What is your oldest cow

[forbes family farms]

i thought it might be interesting to see who as the oldest cow my oldest cow is 20 years she is in great shape and perfectly healthy. So what is your oldest cow?

 

[bovine and equine]

Last year we had to ship our 26 year old Gelvieh.  She still calved, but did not have enough milk to support her bull calf. 

 

[MYT Farms]

We've got some old enough to vote but they ain't lookin very good. Gonna bring in some new blood this year.

 

[husker1]

19 was our oldest ever on the place.

sold a 17 year old 2 weeks ago, and we are flushing a 16 year old this week. 

These were all percentage to PB simmental.

The 26 year old Gelbvieh surprises me; we had some really good Gelbviehs in the 90's, but they didn't make it to 10...milked so much, their udders were shot well before that time.

We do have a herd bull that is 13; he still bred 30 head last summer.

 

[jbw]

I have one that is 92 model and one that is a 93,  The 92 model has a bull that I kept that will be turning 10 and looks like he is 5.

 

[simtal]

would think that teeth would be the first to go on most of these old gals

 

[Duffer]

An equipment customer of mine has an old crossbred cow that was born feb of 78 she is blind but raises a calf every year he says she will die on the farm

 

[yuppiecowboy]

Had a post like this a long time ago. Doc Thomas from Fort dodge told me himself he euthanized a small herd of Herfs that were in there 40s. I called BS, but the pedigrees matched tattoos and all the old neighbors knew the cows.

 

[MYT Farms]

would think that teeth would be the first to go on most of these old gals

Dad got me started in this business by buying gummer cows for several years. Made money and stayed pretty fat. Always take a smooth gummer over a broken mouth.

 

[Ohioteerchick]

The oldest cow we've had would have been 17 this year, but she dried up and couldnt feed her bull calf. But was in perfect health
Our oldest we have now is 9, shes a little spooky but throws good calves.

 

[kjd farms]

Currently we have a pair of D cows which are 94 models, which are both on their way out when we wean their calves.  We've got a 95 cow that will be bred for late 2010, likely to WMW or Smokin' Joe.

 

[DTW]

I have a one 93 model.   She will be having her 16th baby this march.  I think her teeth are gone and will be her last go around.  She is running with the yearling heifers to try and keep her in shape.
One thing about that cow she has had an AI ed calf every year and bred back 1st service every year but one.  When she was giving estramate after godfather was running with them to heat check and figured out he was breeding cows even with his low sperm count when he was a yearling.

 

[Shady Lane]

A couple years ago we shipped 3 purebred Shorthorn cows that were all Z's, they were 18 at the time and all had calves at side.

 

[aj]

We had two 13 last year. We sold them after calves were born. No special treatment. I have my eye on there daughters and their longevity.

 

[Hollywood27]

Just flushed a cow that I picked up this summer that was 16 turning 17 this spring.  First flush 8 eggs, second flush 31 eggs!  Guess I will flush her till she burns out.  Great old cow. <beer>

 

[forbes family farms]

Wow i haven't ever heard of cows living up to 32-40 year's old keep the comments coming

 

[Bulldaddy]

My oldest was a 14 year old that I sold today.  I wish I had sold her a couple of years ago.  She was easy to get bred but her last few calves just didn't wean off very big like they did when she was younger.

 

[wrc]

I have a 15 year old Meyer 734 x Ext cow, shes due in a couple weeks to Dr Who.  We'll see how she does this year and maybe try her one more year.  Its hard to see one like her go, but I know it won't be too long till she'll have to go to the sale barn.  She's one we should flush but just never have.

 

[rtmcc]

Our oldest is only eight, but being limited to about 15 to 18 cows due space makes for pretty ruthless culling around here.  Last year we sold the first 2 cows my wife and I owned together at age 13.  we both shed a tear.  Both came up open but are the backbone of our herd.  Most of our older cows get sold to commercial guys so we have room for the younger currant genetics.

 

[shorthorn boy]

Our oldest cow is only eight as well but we haven't been raising our own cattle very long. My grandpa however had a cow that was half Limi and half Belgian Blue and she had to have lived to be 18 or 19 because I remember growing up with that cow. She was a massive cow but gentle as can be, when she didn't have new born calf. She produced and raised a heavy calf every year.  If I remember correctly, she gave birth to three sets of twins in her life time and raised all of them herself. Grandpa I think just got rid of her last spring after he weaned her last calf.