Was talking to a guy the other day who had 25 pairs in a community pasture last year. Sent 25 cows 25 calves got back 25 cows 22 calves. Wasn't too impressed! One calf turned up after a few days 100 miles away...loaded up with another patrons calves. He had to go get him. The pasture rider said one broke his leg and they had to shoot him. The other one??...who knows, maybe abducted by aliens! Although he said the cow was very full and bawling for her calf. He suspects the calf went with someone elses load. He never heard anymore about him.
Now this was a supervised pasture and a long way from home. This guy said it cost him about $24/pair/month when the trucking was factored in. Add the loss of two $800 calves and it came to about $37/month. Is this typical of community pastures? I mean an 8% calf loss seems pretty high.
Also he said they never gained as well as the cattle he had close to home on tame pasture($25/month). He said the cows came home thin and 4 of them open. This was a pasture up in the grey-wooded /muskeg type country. He paid for a bull debenture but thought they spread them pretty thin.
Now this was a supervised pasture and a long way from home. This guy said it cost him about $24/pair/month when the trucking was factored in. Add the loss of two $800 calves and it came to about $37/month. Is this typical of community pastures? I mean an 8% calf loss seems pretty high.
Also he said they never gained as well as the cattle he had close to home on tame pasture($25/month). He said the cows came home thin and 4 of them open. This was a pasture up in the grey-wooded /muskeg type country. He paid for a bull debenture but thought they spread them pretty thin.