Sending a good natured one to the factory?

jony_dols

Moved back home since the first lockdown to work remotely and to give the auld lad a hand when he needs it.

I’ve got no hesitation loading up wild hoors for the off. Had a Simmentally aul pet with no spins and fit to go, she would bound up to ya like a dog just for the scratch and was as docile as they come, I’m not the one calling the shots, so she was off.

I know you can’t run a farm as a charity but do you ever have regrets over sending off the good-natured ones?

_Brian

jony_dols wrote: »

Moved back home since the first lockdown to work remotely and to give the auld lad a hand when he needs it.

I’ve got no hesitation loading up wild hoors for the off. Had a Simmentally aul pet with no spins and fit to go, she would bound up to ya like a dog just for the scratch and was as docile as they come, I’m not the one calling the shots, so she was off.

I know you can’t run a farm as a charity but do you ever have regrets over sending off the good-natured ones?

Never regrets at sending them to the factory, that’s just what happens and pricidinn they had a good life it’s natural.

Lads would definitely regret loosing a good cow from the breeding pool, more so a good quiet cow.

Gillespy

It's never easy doing it. It shows you care when you feel something seeing them go. You move on quickly though. There's this year's calves and first calvers to take the place.

patsy_mccabe

It's the reality of life. Same with humans. I have a neighbour that works in a hospice. I don't know how she does it. i know from experience that they get to know the patients very well. When they pass away, there will be another person in the room the following day.

Dinzee Conlee

As lads have said, its the way of it...
You would be lonesome after them at times though...
But then, other times, you'd be overjoyed to see the back of em

jony_dols

jony_dols wrote: »

Moved back home since the first lockdown to work remotely and to give the auld lad a hand when he needs it.

I’ve got no hesitation loading up wild hoors for the off. Had a Simmentally aul pet with no spins and fit to go, she would bound up to ya like a dog just for the scratch and was as docile as they come, I’m not the one calling the shots, so she was off.

I know you can’t run a farm as a charity but do you ever have regrets over sending off the good-natured ones?

In cases like that,I send them to the mart

K.G.

The only time i always remember was closing the ramp on the baby calves when we were depopulated with bse

orm0nd

Marine Layer wrote: »

In cases like that,I send them to the mart

I would never send an old cow to the mart. Drop them off at the factory and within an hour or two they're shot.

Mart .. maybe standing all day loaded and unloaded God knows how many times maybe carted half way across the country.

No way would I put them through that.

Mooooo

K.G. wrote: »

The only time i always remember was closing the ramp on the baby calves when we were depopulated with bse

We were depopulated with brucellosis, was one of the toughest times for the father, cows newborns the lot up the ramp. 40 odd years of ai breeding gone due to one positive test

Say my name

jony_dols wrote: »

I know you can’t run a farm as a charity but do you ever have regrets over sending off the good-natured ones?

I wouldn't say regrets but you would feel sorry that they're going to meet their maker.

I had a lovely Angus bull there up to recently. Very good calves. No bother bulling the cows. Compact calving. A nice temperment. Acted a bit like a bull when he came here first years ago but mellowed out when he knew the run of the place and no harm would come to him.
Unfortunately letting him out of his winter quarters onto grass, i knew he might have trouble after the cows this year. He was tender on a foot, one toe had grown a bit on a hind foot. And with the bulk he was after getting into I couldn't risk him this season. For himself and the cows.

So I rang my factory agent and arranged for him to be collected with another cow that had her own problems but was factory fit.

That morning loading him onto the lorry, he was very reluctant to go onto the lorry up the ramp. But a few "come on chap" s when he heard my calm voice made him go up the ramp.
The haulier remarked that it's nearly harder to load the quiet ones than the flighty ones.
You'd feel like the greatest liar in the world trying to pretend to your animals that everything is going to be ok. But then you know you gave them the best life that you personally could and there's more always following and you can't really have time for grief as they have to be looked after.
You'd feel sorry but you know too they are after having a better life than a lot of humans have had.

Mixed emotions..

patsy_mccabe

Mooooo wrote: »

We were depopulated with brucellosis, was one of the toughest times for the father, cows newborns the lot up the ramp. 40 odd years of ai breeding gone due to one positive test

I wonder if it happened again, would you be allowed flush you best cows to get embyros, before they went?

