# Should I keep this cow



## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

I have a cow that is open. She is a young cow, because of that should I keep her, or should I get rid of her?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

What is young?

Regards, Mike


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

CowboyRam said:


> I have a cow that is open. She is a young cow, because of that should I keep her, or should I get rid of her?


 that sounds like a similar decision in the dairy business. If you cull her, must you replace her, and what is that cost verse the slaughter. In a Dairy business they get thick and fat if we read the freedom and let him lay around for 9 months. They usually don't do good when they're freshin the next time then anyway


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Typo they get thick and fat when we rebreed them and let them lay around for 9 months


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

IMHO it's better to sell an open cow than hope she will get bred & have a calf.


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## Smoothy (Apr 26, 2015)

Our place they get a couple chances. If they miss in the fall (we fall calve) they get a chance for spring if miss again they gone. We don't keep anything a full year I say we don't run a welfare farm nobody rides for free.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

I'd sell her.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

Vol said:


> What is young?
> 
> Regards, Mike


about 4 or 5


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

It's a business decision and sometimes a personal preference.

I currently have a cow that lost her calf to vultures. In the business end of it she would have been sold because carrying a cow that's not nursing a calf to x amount of pounds can be costly. However she produces quality calves that pop out small and wean at 700 pounds. With local prices low, I would have lost money selling her and then buying a replacement cow or cow/calf that may not be in sync with my herd's gestations. She stayed and is bred back and condition very well.

I have a first calf heifer that rejected her calf, very good disposition but not worth the headache or heartache too. Personally one of my favorite heifers, she got the cull slip. Can't afford to risk finding out if she will reject her next calf.

Now for your exact scenario: If you have 2 calving seasons like I do hold her for one more breeding period. If she's open send her down the line. Now if you have only 1 calving season, AI her now and check for bred, calve in the summer and sell as a fall cow calf pair. If open send her on down the line. It will be costly finding out if she is open next year.

On a side note. I have a 5 year old heifer. Yes you read that correctly and I do not mix up bovine terminology. She is a lead animal and has proven valuable during weaning time when calves have not learned my system because they follow the herd's lead. It boils down to which preference you are leaning towards the most, the business or the personal.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

5 years old is right at the line that I used to draw for missing and culling. You would need valid reasons to carry her over profitwise.

Regards, Mike


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

I talked it over with dad this morning and we decided to keep her. She is a Hereford, and here if you don't have black cows you take a hit in price, and there is no way we are going to be able replace her with the amount we have invested into her. Now we do have on black cow that is bred, but is a fence jumper; she is going to go. Besides she is kind of a nut.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

I'd sell her without even thinking about it.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

My animals have one job. That is to make me happy.

If it makes you happy to keep her, then keep her. Same goes for sending her down the road. I have done it both ways and tend to cull more now days.

Right now I would hesitate to sell a non-replacement cow. I would wait until prices were better than 35/55 cents.


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

With foot hill abortion and annaplasmasses it is hard to go buy cows for my operation,so many times first calve heifers may get a second chance. But after that its down the road they go.


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