Twin Bull Calves

Help Support Steer Planet:

WKYIronMike

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2010
Messages
196
Location
Princeton, Kentucky
Twin calves are becoming a normal occurrence here. We've had a set or two each year now for longer than I can keep track of without going to the record book. In a herd of around 40 to 50 Dams. Here recently I did my routine check on the cows, looking mainly at the late expecting Dams. Notice one was missing from the herd so I went looking for her expecting to find her with a nice calf since she has never had problems before and is bred to a calving ease bull also. I found her not far from the herd, she hadn't calfed yet but was trying to. I gave her a little more time and finally decided to approach when I realized something must be going wrong. When I got there I noticed she had one foot out and it was upside down, realizing the calf was coming backward I went and got help. She was located on a far pasture from our working facility, because I was expecting no problems. Three of us attempted to drive her slowly and calmly to the facility where we could help her easier since it was getting dark. But she wasn't having any of it, she started running, getting into the small stream etc... therefore we decided to leave her alone and not stress her out. We thought after she gets far enough along then maybe we could help her out in the pasture. We finally approached again and she yet us get close as she was still trying to calf. She then had a calf that came correct, then we realized she wasn't finished and their was still one coming backwards. With just a tad of assistance she then went ahead and had it easily now having more room with the other one out. Both calves are bulls and it was the baldy that came backwards. Guess I'm going to do my best to help the cow out and raise these sons. I know a lot of people that would just sell one of them, and I did think about it. But I already had to much invested in a Vet Call, probably more than what one calf would have brought even though he didn't see the cow. I also know some folks who love having twin calves too because they say they can double their money. All I know is that I prefer one nice healthy calf instead of twins. One thing about it though they are delightful to watch play, no calves play as hard as twin brothers. 
 

Attachments

  • 65 & Twins resized_opt.jpg
    65 & Twins resized_opt.jpg
    63.6 KB · Views: 521
  • 65's Twins Bruce & Mel resized_opt.jpg
    65's Twins Bruce & Mel resized_opt.jpg
    73.7 KB · Views: 470

wyatt

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2011
Messages
1,409
Location
michigan
i think its funny that only one is a baldy lol all the twins ive seen always have roughly the same markings but that is cool ive never had twins here but it would be neet just hope that u dont get a boy and a girl  then the girl is almost worthless  good luck with them
 

nate53

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 26, 2011
Messages
419
Location
North East, Missouri
We get a couple sets of twins each year anyhow,  I prefer to take the less desirable calf off the cow after its nursed.  Seems like the twin calves bring pretty good money at the sale barn or for a kid to bottle feed. Twins just take an awful lot out of a cow and then you have a poor looking cow and two calves that aren't as good as the rest of the calves.  Although there are a few cows out there that can raise a set of twins and stay in good shape as well as the calves grow good, but there isn't too many that can do that.
 

kfacres

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 15, 2008
Messages
3,713
Location
Industry, IL Ph #: 618-322-2582
Is weaning 2 -500# calves worth more money, than 1- 700#'er? 

Even if the 700# brings 2.20 (1540) and the 2 500# only bring 1.80 (1800). 

I let the cow do it if she wants to, and can.  Might have to put her in a seperate pasture, and give a little corn, but for $260 I would! <rock>
 

vanridge

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2011
Messages
468
Location
Manitoba, Canada
I prefer a single healthy calf over a set of twins that the cow can't handle. This year we had a set of twins of a first calf heifer and they were no more than 45lbs each. We had to take one off the cow because she spent her whole time outside of the maternity pen running from one calf to the next trying to take care of both and taking care of neither. She also never made it to the feed bunk, she was just constantly running and confused. It turned out to be the best thing we did for her and the calves and my 7 year old son. He has been bottle feeding it twice a day since February and he got to take it to our local fair this year for the peewee shows. We weaned the calf this past Thursday, and I think he's done a pretty good job! The first pic is from the beginning of July and the 2nd pic is of him feeding the last bottle to "Luke"
 

Attachments

  • carman2011web 003.jpg
    carman2011web 003.jpg
    180.5 KB · Views: 642
  • DSC00601.JPG
    DSC00601.JPG
    168.1 KB · Views: 549

cattleman70

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
63
One of my grandpa's commercial Angus Cow had triplets a couple years back. All 3 were heifers and she cared for all of them. We found out that the chances of a cow having triplets is like 1 in a million or something.
 

