When Cows are too good at their job....

[burnt]

Based on my observations over the years, I actually think that it is an appetite/needs thing.

I recall commenting that to my wife one fine spring day - after watching them turned out for the first time onto pasture. One cow was munching along happily on grass when she deliberately reached out of her way to chow down on a big, healthy dandelion.

There's an education to be had in watching cows' grazing patterns. We all know that they have their preferred species of forage. I have seen them clean off the dandelions to the nubbins when there is soft grass right next to the "weed".

In another observation just this summer, I sat and watched the cows and bull graze over a very small patch of regrowth connecting 2 paddocks - maybe 30' wide and about 50' long - which had grown grass and a variety of fairly mature weeds, like lambsquarter and ragweed.

Some of the cows nosed right past some of those weeds after quite noticably taking a sniff at them, while others reached right for them.

What was particularly amusing was to watch the bull ambling slowly thru the stretch after the cows, cleaning off everything they left behind!

[Blaithin]

Cows don’t care about weeds. Weeds are a people thing. And generally they’re a weed because of our poor management.

Most cows will eat a little of everything. It’s when there’s too much of one thing, like thistle or sweet clover or pig weed, that it’ll start to seem like they never touch them. Can’t blame them for not wanting their entire meal to be those plants. Plus each animal will have their individual tastes. Stella refuses to eat soaked beet pellets, or even wet grain, despite being an absolute hog for just about any food. I can safely leave her in with another cow getting crunchies as long as those crunchies include soaked beet pellets. Leave the beet pellets dry and she’ll hoover up all the crunchies before the other cow has swallowed one bite. Moose is an apple fiend. She will reach as high as possible to eat every apple she can with a fully extended tongue. Nobody else is that keen on them.

Coincidentally if Moose isn’t around to teach others about yummy apples, nobody ever really seems to eat them straight off the tree. They’re windfall grazers only.

They do learn a lot from one another and then have their preferences based on what they’ve learnt.

[Blaithin]

Sold four of the calves to my regular guy today. He picked the two big fatties and two younger heifers. I really enjoy being able to sell them this way. Auctions are NOT my thing.

Now to post the rest on Kijiji and see who wants to be a homesteader this year 😂

With prices being a bit low maybe I’ll have more bites than normal. Or more likely people will want to pay even less than the less currently on tap.

[burnt]

How did the big fatties weigh up?

Any bites on the rest of them?

Our one son usually buys 3 or so from us to raise for his freezer orders. I might try selling the rest privately too this year. We are down to a handful of cows now, and it makes selling smaller packages less worthwhile than the days when we had a ring full at a time.

[Blaithin]

Don’t weigh any of them. Just eyeball and give him a number. Could be leaving money on the table, could be taking extra. Try and offset it a bit by staying on the high end of the market. He’s never complained!

Haven’t got the rest posted yet. Took some photos yesterday but nothing that was really pleasing. Maybe go out tomorrow if it’s not still a gale outside. Snow might make them pop a bit more than the brown.

Saves me driving them places when people come and pick them up! And I have a kind of rule that I don’t like putting them on a trailer unless there’s a pasture on the other end. No stressful ride, auction ring, another trailer, god knows where....

Here’s a photo of the four the day he took them. The two big greys are heifers he bought last year.


All six in the photo were raised on my nurse cows. None were single raised calves.

[burnt]

Good looking calves! And their condition shows that the mommas were milkers!

That a great idea for achieving super-efficiency on numbers where that is a feasible management strategy.

Something for our one son to consider as he looks to maximize productivity on his smaller acreage.

[Blaithin]

Depending how much management and time wants to be invested it can be pushed farther. I’ve had cows raise 3 and 4 calves at once however it’s a big pull on their condition and can result in slower breed back.

If someone really wanted to get as much as they could they’d milk the cows and bottle feed the calves. In that way you can easily add another couple calves on each cow, and help protect udder and cows condition. Downside is you have to milk the cow lol. However in this scenario, and if you know date bred, you can easily raise 2-3 batches of calves on each cow, per lactation, if she’s calving yearly. 10 month lactation, weaning calves at 3-5 months, 3-6 calves each cow depending on production, you could raise a dozen calves on the right cow. Again, only issue here is being tied to milking and feeding.

As my nurse cow numbers are getting up Im starting to run into the issue of calves sharing cows. Even one of the cows own calves was hopping moms this year which is a first. I may need to look into a creep feeder to help consistently offer them more. They usually only get creep when they’re here, not out in pasture.

Also the focus on cow nutrition is different than just a beef cow and her calf. The Flecks hold condition really well on grass considering what they’re doing but next year I think I’m going to invest in always having a protein tub out for them, or maybe molasses. Protein will make them produce more but I want them to keep condition so the molasses may be a better option.

Either way, whatever method someone chooses to go with, I think this is a great option for increased production on an acreage. I always said why have 6 cows for 6 calves when I can have 2 cows for 6 calves.

[Blaithin]

Got all their photos taken yesterday. They were fairly cooperative. 3 of the 5 are all singles, 2 shared udders with others. #2 is a half brother to the black bull I kept back. His brother got better genetic pickings I think 😂

Steers

[Blaithin]

Heifers

[woodland]

Heifers

#5 would make a nice replacement............. only if she wasn’t so “horny” 😉

Quite a nice bunch for sharing their mommas.