To cull or not to cull???

locky76

I've a six year old cow who has been producing the best calves at weaning (& selling) time in the herd over the last three years.
She's a fine continental type with plenty milk too.
However she was scanned in calf last year in November with a due date of June however there is no calf there now.
I do know the bull got at her (my fault:() and rose on her in early April, maybe this led to her slipping the calf???
My question is should i keep her for another season with no calf or should i cut my loses and cull her?
I do know i feel a moral obligation (not very Justin McCarthyish but what the heck...) to hold onto her as i feel i may be at fault for her losing the calf.
Any advice or similar experiences retold greatly appreciated;);).

vanderbadger

locky76 wrote: »

I've a six year old cow who has been producing the best calves at weaning (& selling) time in the herd over the last three years.
She's a fine continental type with plenty milk too.
However she was scanned in calf last year in November with a due date of June however there is no calf there now.
I do know the bull got at her (my fault:() and rose on her in early April, maybe this led to her slipping the calf???
My question is should i keep her for another season with no calf or should i cut my loses and cull her?
I do know i feel a moral obligation (not very Justin McCarthyish but what the heck...) to hold onto her as i feel i may be at fault for her losing the calf.
Any advice or similar experiences retold greatly appreciated;);).

if she is a good cow sure give her a chance to go in calf again..

blue5000

I suppose it's simply down to money, if you can afford to keep her idle for a year, keep her, if your stuck for a few quid, well then she'd probably bring in a grand.

pakalasa

I know the feeling. I've been there a few times with lovely heifers I bred myself, that wouldn't go in calve. It's 50:50 really isn't it. Toss a coin

Kovu

locky76 wrote: »

I've a six year old cow who has been producing the best calves at weaning (& selling) time in the herd over the last three years.
She's a fine continental type with plenty milk too.
However she was scanned in calf last year in November with a due date of June however there is no calf there now.
I do know the bull got at her (my fault:() and rose on her in early April, maybe this led to her slipping the calf???
My question is should i keep her for another season with no calf or should i cut my loses and cull her?
I do know i feel a moral obligation (not very Justin McCarthyish but what the heck...) to hold onto her as i feel i may be at fault for her losing the calf.
Any advice or similar experiences retold greatly appreciated;);).

We had the same thing but the calf was slipped at 7 months, size of a medium dog but hairless. Was the best to put the poor thing down though, despite it bawling it's head off on the way to the vet practice. Kept the cow on strict low grass til she went in for winter and the next year she produced the finest heifer we have had. That same heifer/now 5 yr old cow still produces our best calves every year. We gave benefit of the doubt to the cow, anything could have happened to her in the shed. But as is always quoted here, decision is yours.:)

Bizzum

Ah Shur give her a chance if you your able to keep her.

49801

If she is a good cow i take the view that if it is human fault that has caused the problem i'll give her a 2nd chance. if it is her fault she'll have to go

holding onto a cow costs 500euro (roughly)
worth 800ish when killed
at the moment you might have to spend 1500
so the cost of change is 700euro!!!
so you would be better off to the tune of 200euro assuming she produces a calf next time around.

Tora Bora

49801 wrote: »

If she is a good cow i take the view that if it is human fault that has caused the problem i'll give her a 2nd chance. if it is her fault she'll have to go

holding onto a cow costs 500euro (roughly)
worth 800ish when killed
at the moment you might have to spend 1500
so the cost of change is 700euro!!!
so you would be better off to the tune of 200euro assuming she produces a calf next time around.

Think your figures for killed cow are a bit off.
Sold a 5 year old cow there recently, as she had a dead calf.
€1335 net cheque. Bought two very nice lim cross heifers for the bull. Cost me €1500. With a fair wind, I should have two calves next spring, from the two heifers.
Economics of keeping the cow, didn't add up!

vanderbadger

Tora Bora wrote: »

Think your figures for killed cow are a bit off.
Sold a 5 year old cow there recently, as she had a dead calf.
€1335 net cheque. Bought two very nice lim cross heifers for the bull. Cost me €1500. With a fair wind, I should have two calves next spring, from the two heifers.
Economics of keeping the cow, didn't add up!

1500 for 2 heifers seems v cheap?

leg wax

vanderbadger wrote: »

1500 for 2 heifers seems v cheap?

my thoughts as well ,was looking at 2 aubrac heifers in ross 2 weeks ago 480 kilo 1055 euros,they weighed very heavy for the size.

blue5000

leg wax wrote: »

my thoughts as well ,was looking at 2 aubrac heifers in ross 2 weeks ago 480 kilo 1055 euros,they weighed very heavy for the size.

