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Post by nicky on Feb 21, 2015 17:00:15 GMT -6
Talking about longevity in cows. I think what TJ said about moisture conditions affecting longevity is very interesting. I guess I never thought about it since we don't get many good moisture years. So what is old in your herd? what is your typical annual moisture? and how many acres/cow does it take to run in your area?
Here we start wondering if we should sell cows at 10 but usually have several that are 11+. Right now we have quite a few 11 yr olds, 1 each of 12 and 13 yr olds, and 1 14 yr old. Seems like a fine line between old and too old, they can really go downhill (both in production and condition) fast. Annual precip. is 9-10" and we figure 40 acres/animal unit.
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Post by quackingduck on Feb 21, 2015 19:17:38 GMT -6
precip. 15"
4.5 acres/aum
cool season hard grass
14 or 15 is an age that is in great danger of crashing here. If they get up above 10 or so without missing, or they would already be gone, it seams like we say lets give her another year and maybe get another heifer out of her. We do have quite a few old cows that don't make it to town.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2015 19:53:49 GMT -6
30 yr norm is 7 7/8 inches per year
The native pastures grazed annually we graze at about 35 or 36 acres/ AU for 5 months
But the brunt of the natives grazed during growing season are in deferred rest rotation at same 35 acres/ AU... can get thru 3 year drought without finding grass or selling cows.
Old cows pretty much the same as you two said.
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Post by bltherf on Feb 21, 2015 20:10:50 GMT -6
Pretty similar as well here 30 to 35 acres per cow. Just started feeding hay to commercial cows this week have been giving them about 4 lbs of grain per day and grazing thru the snow( not much this year) Rainfall norm is 11 to 12,but have had some better years lately
Get a fair amount of cows producing over ten, but seems to drop off fairly quickly after 12. I know of one rancher who culls every cow once they turn 10. Says he gets the money out of them while he can and doesn't deal with any less production or old cow problems. Might be right.? But purebred breeders seem to always want to see how long they can last !
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Post by larso on Feb 22, 2015 4:41:30 GMT -6
When you guy's talk about rainfall do you include your snowfall in the total ( those that get snow that is)?
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Post by nicky on Feb 22, 2015 9:16:32 GMT -6
When you guy's talk about rainfall do you include your snowfall in the total ( those that get snow that is)? Yes, that is total precipitation |
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Post by scubamom on Mar 5, 2015 17:09:36 GMT -6
Here in South Texas, we average 30" rainfall a year (if the drought ever goes away) and can do 1 cow to 5 acres. That said, we have a cotton gin and ample supply of cotton seed plus a farming operation and can bail our own hay. We are trying to rebuild our herd and have a few 10 years old, but find that the older ones tend to have problems, so plan to cull at 7-8 years old unless she's a good producer and has no problems.
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Post by bookcliff on Mar 5, 2015 20:10:30 GMT -6
16-18 inches total precip when we aren't in the damn drought. run em till they shell out at 12-14 years if she still has at least some of her teeth and doesn't find a way to flunk out and get herself a one way ticket to Gibbon Pack first. broken mouth cows don't bother me none, but once she's a smooth mouth or gummer she goes. guess I might think different if my cows were getting fed silage for 4-6 months or grazing wheat all winter but we don't do either, they have to be able to graze most of the year around here.
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Post by shumakerherefords on Mar 5, 2015 20:34:53 GMT -6
Get an average of 30 inches per year here in northeast Kansas. Most cows weaning ratios start to drop off after about 12 years old. If the weaning ratios hold up I keep them. Sometimes you get burned, my 17 year old cow died before she calved last spring.
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Post by scubamom on Mar 6, 2015 17:33:19 GMT -6
17 years old!!! She should have gone out to "no bull pasture" years ago! :-)
Hubby's 25 year old horse got knocked up (by mistake) and had the cutest baby ever. That was the year the VEE horse epidemic hit and we lost several quarter horses, but the old Heitz 57 mare survived. That said, we had to pull the foal off her and took it home. I had a 6 month old baby and fed them both with human baby formula (no foal formula back when).
Maybe we better keep ours a little longer, but can't handle more than 80 head on the pasture we have, so have to keep culling...maybe that's a good thing.
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Post by nicky on Mar 6, 2015 20:22:44 GMT -6
Our 14 yr old calved, then started looking bad. Lost a calf so stole hers for that cow. The 13 yr old looks better than some of the younger cows. Funny how they are all different. We don't mouth them. Guess we should for fun sometime.
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