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I just ain't much on milking beef cows

H

HAY MAKER

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Messages
8,789
Location
Texas
Although I have milked my share, anyway some of you folks that keep up with my malarkey know that as the Texas drought continued, I sold cows we have an old sayin round here "we don't buy hay we sell cattle"
So as the drought continued I sold down and the last time was all the cows I had left, I thought anyway me and the buyer cut a deal that he could pick through them, we'll I wound up with 8 he didn't want.
I turned them out to pasture and water and knew as skimpy as the pasture was they would do fine till I got around to haulin em to the sale barn.
Well I never got around to it and they weren't hurtin anything, mean while neighbors bull been jumping the fence.
So these culls been Calvin and so far no problems matter of fact calves look good.
Except for one, yesterday morning I'm sittin at the breakfast table havin coffee and I see another cow had a calf, few hours later I'm back at the table for lunch and notice the cow calf are still where they were that morning so I go check em out .
Well calf is weak caint get up and looks like it had been stepped on.
I harass the calf and help it to its feet and it finally stands and starts walkin following mama cow.
But not nursin so I get mama in the chute and milk her about a pint and feed baby calf, that was yesterday.
This morning calf has to be pushed by boot to get up seems weak still and I'm thinking I'm wasting my time, I don't mind milking and feeding a calf, but I think I will milk mama cow one more time for the calf and let her loose in the back pasture, let nature decide the end result.
Good luck
 
At this time of year when I have time on my hands I would probably milk the cow a couple of times a day for about a week - - - If it was a real busy time I would probably go your way.
 
Shame on you, haymaker. :cry:
You pretty much know that calf won't make it without more
help from you. Go get something full of vitamins, etc and get
that down him; maybe some electrlytes too. I have faith in
you. You won't let that baby just die off......... :D

Run, don't walk....... :D
 
It's your choice but as high as cattle are and will get later on....it might be worth a little bit of effort on your part to work with it.

Hell, it didn't mean to be born a bit gimpy....just needs a little push!!

Could turn out to be the best calf on the place once all is said and done.


But again, it's your dollar.
 
I just fed the lil devil, I usually can figger out these things but this littlle bugger acts like she is one breathe away from dieing one minute and the next she is up crapping and peeing followin her mama.
I give her another day, dang mama cow and that old chute I got I gotta get down low to milk the damned thing and she has either crapped on me or peed, usually both, that lil heifer better get on her feet soon, bout had all this milkin beef cows i can stand for a spell.
good luck
 
littlejoe said:
if you don't take care of 'em, you shouldn't own 'em
Click to expand...

I hope you have sense eough to know there is a differnce between tending cattlle and wasting your time seeing an animal suffer.
I usually make that decision in a matter of minutes, I hafta admitt this time I aint sure.
good luck
 
Denny said:
7 months from now thats a $1000 just sayin
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know heifers are like gold around here, say if you buy another skidsteer, think twice about New Holland they are pretty good machines until battery goes dead the way they crammed that thing in there is next to impossible to get a set of cables on it to get it started sio you can lift the loader and access the battery .Other than that no problems to speak of.
good luck & Happy New Year to you and yours..
 
HAY MAKER said:
I just fed the lil devil, I usually can figger out these things but this littlle bugger acts like she is one breathe away from dieing one minute and the next she is up crapping and peeing followin her mama.
I give her another day, dang mama cow and that old chute I got I gotta get down low to milk the damned thing and she has either crapped on me or peed, usually both, that lil heifer better get on her feet soon, bout had all this milkin beef cows i can stand for a spell.
good luck
Click to expand...

Ya lazy ol' phart! Ya haven't got anything better to do 'cept chase a few ol' hens. :wink:

Get that calf sucking and ship the cow this fall. Don't know what you might call it down there but a 3 day round of Borgal can help those little dummies if they are fighting a bit of meningitis.
 
HAY MAKER said:
Denny said:
7 months from now thats a $1000 just sayin
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know heifers are like gold around here, say if you buy another skidsteer, think twice about New Holland they are pretty good machines until battery goes dead the way they crammed that thing in there is next to impossible to get a set of cables on it to get it started sio you can lift the loader and access the battery .Other than that no problems to speak of.
good luck & Happy New Year to you and yours..
Click to expand...


I bought a new truck on the 14th had a tax appointment on the 24th and the Signed papers on a Cat 236b3 skidloader on friday hopefully that was enough. If I have this problem next year I might just buy bred cattle. I've got about one of everything now in the iron dept. Well not really guess I could use a Trachoe and a Hydrabed.Never had tax problems before it's kinda nice.

Been renting a 236 cat skidloader this fall so were accustomed to them and Lane really Likes the hand controls so thats what we went with. The machine is 2 years old with 1700 hours on it new tires and rims previous owner had those solid rubber tires that they put on the new machine.

good luck with that calf but I know the feeling your having spend all kinds of time and have it die anyhow but thats part of the game.

