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COWS-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 6
Cull Cows:
Cull cows are those that have become to old to raise a good calf or no longer get pregnant – sell her especially if winter is approaching when you will need to provide her with more fodder, get her dewormed, and vaccinated.
Cows to be culled are 10 – 12 years old, however, some are still highly productive in their late teens! If you decide to keep them, then in the autumn when they are due for vaccination get them checked to see if they are pregnant.
Be aware of the tricks of the trade:
The weight of the cattle depends on the time of the day – how much it has eaten or exercised and how far it has traveled. This is due to the size of the rumen - which is the largest stomach compartment - and the volume of water mixed with the feed in it. Cattle carry a large percentage of their weight as food and water in the gut. Loss of weight – which is termed as shrink – shrink loss can be up to 10% - 18% of the weight. Cattle buyers walk among the cattle to stir them around supposedly to get a closer look at them, so they are moved around a lot. This makes them lose weight before being weighed. CATTLE ARE EMOTIONAL DUE TO STRESS. If possible get the cattle in a corral, which is a fenced area where an animal can be confined overnight without them being fed before weighing. Calves weaned and shipped will loose weight due to shrink more than those that are used to hay. OTHER STRESS FACTORS THAT CAUSE LOSS OF WEIGHT ARE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Another fact to draw to your attention is that if your choice is that of a purebred animal you must be aware that many purebred breeders feed grain to make their calves grow fast and look good at sales. Purebreds fetch a higher price, they are sold individually by the head, not by the pound, so purebred breeders can afford to use grain or buy extra feed to make their cattle larger and fatter more quickly. THIS IS AN ARTIFICIAL SITUATION. A grain fed bull or young heifer looks good to buyers but this is not a true indication of how the animal would do on your natural feeds like grass and hay. A nice looking fat heifer you bring home from the purebred sale may not do so well on your pasture and lose weight, or not breed on schedule without reverting to the pampering she used to have by her former owners. When she calves there is the possibility that her calf may not grow as well as she did unless you pamper it and feed it grain!
BUYING PREGNANT HEIFERS OR COWS
Pregnant cows or heifers cost more but will give you a payback on your money.
Find out as much as you can about the bull that
Cull cows are those that have become to old to raise a good calf or no longer get pregnant – sell her especially if winter is approaching when you will need to provide her with more fodder, get her dewormed, and vaccinated.
Cows to be culled are 10 – 12 years old, however, some are still highly productive in their late teens! If you decide to keep them, then in the autumn when they are due for vaccination get them checked to see if they are pregnant.
Be aware of the tricks of the trade:
The weight of the cattle depends on the time of the day – how much it has eaten or exercised and how far it has traveled. This is due to the size of the rumen - which is the largest stomach compartment - and the volume of water mixed with the feed in it. Cattle carry a large percentage of their weight as food and water in the gut. Loss of weight – which is termed as shrink – shrink loss can be up to 10% - 18% of the weight. Cattle buyers walk among the cattle to stir them around supposedly to get a closer look at them, so they are moved around a lot. This makes them lose weight before being weighed. CATTLE ARE EMOTIONAL DUE TO STRESS. If possible get the cattle in a corral, which is a fenced area where an animal can be confined overnight without them being fed before weighing. Calves weaned and shipped will loose weight due to shrink more than those that are used to hay. OTHER STRESS FACTORS THAT CAUSE LOSS OF WEIGHT ARE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Another fact to draw to your attention is that if your choice is that of a purebred animal you must be aware that many purebred breeders feed grain to make their calves grow fast and look good at sales. Purebreds fetch a higher price, they are sold individually by the head, not by the pound, so purebred breeders can afford to use grain or buy extra feed to make their cattle larger and fatter more quickly. THIS IS AN ARTIFICIAL SITUATION. A grain fed bull or young heifer looks good to buyers but this is not a true indication of how the animal would do on your natural feeds like grass and hay. A nice looking fat heifer you bring home from the purebred sale may not do so well on your pasture and lose weight, or not breed on schedule without reverting to the pampering she used to have by her former owners. When she calves there is the possibility that her calf may not grow as well as she did unless you pamper it and feed it grain!
BUYING PREGNANT HEIFERS OR COWS
Pregnant cows or heifers cost more but will give you a payback on your money.
Find out as much as you can about the bull that