Cow with calf to thinI think ?

[redtailgal]

Worry about 'em when they begin to show signs of decreased condition--not after they get to BCS1.

Yup, precisely. If she is on a good ration and good pasture, I'd worm her. And that bull calf would have to stop. Cold weather hits and she'll drop more weight from trying to keep warm.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

To be honest, she doesn't look terribly thin, like emaciated-thin. On a scale of 1 to 5, I reckon she is at a BCS of 2.75 to 3, which is actually considered almost normal for a cow. I don't look at the rear lines of her body, I'm looking at the hooks and pins, the spine and how many ribs and how sharp the ribs are showing. To me she is at adequate condition, not too fat nor too thin.

If you want to know what a thin cow is, you should be worried when cows get like this:

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s235/IluvABbeef/Cattle Diagrams/BCS1pic.png

And it's a cinch that BCS1 scored cow didn't always look like that. At some point, she looked like Foot's cow, and went downhill from there. Worry about 'em when they begin to show signs of decreased condition--not after they get to BCS1.

When that triangle from the hooks to the ribs is sunken in and the thurl gets that sunken-in look, that's when you should be worried. Your cow does not have any sunken-in-ness in those areas and her ribs clearly look like they are covered in some fat, so I really would not be worried. Be careful about over-feeding with the grain, because you may do more harm than good by making her more fat than she needs to be.

Foot's momma cow is a 2-2.5 at best imo, and in poor condition to be going into winter, which is historically the season cows need more energy and more protien--especially nursing cows. (some breeds handle cold better than others--I wouldn't know about mini zebu)
Hard to tell by photos, but using zoom function, I see little or zero fat in the loin area.
From your own link (BCS-2)

Though cows are still deemed thin at this point, I can assure you that the SPCA and the animal rights folks won't be as worried and concerned about malnutrition and sickness as the cow with a BCS of 1. She still will have reproductive problems; both calving and breeding back in time for the next calving season. She will also eat more when she is in cold weather, or in times when she is in need of energy. This cow has a body fat content of 11.3%.

If any of mine looked like that this time of year, even here in E. Texas, I'd be finding out why. A couple of them did this time last year after the worst summer drought in 60 years--I shipped 'em. They would have never made it thru winter.
But--what do I know? Others here have more experience raising cattle than I have in my 62 years so

Don't say that GB, I appreciate and thank you for pointing out something that I completely missed, so it's my turn to un-sarcastically to you.

And you do have a point, and one that I might have been too tired to even consider until you brought it up. I certainly wouldn't want my cows to be looking like that going into the kind of Canadian winters we have up here. They either wouldn't last, or would cost considerably extra feed to keep and to increase in weight, which is difficult when it's often -20 C.

So, unfortunately foot, I will have to retract my statements and say that it is and should be something to be worried about, especially going into winter (well duh, why didn't I think of that?? ). I also realize that I over-estimated the body condition score too.... BCS of 2 to 2.5 sounds a lot more accurate than the sugar-coating of 2.75 to 3 I gave you, now that I take a second and albeit refreshed look at the pictures. The thurl may not look sunken in but then again it could because of the angle and lighting of the pics themselves. Same deal with the loin area; bad angle/lighting of pics making it look better than it really is. A refreshed look at the pics this morning reveals that those hooks and pins are a bit sharper than they should be.

So once again, me being tired + not the greatest pics = misunderstanding/misconceptions/underestimation/overestimation etc., etc., etc.,

So my apologies.

 

[foot]

...Rememder that I,m In Florida and Its not as cold as In Canda although the winters here do get down to freezing sometimes........ This picture was taken this morning about 11am after Id fed them and put the out to graze...

I will post anouther picture of the Mini Zebu that we are talking about A,S.A.P

 

[Cricket]

Plus you aren't supposed to have to think on your birthday, WRB (hope you had a happy one!) So while we're on condition, did either of you look at "Random pics of Fiona" under Everything Else Cattle. I mentioned that they may want to watch she doesn't become over conditioned and I got the impression that everyone thought I was accusing Fiona of being fat and picking on her. I'd like to see both of your comments.

 

[foot]

..Heres the other picture that I said I would put on here and If I knew how ?? I would post them altogether ...It would save us all alot of time.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

The latest picture is an even better indicator of how thin she really is (and how far off I was! ) Definitely at a BCS of ~2, for sure.

 

[foot]

Okay so the cattle were all wormed on July 29th. We wormed this girl again tonight and seperated her and her calf from the rest of the herd. They have their own full hay feeder, fresh water and fresh loose minerals. We feed this skinny lady a bit of bread and a little sweet feed and a tiny bit of calf manna. The calf is a little stressed about being away from her little friends but momma is settling in nicely. We'll keep on her. I think for her it was really a matter of her not being 100% when she was bred back last year. Her calf last year had to be weaned early when momma injured herself and the treatments for the injury seemed to be worse than the injury itself. She lost weight then and lost her milk and eventually got pneumonia. The vet later said she was fine and could be bred back. In hind sight we probably should have waited a little longer and got her in great condition rather than good condition. All the other cows seem fine. And she will be back to great soon I am sure. We will stay on her she is our favorite here. thank you all

 

[redtailgal]

Ya know, I think I add a little nutra-drench to her feed for a week or so, to help her get a little bit of a boost.

 

[Symphony]

She's pretty thin for the up coming winter months. Seeing the rib cage is not good and I would have ample hay available for her 24/7 and possibly start graining her more. She is a mini Zebu so that explains her hips as the Zebu is a hardy desert breed in Africa and have a dairy look to them.
Its good you weaned her calf and put her in another pasture alone.

 

[greybeard]

...Rememder that I,m In Florida and Its not as cold as In Canda although the winters here do get down to freezing sometimes........ This picture was taken this morning about 11am after Id fed them and put the out to graze...

[url]http://s9.postimage.org/4robi2ml7/100_1319.jpg[/url] I will post anouther picture of the Mini Zebu that we are talking about A,S.A.P

Not knowing what part of Fla you reside in, I can't say it for a fact, but I suspect you and I are located on about the same latitude. If I fly due East from my house, I'll be over the gulf in 30 minutes and won't see land again till I reach Florida's west coast so our winters aren't going to be all that different..
The word "Winter" really doesn't mean a lot in of itself--as a word. It's a season--primarily associated with shorter days--less sunlight/24 hr period and that manifests itself primarily in daily forage growth and forage quality. It's this lesser quality and abundance of forage that we prepare our animals for more than anything else--as well as the temperature drops.

I think for her it was really a matter of her not being 100% when she was bred back last year. Her calf last year had to be weaned early when momma injured herself and the treatments for the injury seemed to be worse than the injury itself. She lost weight then and lost her milk and eventually got pneumonia. The vet later said she was fine and could be bred back. In hind sight we probably should have waited a little longer and got her in great condition rather than good condition.

The history you've provided helps a lot. She's been stressed by calving, injured, stressed again by the medical treatment, stressed both mentally and medically by pneumonia, and never really came back to what she was before calving and injury. Pneumonia is so common, that many people just take it for granted, but it's an illness that can take down even the strongest man or beast--never under-estimate it. The cow has likely lost both muscle and fat. The fat can be replaced fairly easily and quickly with higher fat and good protein content feed regimen. Don't rush it--she lost it slowly--bring it back the same way. Muscle replacement tho, will take some extra time. If mine, I would not let her be bred back right away.