Confessions of the Sheep/Beef Cattle/Pig Addicts

[Stw88]

I looked at my list of problems and 11 years of age seems to be the time here when most appear.
I have cows a lot older than that but not that many
A few of us were discussing this and think that in time they will be culled for age like sheep are

Has to be an Exceptional cow for us to put them back to the bull at 12yr old, by the time they have had 9mths and raised the next calf they can change! Bit like sheep! Saying that had the oldest cow on the farm away on Monday, just short of her 16th birthday had 13 calves regular as clockwork and calf was normally in the top 3. If only they were all like that!

 

[Estate fencing.]

I broke my bolt gun firing pin so I thought I a good idea to hit the blank with a hammer (claw end), f**k me that way loud gave a far kick and think iv f**ked me hearing up a bit more.

 

[unlacedgecko]

I broke my bolt gun firing pin so I thought I a good idea to hit the blank with a hammer (claw end), f**k me that way loud gave a far kick and think iv f**ked me hearing up a bit more.

 

[unlacedgecko]

I looked at my list of problems and 11 years of age seems to be the time here when most appear.
I have cows a lot older than that but not that many
A few of us were discussing this and think that in time they will be culled for age like sheep are

I didn't pick 10 at random...

 

[Hilly]

I didn't pick 10 at random...

10s my limit here , pretty hard going on hill land dosent suit them when they old and if breeding own replacements matters not anyway . Also keeps your herd worth a bit more if was to cash the lot .

 

[livestock 1]

I thought it was just me that had the 11 year old problem it sounds as if we are all experiencing the same

 

[Blue.]

I broke my bolt gun firing pin so I thought I a good idea to hit the blank with a hammer (claw end), f**k me that way loud gave a far kick and think iv f**ked me hearing up a bit more.

As a youngster messing about with cartridges I put one in a length of pipe in the vice and hit it with a hammer,feck the recoil threw the hammer out of my hand at some pace and I was near deafened,I didn’t do it a second time.

 

[Optimus]

I thought it was just me that had the 11 year old problem it sounds as if we are all experiencing the same

I just problems in general

 

[Macsky]

As a youngster messing about with cartridges I put one in a length of pipe in the vice and hit it with a hammer,feck the recoil threw the hammer out of my hand at some pace and I was near deafened,I didn’t do it a second time.

Did the same with one I’d found rolling about in the pickup, jammed it between two wooden uprights on a hurdle and knocked it with a hammer, I dont regret it, but I’ve never been tempted to do it again

 

[Estate fencing.]

I wouldn’t recommend it, didn’t fire the bolt anyway so had to go and find another gun.

 

[ImLost]

No.

Past a certain point, calving problems I crease and calf weaning weight decreases. Due to genetic gain I'd expect younger cattle to be better than older.

That was kind of my point, that if you are culling for calving problems etc. and weeding out the rubbish, surely what you should be left with is cows that carry on producing into old age without problems. You can't find those cows without keeping them until they are older.

From a genetic gains point of view, shouldn't it then be those cows sons/daughters used to continue to breed replacements from to carry those traits forward?

I'm asking as you have far more experience than I ever will have.

 

[ImLost]

Has to be an Exceptional cow for us to put them back to the bull at 12yr old, by the time they have had 9mths and raised the next calf they can change! Bit like sheep! Saying that had the oldest cow on the farm away on Monday, just short of her 16th birthday had 13 calves regular as clockwork and calf was normally in the top 3. If only they were all like that!

I've got a cow that is about 17 here, retained one of her sons to use for breeding as he stood out as having exceptional growth and seems to be pretty docile so far.

His first calves should be dropping this year, so be interesting to see what calving ease is like. Out of about 200 ish calves from his dad, I have only ever seen 5 or 6 being born, and if they haven't had a first drink in 10 mins, something is wrong.

 

[Speedstar]

P R Duff traded as among others Braveheart beef and MacDuff

Killed and stored at Wishaw but nothing to do with the abbatoir

Their Xmas carcass show was fairly legendary for the hospitality .

Andrew called me at the beinging of the week saying they had called in the receivers on friday 8 march , we used to send them a few cattle , not heard any thing more from them this week not doubt the receivers will be in contact some time, not sure how bad it is & weather will will get any thing or not , there is not many people that would have made that phone call him & his sister were nice people to work with & sorry its gone this way for them

 

[Anymulewilldo]

18 months we were shut up, every sixty days testing, two crops of calves left round me which wouldn’t of been here, was a f**king nightmare, testing next Friday, I’m dreading it as usual

Tbh I’ve given over worrying. If it happens it happens. It’s annoying, today the second reactor has a 7 week old calf that I’m going to be left with. I’ll pop her in with a couple of older cows that have way too much milk until turnout time then wean her and keep her in on feed.
Have to get another shed up by next autumn. Be alright then for a while again

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Compensation on in calvers is an insult.

Depends how much you paid for them… these are only mongrel bred cows here. The heifers I’m replacing the old type of cow with are a bit smarter and should produce a better grade of calf

That being said, I culled our last black Herefords last year and swore blind I wasn’t having anymore of the slack bagged big titted things. But I’ve got 5 really smart black Hereford heifers in the shed I was going to sell this month… after today they’ll be getting put out with the blue and lim heifers and have a 12 week chance of the bull.
If we get to next spring and I’m TB clear again when they start calving down and I’m not very thrilled with them, then we can reassess again and potentially cash them as outfits.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I broke my bolt gun firing pin so I thought I a good idea to hit the blank with a hammer (claw end), f**k me that way loud gave a far kick and think iv f**ked me hearing up a bit more.

HEY?

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Don’t think this lim x shorthorn bullock I’ve got here will take the bull very well though?

 

[AftonShepherd]

Don’t think this lim x shorthorn bullock I’ve got here will take the bull very well though?

Passport wrong? Or were you paying even less attention than usual?

 

[Estate fencing.]

I thought lambing wasn’t getting going very fast, came into 12 sets of triples this morning. . Be careful what you wish for I suppose.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Passport wrong? Or were you paying even less attention than usual?

Bought an outfit in leek. Gave out as lim heifer with a shorthorn bull calf. Had it home a few days and thought “I can’t see any nuts on him” he’d been steered at birth