I wonder what do they kill out like, anybody on here slaughtered any Aubrac X yet? From what I've seen so far they look v deep and square, but not that tall.

49801

Tora Bora wrote: »

Think your figures for killed cow are a bit off.
Sold a 5 year old cow there recently, as she had a dead calf.
€1335 net cheque. Bought two very nice lim cross heifers for the bull. Cost me €1500. With a fair wind, I should have two calves next spring, from the two heifers.
Economics of keeping the cow, didn't add up!

well i was trying to stimulate conversation...
was that mart or factory? must of been some weight and grade to achieve that if slaughtered
I prefer to use potential price at slaughter.

sonnybill

Wondering am I too harsh but I’ve a lovely black lim Castleview Virulent CVV 2012 suckler that has great yellow calves every year but I was watching her a few times and as I feed them out, she doesn’t put her into ring feeder to eat like others but instead stands at right angle to it and reaches in and pulls out and drops half into muck and keeps at the same.. thinking of getting rid as she wasting too much and annoying to see that crack , I make my own haylage and put a lot of work into raking/ tidying corners to avoid waste and this lady firing it out in the muck and walking on it !

Good cow for someone !

cacs

locky76 wrote: »

I've a six year old cow who has been producing the best calves at weaning (& selling) time in the herd over the last three years.
She's a fine continental type with plenty milk too.
However she was scanned in calf last year in November with a due date of June however there is no calf there now.
I do know the bull got at her (my fault:() and rose on her in early April, maybe this led to her slipping the calf???
My question is should i keep her for another season with no calf or should i cut my loses and cull her?
I do know i feel a moral obligation (not very Justin McCarthyish but what the heck...) to hold onto her as i feel i may be at fault for her losing the calf.
Any advice or similar experiences retold greatly appreciated;);).

Honestly I would cull. She will get thick fat over the summer 2020 and you will more than likely calfing difficulties next year. 100% cull. I done that a couple of years ago. I lost the calf during calfing two years running. Never again

Bass Reeves

sonnybill wrote: »

Wondering am I too harsh but I’ve a lovely black lim Castleview Virulent CVV 2012 suckler that has great yellow calves every year but I was watching her a few times and as I feed them out, she doesn’t put her into ring feeder to eat like others but instead stands at right angle to it and reaches in and pulls out and drops half into muck and keeps at the same.. thinking of getting rid as she wasting too much and annoying to see that crack , I make my own haylage and put a lot of work into raking/ tidying corners to avoid waste and this lady firing it out in the muck and walking on it !

Good cow for someone !

Fatten her and cull. She should be a good heavy cie next June.

bogman_bass

What ever about running from a spring calves to an autumn calver I don’t think I could ever justify carrying a cow empty for a full year.

In my experience you rarely get rewarded for your kindness.

tanko

sonnybill wrote: »

Wondering am I too harsh but I’ve a lovely black lim Castleview Virulent CVV 2012 suckler that has great yellow calves every year but I was watching her a few times and as I feed them out, she doesn’t put her into ring feeder to eat like others but instead stands at right angle to it and reaches in and pulls out and drops half into muck and keeps at the same.. thinking of getting rid as she wasting too much and annoying to see that crack , I make my own haylage and put a lot of work into raking/ tidying corners to avoid waste and this lady firing it out in the muck and walking on it !

Good cow for someone !

If you kept her this long i think i'd keep her for another year or two, it would be different if she was having a bad calf every year.
I've a ten year old cow here that when she's in the shed she stands with her arse against the barrier and dungs all over the silage, always in the same place.
She's going to the factory soon. I'll probably miss her when she's gone:D

sonnybill

tanko wrote: »

If you kept her this long i think i'd keep her for another year or two, it would be different if she was having a bad calf every year.
I've a ten year old cow here that when she's in the shed she stands with her arse against the barrier and dungs all over the silage, always in the same place.
She's going to the factory soon. I'll probably miss her when she's gone:D

She calving late this year too and I have enough of them, but hard to get a good price for a May calver, I might get her calving a bit earlier with the bull and sell On then

sonnybill

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Fatten her and cull. She should be a good heavy cie next June.

Sorry base she is in calf as it is