Admission of Defeat

[chambero]

Well, I've got to decide on a new profile picture.

The cow in my current profile photo (a 2005 model Troy x Maine) had to hit the road a couple of weeks ago.  She developed something of an attitude after a she was 4 or 5 and became no longer worth the trouble.  I think she was about 7.  Never did have the great one I thought she would.  She only stuck to AI twice over the course of her life and I've got one replacement heifer out of Monopoly to show for her.  Never did have an AI-bred steer.  This year she didn't stick, calved in November, and a coyote got her calf after it was 2-3 days old.

None of my working crew, including Zane, missed her one bit last weekend.

After she had her first calf, I was convinced she would be the one that raised me a Houston champion.  I really wouldn't have taken $10K for her at that time.  I wound up taking $900 for her at the sale barn and was glad to get it.

Further evidence that (1) you never know by their looks which ones will produce good ones for you and (2) troublemakers just aren't worth the trouble.

 

[GoWyo]

Really adds insult to injury to have a bad attitude and then can't even keep a coyote off her calf.  Make room for better ones.

 

[ZNT]

None of my working crew, including Zane, missed her one bit last weekend.

I would have a couple more to add to that list, but I wasn't able to catch their license plate number.  (clapping) (lol)

 

[blackdiamond]

I'm about to do the same here... I've got an old broad, 07 born, and I swear this is her last chance.  She finally raised a baby last year, I sat down with her and had a talk- told her this is her last chance, don't raise one, you're gone.. and the dang thing did it-- she raised it-- but then he broke a let and was worthless anyways after weaning...

This year, I swear- it's her last chance. 

 

[cowpoke]

I along with many other cattle people has had a favorite or two that got to stay longer than she should have.I know of a National Champion Angus that was near 10yrs old when she finally went to the sale barn with no progency to show for her time spent in that herd.I knew of a Simmy that I actually told the owner about as she was as nice as I had seen and she was a winner but spent years at TransOva with little results.The last one I kept too long was a truly outstanding cow from Dieters and after several close brushes with physical injury I finally gave up and took her to the sale barn much to my familys approval and told them to make sure she went to slaughter as she gave a new meaning to being protective.Kinda like the song about making a pretty woman your wife.

 

[firesweepranch]

My daughter has one, and she has finally given up and allowing me to take her to town. This gal won champion at our big district fair, had a pretty nice Movin Forward heifer calf in February, not enough milk to do a good job raising the calf, then failed to get bred back after several AI attempts, AND running with three different bulls over several cycles. My daughter begged me to roll her to fall so the heifer could put on some weight and try again. I relented, and had the vet do a repo check on her to make sure everything was ok. Vet found nothing (she was ultra sounded), so we set her up with a CIDR. Guess what? She came into heat again earlier this week. She was going to call some friends to see if she can run the heifer with their bull (we sold our breeding age bulls) when I had to sit down and help her realize the heifer is not worth all the extra money we have put into her.  She has finally realized it is time for said heifer to go to town. It is hard when it is a past show heifer that gave you some great memories.....

 

[husker1]

We've all had that cow....

Equally disheartening is the cow that has one really good one to start off, then after that her calves are subpar.  Keep thinking she'll hit that homerun again, but just not happening...  Hate to get rid of her as I'm sure the next one will be the super one!

 

[kanshow]

We've had a few of those cows .. and have to say I'm not sad to see them go...

On the other hand..  what about those 12+ year old cows that catch on AI the first time and have a decent to good (never great) calf every year and raise it good.. and then that last calf they loose due to some reason that is not their fault.  Or they come in thin off pasture that last season..  usually around here they've earned a little extra feed to get them thru the winter and to help raise that calf they will have in the spring.  They are usually the ones that never cause you much trouble, they are the ones that lead the pack when you are bringing them in or changing pastures..    Its a sad day to see those old girls go...

 

[Mark H]

If a cow can't rebreed or a heifer breed after at most 3 AI attempts or 60 days with the bull cull her.
If she can't milk cull her.
If she raises a bad calf after being breed to a known good bull cull her.
Culling is the most effective way to shape or mold your cow herd besides bull selection and it a necessary part of any breeding operation.  
If you can't afford to cull an animal then don't buy it.
Don't fall in love or become emotionally attached to your cows to the point you can't send them down the road.

 

[nate53]

I finally had to get rid of my favorite cow this past summer.  She was a spring 1995 model and raised a calf every year.  Her first calf was small but after that her calves were always in the top 3 or 4 (out of a couple hundred cows), my problem with her over the years is she always had bull calves (which became steers).  Out of all those years she only had two heifers (I only saved one).  The last two years she had gotten kinda mean, if she got by herself (old age I guess).  She brought over $1,000 pounded out early summer.  I hated to sell her but it was time (she was my 53 cow).  Just a commercial angus cow but as far as production she was awesome!  I need a new 53 cow.  The main thing I learned with her was that the really good ones always have good calves no matter what you breed them to, and they raise them.  The best don't make excuses they just do. (Now if I can just get the rest of the cows to follow that idea).

