My Avatar cow is dead!

So I went out to wander through my cows and take some photos because it's a nice chinook day out and Diamond Dottie 55G is lying there dead!
Well @%*&.    (Of course she was going to be 14 in a few months and I know that where there is livestock there is dead stock but still she was an old sentimental favourite. My Dad always liked this cow and she carried a few crosses of his breeding. I was at the cemetary just after Dad died and some of the headstones were etched with horses. It seemed to be appropritae to etch the picture of 55G on Dad's as he was never happier than around his cows or out in the foothills. He said it was where he felt closest to God. I would probably have never shipped her to get the salvage value anyways. At least this time when an old herd matron is gone I have some embryos.

Sorry to hear about 55G Dan. She was a grand cow and her legacy will live on for many years. To me, this is one of the parts of this business that I never get used to, ie: finding one of your best cows dead, or having to ship an old cow to market.

Sorry to hear that. Glad you got embryos in the tank. Now PUT SOME IN, IN THE SPRING. Yes I am yelling at you.

Sorry to hear Dan.  I agree with Grant, it's the worst part of the whole business!

is it too late to cut a piece of her ear off? i mean here in ten years you will be able to clone all of your good cattle and it will get cheaper

Sorry to hear that. Seems like the really good ones never live long enough. :'(

Sorry for your loss!  (angel)

Less then 24 hours from when we saw 55G standing on the hill in all her easy fleshing highly attractive glory making Christmas all the merrier I get the phone call informing me of her untimely passing... How unexpected... At 13 (almost 14) I don't think this cow ever lost a pound.  On the bright side we have her heifer calf in the replacement pen, as well as 17 embryos (thanks to the hints of his eldest daughter).


55G's legacy will also continue on in Scotland where she has 10 embryos being implanted on the January 7th.

Sorry for your loss. No one likes to lose the really good ones.

very sorry for your loss, its hard to lose a favorite

Sorry for your loss.

That really S^!CKS!!!!!! I do not want to go back out now and check the cows!!
I did make the call as soon as I read your post this am with Dr.Don to get our Faye cow out to him.
We have had a few cows that really hurt to see let go when you know there is no chance they will ever produce again. Not sure what is harder, selling them or finding them like you did. I am guessing the ground is a little too hard to bury her now but that is so cool that you are going to get the ol girl etched in your Dad's grave.

Hilltop said:

That really S^!CKS!!!!!! I do not want to go back out now and check the cows!!
I did make the call as soon as I read your post this am with Dr.Don to get our Faye cow out to him.
We have had a few cows that really hurt to see let go when you know there is no chance they will ever produce again. Not sure what is harder, selling them or finding them like you did. I am guessing the ground is a little too hard to bury her now but that is so cool that you are going to get the ol girl etched in your Dad's grave.

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Thanks everyone! There is a saying "as long as it doesn't get any closer to the house".The good thing about 55G is I have embryos to carry on with and even have embryos from her grand dam I plan on using next year.
I think I need a new Avatar photo though of something still in the herd. I should use a bull but I also have a couple of good pics of cows.

Dan, do you still have 61N?

uluru said:

Dan, do you still have 61N?

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We still have Nona, since the flush you purchased (the Primo flush) we sold another (Primo) and then for ourselves we flushed her to Weston Ablo; she is now naturally covered by Temperature Rising 28T for a Spring 2011 calf. I have attached a picture of her and Temperature from the summer of 2010.

Sorry to hear you lost a good one!!  Glad to hear you've got some embryos to carry on with, though.    I think we all have that favorite cow or two that we would hate to lose so we can all understand what a deflating feeling that can give you.  Good luck with the embryos!! 

Whats the best son you ever had out of 55G? Does he make females like his momma? Just curious. Seems you could really get her in stacked up in your herd with a son. I loved the pic of her with the view in the backround. Thats a pic for the cover of Shorthorn Country if I ever saw one. Sorry to hear she passed. I tell myself they are grazing in that big sweet pasture in the sky after a life of serving our needs.

trevorgreycattleco said:

Whats the best son you ever had out of 55G? Does he make females like his momma? Just curious. Seems you could really get her in stacked up in your herd with a son. I loved the pic of her with the view in the backround. Thats a pic for the cover of Shorthorn Country if I ever saw one. Sorry to hear she passed. I tell myself they are grazing in that big sweet pasture in the sky after a life of serving our needs.

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We never kept a son although the best two were by Circle M Ghost Rider 10G a white horned bull and both of these were were really thick with style roan and had horns! It was during BSE and there was no market for bulls anyway. She had another good red bull by a Byland Gold Spear son we raised but I didn't really want the Gold Spear at that time. In retrospect I wish I had used him. I kind of hope to get a red son from the embryos, either by Saskvalley Ultra 12J or The Grove Kookaburra W735.
Below is another bit of info I posted in another thread
Diamond Dottie 55G is 13 years old. 55G’s first calf Diamond Dottie 52J sold to Moore’s in Illinois and was still producing last year. Her 2nd heifer,Diamond Kara Dottie  sold to Ron and Annette Vanek, Montana and both Vanek’s and Koulee Shorthorns in Washington have descendants in production.Of course after selling her first two heifers she produced some bull calves,most of these during the BSE years. One of those calves was the highest indexing calf in his year. She also produced the dam of Sunset,57N, but we lost 57N to lump jaw the fall Sunset was weaned. We have a son of Alta Cedar Sherman 7S out of another daughter of 55G that we are using. This year 55G had a Diamond Prophecy 21P heifer and we decided to put her into a flush program before it’s too late! First flush we got 11 embryos by Saskvalley Ultra 12J.
The second flush was to Glenford Gus 4H and she produced 13 embryos. 10 of these are going to Scotland. (4H is the sire of Star P Matrix)
The last flush was by The Grove Kookaburra W735.

Very sorry to hear that . Never good when a good one dies.

Sorry to hear it. It stinks when you loose one especially when they are your best one's.

Good luck with your Eggs! Its a good thing you have them in the tank.