So I sold off a foundation cow today. What's your age limit on keeping cows? Or do you base it on production or lack there of? This one was 17 and had bred AI first service every year and been competitive at weaning with her calves until last year.
whats the limit?
- Thread starter LRAF
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Big Muddy rancher
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Cows in this short hard grass country are losing teeth at 10. :?
Aaron
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Around here, liver fluke takes it's toll on the older cows. So much so that you are extremely lucky to get a cow over 15 here. Few make it to 12.
I just shipped a 'K' cow on Saturday. Really hard to see her go. Perfect in every way (feet, teeth, udder/teats, and production), but when your coasting on only one lung due to the fluke, your time is up. Lots of her daughters and now granddaughters in the herd.
I just shipped a 'K' cow on Saturday. Really hard to see her go. Perfect in every way (feet, teeth, udder/teats, and production), but when your coasting on only one lung due to the fluke, your time is up. Lots of her daughters and now granddaughters in the herd.
Horseless
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In my opinion that is the type of cattle to have. Cows like that are the money makers. If the feet are still good and the teats/udder are still good and are still raising respectable calves they can stay. Always hoping for heifer calves from them old ones but seem to throw alot of bulls.LRAF said:
Big Muddy rancher
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Horseless said:In my opinion that is the type of cattle to have. Cows like that are the money makers. If the feet are still good and the teats/udder are still good and are still raising respectable calves they can stay. Always hoping for heifer calves from them old ones but seem to throw alot of bulls.LRAF said:
Can you keep a cow in Northern Montana until she's 17?
Horseless
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Big Muddy rancher said:Horseless said:In my opinion that is the type of cattle to have. Cows like that are the money makers. If the feet are still good and the teats/udder are still good and are still raising respectable calves they can stay. Always hoping for heifer calves from them old ones but seem to throw alot of bulls.LRAF said:
Can you keep a cow in Northern Montana until she's 17?
Its very rare. Several years ago I flushed a cow when she was 15 and she came up open at 17. That last year she weaned a calf at 580 lbs and she weighed 1100 lbs. Had never done such ET thing before, but wanted to get more of those genetics before she was gone. Last fall sold some 14 coming 15 year olds. Thats still some what rare. Some cows that are broken mouth will be harder keepers then smooth mouthed. Anymore the limiting factor is poor teat and udders. Bought a load of 5 & 6 years last fall. Most will not make it to 7 or 8. I am finding this as by far the biggest problem limiting longevity from cattle that I have bought.
BRG
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Horseless said:Big Muddy rancher said:Horseless said:In my opinion that is the type of cattle to have. Cows like that are the money makers. If the feet are still good and the teats/udder are still good and are still raising respectable calves they can stay. Always hoping for heifer calves from them old ones but seem to throw alot of bulls.
Can you keep a cow in Northern Montana until she's 17?
Its very rare. Several years ago I flushed a cow when she was 15 and she came up open at 17. That last year she weaned a calf at 580 lbs and she weighed 1100 lbs. Had never done such ET thing before, but wanted to get more of those genetics before she was gone. Last fall sold some 14 coming 15 year olds. Thats still some what rare. Some cows that are broken mouth will be harder keepers then smooth mouthed. Anymore the limiting factor is poor teat and udders. Bought a load of 5 & 6 years last fall. Most will not make it to 7 or 8. I am finding this as by far the biggest problem limiting longevity from cattle that I have bought.
The oldest cow on our ranch is 14, have a handful of 13 year olds. But at 10, the way we run them, is starting to get old, and usually you will see it in their calves starting about then. Most of the 13 year olds will go to town this year. If we don't come next spring, we will find them in the in the creek or the bottom of the draw.
We try to keep a young cowherd just because it increases our options. It gives us options in the event of drought or downsizing, or selling packages or simply canning cows.
That said I still have an A cow and a B cow that keep getting pregnant and raising pretty good calves.
