Thoughts about this heifer

[lithuanian farmer]

Her leg looks way better than earlier. She is slow and usually comes the last to the eat meal, but it's not due to the leg. Animals, which has similar conformation are usually pretty slow. Had several like this.

She's being a good "nanny" to the little sisters.

Her photo from this spring:

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Update on this girl. Moving well. Now is with other two horned, but abit smaller heifers. However, she's the leader from all three. She's keeping her weight well with the injured leg. The only con is that she'll need her hooves trimmed.

 

[NonTypicalCPA]

She's a big girl! What are your plans for her?

 

[lithuanian farmer]

She's a big girl! What are your plans for her?

Yes, she's pretty big. She was weighed in September and was 1100lbs, now could be around 1300lbs. Trying to breed her to an easy calving Angus bull. She was AI'ed yesterday and once more today to a Red Angus. Hopefully she'll stick.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

So she was AI'd back in October and she is still not settled. Lame and not breeding - cut your losses.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

So she was AI'd back in October and she is still not settled. Lame and not breeding - cut your losses.

In October we used drugs to stimulate her heat and there were too much of mucus and because of that some blood has appeared, so even our vet said that's a high possibility she won't be bred. She's not the one not settling quickly. Two from six heifers only haven't repeated after their first AI.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

I know that many people would have culled her, but even if we would sell her for slaughtering we wouldn't get as much as we think she' worth. Very low prices for heifers. If she won't stick now, which should be very low possibility, will put her on a diet to loose some condition and if needed will keep with a young bull.

 

[cattleman99]

I know that many people would have culled her, but even if we would sell her for slaughtering we wouldn't get as much as we think she' worth. Very low prices for heifers. If she won't stick now, which should be very low possibility, will put her on a diet to loose some condition and if needed will keep with a young bull.

Her value is slaughter price. You now have a lot of excess feed and time into her. Past time to cut your losses in my opinion, but good luck. Sometimes the best learning experiences are from situations like this.

 

[Supa Dexta]

- Invested too much already
- Won't get enough to sell her
- might as well dump more time and money in her


... You're being too emotional with her, emotions don't pay.

Some of the most profitable and longest lasting herds will all say the same thing 'cull ruthlessly'

 

[Muddy]

Not everyone are ruthless on culling cows.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Hardly anyone is.. Its a real problem in this industry.

 

[Muddy]

Hardly anyone is.. Its a real problem in this industry.

So? A lame "pet" heifer won't have any effect on the beef industry anyways.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Hardly anyone is.. Its a real problem in this industry.

So? A lame "pet" heifer won't have any effect on the beef industry anyways.

Will the buyers in your area be able to tell if one is lame??

 

[Caustic Burno]

Hardly anyone is.. Its a real problem in this industry.

You are 100% correct too many running back 40 cattle period.
To many hatchet a$$ cattle that won't grade go through the barn every week.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Hardly anyone is.. Its a real problem in this industry.

So? A lame "pet" heifer won't have any effect on the beef industry anyways.

Will the buyers in your area be able to tell if one is lame??

They buys all cattle. They have to be alive and no drugs used.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Heifer was AI'ed on 24th and 25th of January. Preg checked today- pregnant. Due to calve on 5th-6th of November with easy calving Red Angus.

Pic of the bull.

 

[elkwc]

Glad she is safe in calf. She fits your program so hopefully she will produce what you are expecting. I would never cull one because they wouldn't settle AI. One of if not the best cow we have on the place would never settle AI but always settle the first time natural service and that is the reason why she was sold and I got her bought. They had attempted to AI her twice the year beofore I purchased her and then turned her out and bred her naturally. She was a late calver due to that so have left her with the bull after calving and she is moving up 4-6 weeks every year. Last year her calf was born almost 3 weeks before we turned the bulls out. She will calve soon this year. A very nice cow that is doing us a lot of good. We kept the bull calf she was carrying when I bought her and he is the growthiest Angus I've ever raised and his first calves look good. I had some heifers AIed by timed heat and not a one settled bul all settled the first time when put with a bull naturally. To be fair we only tried once and then waited to see if they were bred and turned them with the bull. It was a small number deal so knew there was the possibility. And these are all AI technicians who are successful and do a lot. So from my experience I would never cull one because she didn't settle AI.
I know many like Ron have great luck AIing. I also know several like me who have tried smaller numbers and not as much luck. I've heard many techs claim that they have better luck settling cows from certain bulls than they do others.
So good that your tried again and that she settled.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

We cut the amount of meal and stopped giving rapeseed meal and corn/sugar beet meal some time before her last time, because that there were other heifers not settling. From six two stuck on their first AI, two on the 2nd, and two on the 3rd. Some just needed abit of change in ration, I guess.

 

[JohnPeterson]

I would breed her sooner rather than later. She will be too heavy by the time she calves if you let her go longer.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Too heavy for what? We prefer bigger cows. Plus you wouldn't want to be calving such heifer, which also would be small.
She's moving very well, and she bears weight on all her legs equally well. Saw her keeping her rear weight on the leg, which was injured without any trouble, so probably it's gonna be just an aesthetical problem. No show ring for her... Haven't seen that her leg would cause any kind of trouble for a long time. However, we won't be letting her with a bull to avoid any bigger weight on her rear. Of course, always going to watch if there are any trouble, but she has been fine since last spring.
She's bred already. For around 2.5 months.