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Skinny Mini's

4

4Diamond

Well-known member
Joined
May 16, 2008
Messages
1,058
Location
Missouri
Soap I must apologize or give credit up front for borrowing the name you gave your little pair. Today we just calved in our 3rd yearling heifer with a live calf. We assisted the first heifer and never touched the other 2. All were in the 625-675# range when they calved. Over the years we have averaged 1-3 and as a rule for us they calf easier and raise calves better than older larger heifers. I also like the fact that it stunts the heifer's growth and in turn makes a smaller cow.

I have pondered all day if it is a crazy idea to attempt to breed some heifers at 7-8 months in that 500-550# range. I realize they won't all cycle then but I have proof some do. Has anyone else tried this and once again how crazy am I for thinking about this?

I have a neighbor who won't calve a heifer in til 27-29 months old. I think THAT is crazy, by then you have way too much feed and time invested in that heifer.

Once again just been thinking all day and I am looking for an interesting discussion.
 
I think it was Gcreek who came up with the Skinny Mini name for the little bred heifer I speculated on. She weighed 625 pounds and cost me 81 cents per pound, or $506.25. I did have a relatively hard pull delivering her calf at 2 a.m. one morning, but the calf came out alive and lively. Since then I have sold the heifer and her calf to a friend who has a small herd of cattle. The agreed upon price was $900 for the pair, but I have yet to see any money. :roll: At least she is no longer eating any of our hard-to-come-by grass. :wink:

As far as your early breeding project, I would recommend against it. Not every delivery is the success story of little Skinny Mini, and she would probably have died trying had I not been on hand to assist.
 
I'd also recommend not trying to breed them that young and small. I had a good friend who managed a sod farm for a corporation from the big city. They had excess water and grass so they jumped into the cattle business since it's soooooo easy! :roll: Poor Brian was stuck calving the 600-700 pound heifers these "Ranchers" picked up dirt cheap because they were from questionable ancestory and appeared to have atleast 7 crosses with 1 being dwarf german shepard! :shock: Hard pulls were the norm and the first year he had 6 pelvis fractures resulting in 5 being pt down. I think the vet sent him a christmas card after something like the 14th c-section. If my memory hasnt slipped too much they calved 71 head, lost 11, lost 4 heifers, bottle fed 9 calves and weaned a pen of calves that made bummer lambs look like scale mashers. While an accidental teenage mother now and then happens, to look for it is a good way to drive yourself crazy and broke. They are way better ways to get smaller framed cows. Just my two cents and probably worth half that! :D
 
Sometimes, no, many times those young heifers don't have enough
milk to raise a calf. Then you have to supplement it on a bottle. Don't know
any bonafide rancher that needs that extra chore on purpose.

I guess I'd sum it up like this: If it was easy and profitable, everyone
would be doing it. :P :D
 
Thanks for replies, I assumed it was a crazy idea but based off my experiences the past 5 years it has worked well for me. They were accidents and I haven't bottle fed a single 1. I'm sure it was luck. The next 5 years I probably won't be as lucky..
 
4 diamond i guess you are just one hell of a rancher, go ahead and try it and let us now how it turns out.
 
eatbeef said:
4 diamond i guess you are just one hell of a rancher, go ahead and try it and let us now how it turns out.
Click to expand...

LOL From what I have seen mini cows have mini calves, I guess it's all relative.

I am not that good of a rancher.....
 
If you could wean 600# heifers and allowed them to gain 1.5 per day for the 282 day gestation period, they should weigh over a thousand. It's possible but not probable.

Plus, the main reason young heifers don't milk good is that their growing spurt is consuming nutrients aggresively, not necessarily going towards milk production & maintenance.

Your input costs would rise and eat up the advantages.
 
What weight do you guys like your cows? The "experts" always say breed em at 65% of mature weight so If you want a 1000lb cow maybe breeding at 650 is right on track?
 
I have read a lot on this subject. I don't know who or what is right. I always shoot for 750 to 800. From what I read 70 % will get you the best posible performance and least calving difficulty, and more calf vigor. I think the weight depends on the animal. If the heifer's dam is 1500 pounds and its sire is a big framed animal I don't know how you are going to reduce the mature size that much without some performance lost. I'm by no means an expert and I learn a little more every day. Just my opinion and what my experience has led me to believe.
 
I was always a member of the smaller cows are better club til i attended a couple classes on cattle efficiency. A smaller framed cow MAY be more efficient than a big cow but it isn't a guarantee. Now in my world, a 1200 pound cow that ranges far and wide for grass and water, raises a 600+ pound calf, breeds back every year on time, stays in decent flesh and sticks around for 15 years is my definition of perfection. :D But a 1400 pound cow who does the same things and that raises a 675 pound calf might be just as good or better. I wouldnt know unless i know exactly how much of what each cows consumes and what she does with those groceries. We've all seen big bagged cows that raise a scrawny calf and vice versa. The key for me is how efficient each cow is with the forage she puts away. Nobody wants a huge ol' sister that needs a 70 pound bale of hay everyday to stay in good flesh even if her calf tops the calf crop. Especially with hay going crazy! :shock: That big calf isn't as appealing when your feeding his momma what two more efficient cows eat. Like everything else in agriculture, nothing is cut and dried everytime. Bigger and smaller ain't always better. :wink:
 
If a cow has a calf thats adjusted 205 day weight is 50%, or more, of her weight then she is doing her job on my ranch.
 
Faster horses said:
4Diamond said:
What weight do you guys like your cows? The "experts" always say breed em at 65% of mature weight so If you want a 1000lb cow maybe breeding at 650 is right on track?
Click to expand...

Where are there any 1000# cows? Seriously. Not counting Cowhunters
cracker cows...
Click to expand...

Sit in the sale barn awhile there are more than you think....
 
4Diamond said:
Faster horses said:
4Diamond said:
What weight do you guys like your cows? The "experts" always say breed em at 65% of mature weight so If you want a 1000lb cow maybe breeding at 650 is right on track?
Click to expand...

Where are there any 1000# cows? Seriously. Not counting Cowhunters
cracker cows...
Click to expand...

Sit in the sale barn awhile there are more than you think....
Click to expand...

Very seldom see them up here, but it could be a geographical thing. Seems like alot of animals tend to be bigger the farther north you go.
 
4Diamond said:
Faster horses said:
4Diamond said:
What weight do you guys like your cows? The "experts" always say breed em at 65% of mature weight so If you want a 1000lb cow maybe breeding at 650 is right on track?
Click to expand...

Where are there any 1000# cows? Seriously. Not counting Cowhunters
cracker cows...
Click to expand...

Sit in the sale barn awhile there are more than you think....
Click to expand...

Sure, there are probably lots of 1,000# cows that have been starved.

But trust me, you cannot starve the profit out of a cow.
 
Mike said:
4Diamond said:
Faster horses said:
Where are there any 1000# cows? Seriously. Not counting Cowhunters
cracker cows...
Click to expand...

Sit in the sale barn awhile there are more than you think....
Click to expand...

Sure, there are probably lots of 1,000# cows that have been starved.

But trust me, you cannot starve the profit out of a cow.
Click to expand...

Amen to that!!! :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
Mike said:
4Diamond said:
Faster horses said:
Where are there any 1000# cows? Seriously. Not counting Cowhunters
cracker cows...
Click to expand...

Sit in the sale barn awhile there are more than you think....
Click to expand...

Sure, there are probably lots of 1,000# cows that have been starved.

But trust me, you cannot starve the profit out of a cow.
Click to expand...

I won't argue that fact, but a lot of cows in our area get adapted to the environment and aren't large framey cows.
 

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