That said I still have an A cow and a B cow that keep getting pregnant and raising pretty good calves.
leanin' H
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Our's start dropping off at 12 and most make the town trip about then. But there have been several Hereford/Angus cross cows that made the middle and late teens. Not a tooth left but had a 600 pound calf at their side in the fall. Those ones are the kind to have for sure. 
I am culling a 7 year old next week that has been a peach of a cow til now. Great calver with soggy calves every year. But she spent the summer in a 200 acre pasture with a bull and is open. Hate to she her go, but can't justify running her for two years before getting a check back. 
Such is life.
I am culling a 7 year old next week that has been a peach of a cow til now. Great calver with soggy calves every year. But she spent the summer in a 200 acre pasture with a bull and is open. Hate to she her go, but can't justify running her for two years before getting a check back. Such is life.leanin' H said:Our's start dropping off at 12 and most make the town trip about then. But there have been several Hereford/Angus cross cows that made the middle and late teens. Not a tooth left but had a 600 pound calf at their side in the fall. Those ones are the kind to have for sure.
The best thing to keep your culls gone is a $9000 land payment due April 1st that works for me on my end.
Our Oldest cows are 13 this year and most likely will take a walk come fall. If we need the numbers here we can about even trade those old cows for a 6 year old at any local salesbarn as most bred cows are selling for weigh up price.
We sell ours on three conditions teeth, open, and condition of the calf she brings home. I will sometimes sell them if they loose their calf in the spring I have found that some cows just refuse to raise a calf had one that was my dads favorite didn't raise a calf for 3 years always pregnate when she left for the winter permit but never brought home a calf so when he was gone one day I loaded her up and got rid of her I think he was mad for a couple days but o well.
I still have 2 1993 models ( Charolis ) that have had a calf every year and are still in good condition but I feel they have a soft life here in central Indiana - - - 2 acres will feed a cow and calf and produce enought hay for the winter.
I guess the average around here is about 10 to 12 years - - - if they come up open or loose a calf they ship.
I think the Charolis last longer as they produce a smaller percentage of body weight and the Angus have to work harder - - - I don't think I have had an Angus older than 15 but I'm still culling the Charolis hard and replacing with Angus as they eat so much less and yet the calves will be just as heavy so I can produce more pounds of calf per acre by having Angus unless I can talk the Charolis into twining more.
I guess the average around here is about 10 to 12 years - - - if they come up open or loose a calf they ship.
I think the Charolis last longer as they produce a smaller percentage of body weight and the Angus have to work harder - - - I don't think I have had an Angus older than 15 but I'm still culling the Charolis hard and replacing with Angus as they eat so much less and yet the calves will be just as heavy so I can produce more pounds of calf per acre by having Angus unless I can talk the Charolis into twining more.
WVGenetics
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LRAF This was an Angus cow. I think an angus is hard to beat overall if bred correctly and not for the extremes.[/quote said:
ANGUS327
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LRAF said:
Dylan Biggs
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The cows will tell you.
John SD
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I had some teenage cows that made it through the winter of '96-'97. Then they went down when they calved or shortly after. I decided at that time to not let cows get "too old", so I send them to town at 11 or so "just because".
Most often there is another valid reason whether a cow develops a bad eye, bad feet, bad udder, or sometimes arthritis or joint problems.
At first hint of a problem it is usually best to send them down the road before a minor problem develops into an unmarketable obstacle requiring the cow to be put down at home.
Most often there is another valid reason whether a cow develops a bad eye, bad feet, bad udder, or sometimes arthritis or joint problems.
At first hint of a problem it is usually best to send them down the road before a minor problem develops into an unmarketable obstacle requiring the cow to be put down at home.
WVGenetics
Well-known member
LRAF said:
Not trying to start anything either and not saying that there aren't some good, long lasting purebreds out there and some short lived crossbreds. There are good and bad of both, thats for sure. I should have said the crossbreds will last longer on the average. It's a proven fact that heterosis increases fertility, adaptability, and longevity. Those things that don't have a high heritability. When breed combinations are used to complement each other, the crossbred cow should always be better than any of the parent breeds that make her up.