# To cull or not to cull



## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

I have a nice gentle Hereford cow that had a vaginal prolapse before she calved. Took her into the vet two days ago, and he sowed her up; he told me to watch her and just before she calved to cut the suture. He also gave her a shot to induce labor, so I was up several times during the night two nights ago to check on her. Finally after keeping an eye on her all day yesterday she finally had some vaginal discharge, got her into the chute and got it cut, and two hours later she finally had a nice Hereford calf. Of course it was 10pm by this time, and I still had to get her into the chute to give her a shot of some to that was to cause her uterus to contract. It was a little bit of challenge to get into the chute in the dark, but not to bad. I am sure glad she was not one of those that would rather run you down and grind your bone into the dirt. I do have a few of those that I plan on getting rid of at some point.

Would it be possible that she could have this same problem next year. I am think I should get rid of her this fall.


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

That is an expensive calf. I had a similar problem this past winter, and even with checking her in the pasture every morning, the cow delivered earlier than the vet predicted, so I lost the calf. Since I didn't need the problem to possibly occur a second time, that 10-year-old cow is no longer in residence here. You are the only one who can make the decision to keep or sell. If she were mine, I'd sell her and the calf as a cow/calf pair once the calf reaches 3 or so months of age. My 2 cents worth.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Ive always heard once they prolapse the chances of it again go way up, could be an old wives tale though. Generally if they prolapse and only being a beef cow they get turned into hamburger right quick on this farm.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Sell her. Likely to be a future headache.

Regards, Mike


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Ditto on selling cow at calf weaning time.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

I appreciate the feed back. I pretty much had decided to sell before posting, but just wanted confirm that I was doing the right thing.

I have another cow that has Ketosis. had her into the vet last week, she was not doing well this week so I talked to them again, and I just got done doing what they recommended. Pulled the calf off her, and sold it as a bum. My question with this is, will it reoccur every year. I would prefer not to have deal with this next year. I'm thinking of getting her in better health and sending her to the sale barn.

This has been an education for sure. I believer that we should always be learning something new, but why can't it be something that is fun. I'm tired of this working education.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Don't think we ever dealt with ketosis enough to give a definitive answer, same with milk fever while we had a neighbor that was adept enough dealing with both he never bothered calling a vet.


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## Supa Dexta (May 28, 2014)

Always error on the side of culling when contemplating it. New cows are made every day, why keep a bad one when you can have a good one.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

Sell sell sell you can feed a good one for less than one you are spending money on going to the vet.


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

Have not added any bought cows to the operation since the 1970's. I have been making decisions since the early 2000's. With drought going from about 70 to 80 down to 40. Had the discussion with local sale barn rep and my son yesterday as calves left 2 to 3 months early and along with 20 cows.

The rep has been buying and selling for 15 years in a more drought prone area. Say about 1/2 of what he buys as bred cows only last a year and down the road they go as they just don't adapted to the range and other unseen things you don't know buy sale ring cows. But thing like foothill abortion and anaplasmoses are thing most of you don't have to deal with. So I don't take the cull cause it's easy and buy another. But we have never give a cow that needed help calving a second chance, and go years without having to pull a calf. So you can save headaches with prudent culling.

Drovers magazine just sent a email topic "60% of USA cow herd is in drought areas". If the whole country does not crash and burn cows could be gold next year.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

Those who have pasture or feed or is willing to gamble and buy feed could be seeing those two dollar a pound calves again.


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