 

[TYD]

Just had one eat a bullet today went crazy after her last.calf and could not get within 75 yards of her . The whole herd would come right to you and she would go the other way by herself really won't miss her much hope her burgers are good though

 

[Freddy]

Up in this country we usually lose some ears ,nobody wants them so I always keep them ,proably won't be on my profile unless they raise a great one and then nobody cares much... Over the  years in both breeds the cows that raise the real good ones always appeal to me no
matter how bad they look ...Same way with bulls ,if I decide to keep or buy one never put any judgement on them until start raising a crop of calves's and never feed them to much cause a fat herd bull never lasts a long as a moderately skinny one ....  Another deal over the years people ask me which one is the best one in the crop of  bulls in the sale ....I have watched quite a few sales and after a few quit trying to pick it and say "the one that brings the most money" and I don't feel so stupid ... Incidents like this and what happened to Chambero makes you sure wonder how some of these judges are
so confident in there choices , but somebody needs to do it and it's his  opinion that  day ....

 

[AAOK]

Well, I've got to decide on a new profile picture.

The cow in my current profile photo (a 2005 model Troy x Maine) had to hit the road a couple of weeks ago.  She developed something of an attitude after a she was 4 or 5 and became no longer worth the trouble.  I think she was about 7.  Never did have the great one I thought she would.  She only stuck to AI twice over the course of her life and I've got one replacement heifer out of Monopoly to show for her.  Never did have an AI-bred steer.  This year she didn't stick, calved in November, and a coyote got her calf after it was 2-3 days old.

None of my working crew, including Zane, missed her one bit last weekend.

After she had her first calf, I was convinced she would be the one that raised me a Houston champion.  I really wouldn't have taken $10K for her at that time.  I wound up taking $900 for her at the sale barn and was glad to get it.

Further evidence that (1) you never know by their looks which ones will produce good ones for you and (2) troublemakers just aren't worth the trouble.

I would have expected you to have a better Quality Program than that!

 

[chambero]

She raised a calf every year till this this fall, just never did what I thought she would.

 

[KSanburg]

We think and that is the problem, but we will continue to think and do what we hope works. I know that I am quilty of keeping cows because I am sure they will hit, and it makes it more painful when you purchase a high dollar one and they never give you anything, not even a kiss on the way out the door.

Chambero I am looking forward to culling a cow with you and your boy next week, saw a couple today that even got loaded in the back of a pickup.

 

[cowpoke]

Well, I've got to decide on a new profile picture.

The cow in my current profile photo (a 2005 model Troy x Maine) had to hit the road a couple of weeks ago.  She developed something of an attitude after a she was 4 or 5 and became no longer worth the trouble.  I think she was about 7.  Never did have the great one I thought she would.  She only stuck to AI twice over the course of her life and I've got one replacement heifer out of Monopoly to show for her.  Never did have an AI-bred steer.  This year she didn't stick, calved in November, and a coyote got her calf after it was 2-3 days old.

None of my working crew, including Zane, missed her one bit last weekend.

After she had her first calf, I was convinced she would be the one that raised me a Houston champion.  I really wouldn't have taken $10K for her at that time.  I wound up taking $900 for her at the sale barn and was glad to get it.

Further evidence that (1) you never know by their looks which ones will produce good ones for you and (2) troublemakers just aren't worth the trouble.

 

[cowpoke]

You cant tell a book by its cover.I thought of several more cows that I have had in the last 45/50 years that I learned a lesson or two from.When we showed calves I liked the ones that were first to the bunk and last to leave.In cows the last one to come in the corral and the first one to leave[sometimes not thru the gate]should have a new home.Usually singles at a sale barn close to calving are there for a reason.I had one we called WidowMaker that my wife took out some term insurance on me untill I sold her.She came to my place after afriend who had payed way too much for her  called to tell me he had had enough and she was going to the sale barn even though she was a week from calving and had already claimed three calves and was a handfull.I told him she couldnt be that bad to bring her and I would calve her.Four hours later they brought her and used their hired man as bait by the trailer door and He used side door to escape when she flew in trailer.I put her with the bulls and fiqured she would take care of herself.Unfortunately we had a storm coming so I had to get her in with my cows.We got her calved and after wrecking a  Powder River gate that was unconditionally guaranteed she went to town.Her calf was shown as a bucket and returned the next year as Champion at our local fair.