Happy New Years to you also.
 
HAY MAKER said:
littlejoe said:
if you don't take care of 'em, you shouldn't own 'em
Click to expand...

I hope you have sense eough to know there is a differnce between tending cattlle and wasting your time seeing an animal suffer.
I usually make that decision in a matter of minutes, I hafta admitt this time I aint sure.
good luck
Click to expand...

watchin them suffer ain't taking care of them.

there was comments about hi market and value.

there was comment about not likin to milk.

Neither is really apt.

i seldom quote the Bible--but the part about "and man was given dominion over the beasts...." i taught my kids that responsibility came with

i stand by what i said.

thanks for your hopes about me having good sense--it varies and i'll accept any help i can get....

on input note, if it was mine, i'd figure it's behind the 8 ball and 'normal' feeding is hard to get it to catch up---esp since probably dehyrated--would have maxed out fluids initially, i've had good luck doing that---my all purpose--well most purpose--'scours recipe' has worked wonders--can of beef consomne, 1/2 packet fruit pectin, tsp lite salt, tbsp baking soda--2 qts water.

and---good luck to you~~
 
I think if you are in for a penny, you are in for pound. When you milked that cow, that was the penny/pound. Right now that calf needs you and she is money. I hope she turns the (good) corner.
 
people for the ethical treatment of animals?

If he was asking about an abortion, he'd get more positive response. Do what you want Joe. It's your calf. You own it.
 
littlejoe said:
HAY MAKER said:
littlejoe said:
if you don't take care of 'em, you shouldn't own 'em
Click to expand...

I hope you have sense eough to know there is a differnce between tending cattlle and wasting your time seeing an animal suffer.
I usually make that decision in a matter of minutes, I hafta admitt this time I aint sure.
good luck
Click to expand...

watchin them suffer ain't taking care of them.
Click to expand...

there was comments about hi market and value.

there was comment about not likin to milk.

Neither is really apt.

i seldom quote the Bible--but the part about "and man was given dominion over the beasts...." i taught my kids that responsibility came with

i stand by what i said.

thanks for your hopes about me having good sense--it varies and i'll accept any help i can get....

on input note, if it was mine, i'd figure it's behind the 8 ball and 'normal' feeding is hard to get it to catch up---esp since probably dehyrated--would have maxed out fluids initially, i've had good luck doing that---my all purpose--well most purpose--'scours recipe' has worked wonders--can of beef consomne, 1/2 packet fruit pectin, tsp lite salt, tbsp baking soda--2 qts water.

and---good luck to you~~
Click to expand...


Well, you do understand good deal & Good luck
 
redrobin said:
people for the ethical treatment of animals?

If he was asking about an abortion, he'd get more positive response. Do what you want Joe. It's your calf. You own it.
Click to expand...

:D :D Yeah, lotta folks coming to the lil heifers aid, makes me feel bad about fixin to turn her and mama out and let Mother nature decide her fate.
Still dark with hot coffe here but we will see how the lil devil is doing in an hour, I fed her good yesterday evening before heading to town for supper and a quiet evening of dominoes.
good luck...........Hope you and yours are well on this 1st day of 2013.
 
I had a neighbor several years ago ( he is still a neighbor but no longer has livestock ) who took a strict hands off policy on his cattle and when he had a problem calf would call my hi school aged son ( now 31 years old ) and tell him he had a dying calf come and get it for dog food. Over a 3 or 4 year period my son saved and raised 3 or 4 per year - - - I can only think of a couple that died and were fed to the dogs.

He would raise them in the garage under the house (started the cold ones in the bathroom down there ) after they were doing well on bottles he would put them with my cows and call the calves up for milk a couple of times a day untill they weaned themselves. Most would rob the cows after just a few days and I doubt any of them were bottle fed over about 30 days. He felt it was a great learning experience and a money maker for him.

If you get tired of fooling with the calf do you have a young person in the neighborhood that would like the chance?
 
George said:
I had a neighbor several years ago ( he is still a neighbor but no longer has livestock ) who took a strict hands off policy on his cattle and when he had a problem calf would call my hi school aged son ( now 31 years old ) and tell him he had a dying calf come and get it for dog food. Over a 3 or 4 year period my son saved and raised 3 or 4 per year - - - I can only think of a couple that died and were fed to the dogs.

He would raise them in the garage under the house (started the cold ones in the bathroom down there ) after they were doing well on bottles he would put them with my cows and call the calves up for milk a couple of times a day untill they weaned themselves. Most would rob the cows after just a few days and I doubt any of them were bottle fed over about 30 days. He felt it was a great learning experience and a money maker for him.

If you get tired of fooling with the calf do you have a young person in the neighborhood that would like the chance?
Click to expand...

I just might, give that some thought.
Happy 2013 George hope you and yours are warm and well fed.
Good luck
 

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