Keep or cull

L

Lazy Eric

Member
Hi , have a Limxbbx cow ,2nd calver. As a heifer last year had a belting calf and reared it well.
This year calved itself fine but calf died several days later, wasn’t her fault, .
Question is do I keep her to go round again or weigh it in? She carries a bit of flesh. If it was older I wouldn’t think twice,cull. Am I being soft or does she want to be away . Just considering replacement costs vs one big fat cow going into winter.
 
W

Welderloon

Member
Trade
Always the same, the best ones lose a calf,
Cull,
you'll never get the money back on her running her for another year & the same may happen again..............use the money for a Heifer with calf at foot.
 
D

Devil's advocate

Member
Location
Posh side of Barnsley
Lazy Eric said:
Hi , have a Limxbbx cow ,2nd calver. As a heifer last year had a belting calf and reared it well.
This year calved itself fine but calf died several days later, wasn’t her fault, .
Question is do I keep her to go round again or weigh it in? She carries a bit of flesh. If it was older I wouldn’t think twice,cull. Am I being soft or does she want to be away . Just considering replacement costs vs one big fat cow going into winter.
Click to expand...
Can you put a calf on her?

We once had a Simmental heifer found it with a flat calf most of the bones crushed, she did the same with the 2nd calf the following year.
 
L

Lazy Eric

Member
Devil's advocate said:
Can you put a calf on her?

We once had a Simmental heifer found it with a flat calf most of the bones crushed, she did the same with the 2nd calf the following year.
Click to expand...
She lost her calf back in March, didn’t have a spare one handy. Don’t like buying in calves and mixing them with the suckler herd because of new bugs. Also I think she would be a bit of a handful trying to mother a calf on to her. I can just tell.
 
Jackov Altraids

Jackov Altraids

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
You may be being a little 'soft', but that is no bad thing.
I'm sure, 'on paper', you should cash her in every time but it depends how much you value knowing its history/health status.
It also depends on how cheap and 'tight' you can keep her.
TB situation is another important factor.

I tend to try and replace before selling so that if nothing appropriate is available, the cow gets kept by default.
 
Davy_g

Davy_g

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Down
Whitepeak said:
If a young cow who has no previous faults loses a calf through no real fault of her own I tend to run her on. First cow to calve this year is one whose calf last year I just found dead at a month old 😭 she's got a lovely heifer calf this year.
Click to expand...
Do you have grass and shed space for a passenger?
I agree with Whitepeak - for pedigrees - its taken a lot of time effort and cost to get them to this stage. Whats another year - unless of course they are top of the cull list for temprament, legs / feet or just the way they look at you.
You have to be able to manage them dry or as mentioned they will get fat and cause even more bother in a years time.
 
S

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
the cost of keeping that cow, right around till next calf, which she may, or may not have, needs to be set against any profit you make, on the rest.

take the money, she is no longer a cost to the rest of them, barren price is excellent.

nice to think about the cows, instead of £'s, but the cold hard facts remain, and its a business.
 
harperfarmer

harperfarmer

Member
I've just cashed one now for the same reason. Only a 3rd calver had to shoot her calf with tetanus. Not her fault in the slightest, good mother and milked well just one of those. But business sense prevailed and to quote little Britain " well she's dead now....which is some comfort.." 😅
 
Aspiring Peasants

Aspiring Peasants

Member
Location
North Pennines
Figures out of thin air, you can put your own in

Value of cull cow. £1500
Cost. Of replacement heifer and calf. £2750
Outlay £1250
Value of calf in 12 months. £1400
Leaves £150 to cover other costs

As it will cost less to keep an empty cow than one with a calf then probably not much difference
 
Stw88

Stw88

Member
Location
Northumberland
If we have the same situation we throw them in with the bulling heifers that get a month after turnout on an average pasture with the bull then kicked out onto the fell which is 400 acre of benty grass. Come back in mid December.
 
Nearly

Nearly

Member
Location
North of York
As long as you know the business decision is to hang her up, then do what you want.
Weighed a 10 year old 3/4 Angus in 880kg. Would have only got fatter and had problems calving, if she got in calf.
Kept a 2nd calver.
 
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beef calf calves calving cattle cows dairy grass health market turnout

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