I'd wean her calf early, and put it on creep and her on the kill pen.  Just like you said you said you were leanin' on doing.

It's a shame, you know, you get a real nice-looking beef cow that is easy on the eyes, and yet put her in a production setting where management standards state that she produce a growthy, beefy and healthy calf and the next thing you know she doesn't do as well as you intended, no matter if you give her a second chance or not.  Goes to show you that looks ain't everything in selecting cattle, particularly beef cattle in this case. :/


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## CowCop (Mar 2, 2009)

And Murphy's Law:

Tha ugliest cow in the herd produces the largest calf~!!

Go figure.


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## wynedot55 (Mar 2, 2009)

ive still got her an her calf.i havent pulled the trigger on her yet.im trying to build  a seedstock herd.an she just wont work in that herd.now she might work in a stock cow herd if she breeds back an has a calf yearly.


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## WildRoseBeef (Mar 2, 2009)

Wyne, in my personal opinion, I'd still cull her no matter if she's more suitable for a commercial than a purebred herd or vice versa.  There's a something to be said when she's producing a little milk--and that means you're gonna get a little calf, which a) will most likely require more attention than the other larger calves in terms of health and feeding, and b) will most likely not give you the bang for your buck when you go to sell it for beef.

But that's just my personal opinion.


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## Farmer Kitty (Mar 2, 2009)

I would also worry about her passing the trait on to her calf if she were to have a heifer. All that would do is give you another cow with the same problem.


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## wynedot55 (Mar 2, 2009)

ive been leaning your way since ive been watching here with this calf.an she is on the cull list.


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## wynedot55 (Mar 2, 2009)

im not keeping any heifer out of her.


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## WildRoseBeef (Mar 2, 2009)

> ive been leaning your way since ive been watching here with this calf.an she is on the cull list.





> im not keeping any heifer out of her.


Well that's a relief.


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## Farmer Kitty (Mar 2, 2009)

WildRoseBeef said:
			
		

> > ive been leaning your way since ive been watching here with this calf.an she is on the cull list.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I agree!


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