How did ye start again?

Mooooo

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I wonder if it happened again, would you be allowed flush you best cows to get embyros, before they went?

How did ye start again?

I doubt it, whole place had to be disinfected, stuff thrown into the slurry as well. If I recall correctly we couldn't stock milking cows for a while, 6 months maybe, got bullocks that had to go direct to slaughter from here, I think anyway. Bought in to fully restock for the following spring, nearly all heifers a couple of 2nd calves maybe. Was hard to replace the herd that was.

alps

Hold onto them too long here. They can spend a few years underperforming what a replacement might do, but if she has given her best, she's entitled to keep going for as long as her health will allow..

minerleague

alps wrote: »

Hold onto them too long here. They can spend a few years underperforming what a replacement might do, but if she has given her best, she's entitled to keep going for as long as her health will allow..

Have kept cows here too long, better to let them go than let them get into bad health or injured. After 16-17 years suckler cows seem more prone to this

Stihl waters

Give them every chance and theres no more anyone can do, I'd keep the good one till theyd nearly be gone too far, keep them healthy and happy as long as you can, I'm out of it now thankfully and dont miss it a bit

Donegalforever

jony_dols wrote: »

Moved back home since the first lockdown to work remotely and to give the auld lad a hand when he needs it.

I’ve got no hesitation loading up wild hoors for the off. Had a Simmentally aul pet with no spins and fit to go, she would bound up to ya like a dog just for the scratch and was as docile as they come, I’m not the one calling the shots, so she was off.

I know you can’t run a farm as a charity but do you ever have regrets over sending off the good-natured ones?

I can identify with that.
I have experienced both types of docility in cows.
Some mad cows that I was relieved to get rid of, (before they got rid of me), and regretting have to part with very docile cows.

tellmeabit

:rolleyes:
15 year old cow calved couple days ago, I had said it was her last go, seems to have produced a nice calf. He teats are too big for calves the 1st few days so takes a bit of effort. Noting wrong with the cow. Seeing her with the new calf has me trying to convince myself to keep her again.
When I don't 1st cow after my dad passed away, 15 year old too. Small hardy cow.just about made it to car before the few tear came. She had horns that were going to catch in the feeding barrier and i was away from home so she was better off. But chat help get attached to them especially in small setups I think

minerleague

minerleague wrote: »

Have kept cows here too long, better to let them go than let them get into bad health or injured. After 16-17 years suckler cows seem more prone to this

Keeping a cow 16 or 17 years seems awful long.

Shouldnt they be moved on at 10 max?

Hard Knocks

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Keeping a cow 16 or 17 years seems awful long.

Shouldnt they be moved on at 10 max?

Used to think that too, at 10/11 they’ve a good cull value but I’ve an aged 1 here doing the business and it’s hard to justify letting her go due to age alone

Bullocks

I don't mind sending animals to the factory, at least you know that's their final spot rather than going through marts for another few months with someone else.

Hard Knocks

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Used to think that too, at 10/11 they’ve a good cull value but I’ve an aged 1 here doing the business and it’s hard to justify letting her go due to age alone

12 at an absolute push.

Once they start losing condition and start looking old its time to stop breeding.

A 15 year old cow might not even break 500.

Cows that age can pass on at the drop of a hat.

SuperTortoise

I'd be lying if i said i did'nt miss a few i sent away, 99% of the cattle here now are pets so it get's harder every time, very hard to not get attached when you have a smallish herd and you spend a lot of time around them in winter and again in summer.

I've made a point of getting the wild ones out of the herd over the last few years, i've no time for wild cattle, there's comfort with dosile cattle at all times of the year, you don't have to worry about them jumping ditches in the summer and when they calf in spring you don't have to worry about them welding you to the nearest wall.

So, to answer the question, yes i do find it hard to sent the quite ones to the factory, and i prefer to try them in the mart.

minerleague

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Keeping a cow 16 or 17 years seems awful long.

Shouldnt they be moved on at 10 max?

No problems up to that age for me, are you not bringing a lot of heifers into herd every year culling that young?

minerleague

minerleague wrote: »

No problems up to that age for me, are you not bringing a lot of heifers into herd every year culling that young?

Say the cow has her last calf at 10 thats 9 calves if they calve initially at 2.

