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Age of retiring/culling Suckler Cows

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  • 26-05-2010 11:26pm
    #1
    locky76
    Registered Users Posts: 867 ✭✭✭


    I was having a conversation with my uncle as to when he culls his dairy cows and he was saying it would be around 7 years of age due to the amount of time they spend on concrete, passages, yards, etc.
    Going by this i would hazard a guess of 12 years for culling a suckler cow, how does this sound to you?
    Any thoughts, views, experience etc. appreciated!!!


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    #2
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    think 7 years of age is very young to cull a dairy cow tbh , the oldest suckler cow we had was 15 and the oldest dairy cow was 14


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    #3
    vanderbadger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭vanderbadger


    have 2 charolais cows in or around 10, still rear good calves and are in good condition but have kept them away from bull this year, they are getting stiff and i think the long winters on the slats are killing them..sometimes I think you can be slow to move on old cows that have given good service but if they end up falling or getting hurt on slats its worse..


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    #4
    locky76
    Registered Users Posts: 867 ✭✭✭locky76


    it may be young but the uncle is a fairly shrewd operator, he culls them when the SCC starts on the upward spiral.
    his point is that they are 5 months of the year on concrete full time,
    when on grass they spend 2 hours a day walking on stone/concrete passages to and from the parlour, it's a fairly intense regime.
    i read somewhere that you should aim to replace 20% of your herd every year to replace underperformers and cows which die as well.
    whelan1 wrote: »
    think 7 years of age is very young to cull a dairy cow tbh , the oldest suckler cow we had was 15 and the oldest dairy cow was 14


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    #5
    Indubitable
    Registered Users Posts: 1,300 ✭✭✭Indubitable


    It depends on there performance each year. I had a suckler cow of 16 last year and a neighbor had one at 18 a decade ago. If they don't go in calf easily or encounter other problems then they are gone. The average age i cull cows at is 11-13 though. The breed plays a factor for me as well. The BB don't seem to last as long for some reason. It must be their feet on the slats.


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    #6
    BOND747
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭BOND747


    I used to cull cows as 12yr olds when i was feeding outside, since cows are on slats i cull at 9.
    anything older and i find there is an increase in foot problems and cows down after calving


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    #7
    Waddy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37 ✭Waddy


    cull them when they are worth something there is a big difference in gettin top cull cow price and a canner price! any big old cow with a bit of flesh will cover the best maidin heifer in the mart


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    #8
    leg wax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,296 ✭✭✭leg wax


    off topic a little, if you have any cull cows with shape and conformation [ a cow that will feed into a grade u or better] blues,blondes,lims,part. i have a number for a man paying good money for export, sold 3 cows last week 1200euros each.


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    #9
    BeeDI
    Closed Accounts Posts: 805 ✭✭✭BeeDI


    BOND747 wrote: »
    I used to cull cows as 12yr olds when i was feeding outside, since cows are on slats i cull at 9.
    anything older and i find there is an increase in foot problems and cows down after calving

    I have a few old soldiers with brass tags :D Said every year for the past 5 that this will be the last one, but then the drop a nice calf, so here we go again. Three are in calf again this year. Should pop next February;)


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    #10
    bbam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭bbam


    We just go by what's right for the cow... As long as it's not a struggle for them they can keep going..


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    #11
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,645 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    kingofthe3rdyrs wrote: »
    It depends on there performance each year. I had a suckler cow of 16 last year and a neighbor had one at 18 a decade ago. If they don't go in calf easily or encounter other problems then they are gone. The average age i cull cows at is 11-13 though. The breed plays a factor for me as well. The BB don't seem to last as long for some reason. It must be their feet on the slats.

    I've only one cow left who originally had a brass tag, and funny enough she is a belgian blue. I think one more calving next year and she will go. Cows that have good feet will last a lot longer, I think fluke dose every winter helps as well.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



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    #12
    Waddy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37 ✭Waddy


    leg wax could u send me that lads no ive a first calver blue cow here prob u grade and wont be keepin her again due to calving problems other than that shes a fine cow!


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    #13
    leg wax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,296 ✭✭✭leg wax


    Waddy wrote: »
    leg wax could u send me that lads no ive a first calver blue cow here prob u grade and wont be keepin her again due to calving problems other than that shes a fine cow!
    waddy pm sent


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