Its 10 calves if you keep them to 11 etc.

A cow owes you nothing at that point. You could cull out the old ones each year, keep the herd youthful.

Keeping cows to 16 or 17 is a recipe for disaster or hardship in the form of:
1. Hard calving's
2. Loss of condition
3. Loss of milk
4. Baggy udders or massive teets that that calf cant manage
5. Sudden death
6. Other cows bullying the old cows

Jb1989

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Say the cow has her last calf at 10 thats 9 calves if they calve initially at 2.

Its 10 calves if you keep them to 11 etc.

A cow owes you nothing at that point. You could cull out the old ones each year, keep the herd youthful.

Keeping cows to 16 or 17 is a recipe for disaster or hardship in the form of:
1. Hard calving's
2. Loss of condition
3. Loss of milk
4. Baggy udders or massive teets that that calf cant manage
5. Sudden death
6. Other cows bullying the old cows

On point 6, it's more so the old that bully's the young. They usually leader of the pack.

minerleague

Deleted User wrote: »

Say the cow has her last calf at 10 thats 9 calves if they calve initially at 2.

Its 10 calves if you keep them to 11 etc.

A cow owes you nothing at that point. You could cull out the old ones each year, keep the herd youthful.

Keeping cows to 16 or 17 is a recipe for disaster or hardship in the form of:
1. Hard calving's
2. Loss of condition
3. Loss of milk
4. Baggy udders or massive teets that that calf cant manage
5. Sudden death
6. Other cows bullying the old cows

Calve for first time at 3 usually so a bit stronger starting out ( cow weaned at end of year usually kept till following june to fatten for factory ) 16 yo cow at that stage would have had13 calves.
Yes to point 1, main reason cow wouldnt be put with bull at that age, but would rear that years calf on outside plot.
Never have a problem with other points ( Have 2 17 yo going to factory 2 weeks from now like young ones with no calf under them)

Jb1989

Jb1989 wrote: »

On point 6, it's more so the old that bully's the young. They usually leader of the pack.

In my experience with say older cows or timid cows they need to be in a bay with 6 or 7 max otherwise dont feed as well.

minerleague

minerleague wrote: »

Calve for first time at 3 usually so a bit stronger starting out ( cow weaned at end of year usually kept till following june to fatten for factory ) 16 yo cow at that stage would have had13 calves.
Yes to point 1, main reason cow wouldnt be put with bull at that age, but would rear that years calf on outside plot.
Never have a problem with other points ( Have 2 17 yo going to factory 2 weeks from now like young ones with no calf under them)

Id say youd get away with it but if you are a part time man like myself with a good shot of cows then I find the stress of older cows not worth it.

Any vet I ever talked to about it say out at 10 or 11. They see the old cows and pretty much say here's a timebomb.

Kevhog1988

Fierce sentimental here. Weve 2 horses that are here over 20 years.

Had a ram lamb last year that we found in the field almost stuck to the ground with frost & almost dead in the first lockdown. Was a miracle he survived but we got him going beside the fire and the little lad reared him on a bottle. I couldnt stomach bringing him to the factory so we sold him on adverts to a fella from clare who wanted him as a ram. Do often chat to the little lad about him.

Jb1989

[Deleted User] wrote: »

In my experience with say older cows or timid cows they need to be in a bay with 6 or 7 max otherwise dont feed as well.

Aye right enough in fairness.

minerleague

Deleted User wrote: »

Id say youd get away with it but if you are a part time man like myself with a good shot of cows then I find the stress of older cows not worth it.

Any vet I ever talked to about it say out at 10 or 11. They see the old cows and pretty much say here's a timebomb.

Yes, smallish herd here and here fulltime, also have moved away from 1st cross dairy cows as too much milk nearly bigger problems than too little. Not all of mine would be here that long either but thats what I'm aiming for

Limestone Cowboy

Had to put down an old cow yesterday. She got her leg caught in a scolp in the winterage 2 months ago and had being going downhill since and was being constantly attacked by crows for the last few days. She was the first cow I bought myself, always the first to walk out the gate if you were moving cattle, could milk her in the field and when she was younger I used to rear 2 calves on her and never had a problem getting her to take. Sad enough after it to be honest but didn't like to watch her suffering either.