Simmgal

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 4, 2011
Messages
931
Location
Virginia
I had a Char cross cow have twins almost every year until we had her in with our Simmental bull. She even had triplets one year, and two of them were born dead. I just find it interesting that she would have twins when bred to our old bull, but when we put her into our other herd 4 years ago, it stopped. Just irony I guess. She always raised her twins well, and I kept one set that was both girls. Their first calves ended up being two of my show cattle that year, and a great granddaughter of that old cow just had a beastly little calf a few weeks ago. IMHO it is best to just let the cow do what she wants. We have bottle fed twins before, and they became pets that helped tame down some wild field cows. It is really interesting that your calves have different markings! Makes for some cute pictures though!
 

WKYIronMike

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2010
Messages
196
Location
Princeton, Kentucky
Yeah, they're not identical twins like all the rest we have had. Usually its a big bull and a smaller heifer and usually we don't have very good luck with them. We've had a cow that had two really small calves but both were dead. Had a heifer that twinned one was dead and the other we never could get it to take any milk and it died. Evidently it wasn't developed correctly. We've had several that lost one and raised one with the dead one being alive when born but dying later because not being fully developed internally, I suppose. One cow twins every year when bred to my Dream On son. If she does it again this fall, she'll find the trailor. She is one of them that loses one and raises one. Anyway we have had a couple of sets do allright but more bad results than good ones. I just miss the years of the traditional one healthy calf per cow.
These here though are doing great and I've been really helping the Dam out. I've got her in a small pasture with my replacement heifers and I've been giving her some distiller grain and soybean hulls as well as giving the baldy a bottle from time to time. Calves are chewing grass and I've got them beginning to eat sweet feed. The black one won't take a bottle, he's mamma's boy lol. But the baldy has really bonded with me he'll go from her bag to the bottle and then back to her. Fear he is going to out grow the black one but maybe not if they keep learning to pick this feed up. Thanks for the comments.
 

aandtcattle

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
489
Location
Hay Springs, Nebraska
the truth said:
Is weaning 2 -500# calves worth more money, than 1- 700#'er? 

Even if the 700# brings 2.20 (1540) and the 2 500# only bring 1.80 (1800). 

I let the cow do it if she wants to, and can.  Might have to put her in a seperate pasture, and give a little corn, but for $260 I would! <rock>
Where can I sell my 700 weight calves for 2.20/pound?  I want in on this deal Jody.
 

wyatt

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2011
Messages
1,409
Location
michigan
aandtcattle said:
the truth said:
Is weaning 2 -500# calves worth more money, than 1- 700#'er? 

Even if the 700# brings 2.20 (1540) and the 2 500# only bring 1.80 (1800). 

I let the cow do it if she wants to, and can.  Might have to put her in a seperate pasture, and give a little corn, but for $260 I would! <rock>
Where can I sell my 700 weight calves for 2.20/pound?  I want in on this deal Jody.
our county fair sold one for 2.75 a lbs
 

nate53

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 26, 2011
Messages
419
Location
North East, Missouri
the truth said:
Is weaning 2 -500# calves worth more money, than 1- 700#'er? 

Even if the 700# brings 2.20 (1540) and the 2 500# only bring 1.80 (1800). 

I let the cow do it if she wants to, and can.  Might have to put her in a seperate pasture, and give a little corn, but for $260 I would! <rock>
Is weaning 3 calves worth more money than weaning 2?
I recently aquired a 100 sets of twins all are 500 lbs., I really need to move them so I will take $875 a piece, any takers from IL?  I can deliver for a little extra! ;)
 

3dfarms

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Messages
266
Location
North Carolina
I have had a few sets of twins, born to different cows.  Everytime the mother took both, so I let nature do its thing.  In 2002 we weaned two bull calves off a larger frame Simme cow that weaned over 650/each.  They were both blaze face with opposite markings on their faces, like they were looking in a mirror at each other.

In 2007 we had a set of twins from a Simme cow x our cleanup bull (both black).  We had one red baldy and one solid black heifer.  The red baldy was awesome, but we checked them both just in case.....and she was a freemartin.

I have always heard of a heifer and bull twins the heifer would be sterile, and same sex twins were fine, but that was not the case, our vet can confirm....

Anyway, do what you think is best, if the cow won't take one, we nurse him.  If the cow takes both and keeps her condition, I would let them go.  Best of luck!
 

kfacres

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 15, 2008
Messages
3,713
Location
Industry, IL Ph #: 618-322-2582
aandtcattle said:
the truth said:
Is weaning 2 -500# calves worth more money, than 1- 700#'er? 

Even if the 700# brings 1.50 (1050) and the 2 500# only bring 1.05 (1050). 

I let the cow do it if she wants to, and can.  Might have to put her in a separate pasture, and give a little corn, but for $260 I would! <rock>
Where can I sell my 700 weight calves for 2.20/pound?  I want in on this deal Jody.

figuratively speaking.. the one, single, bigger, better calf, should be worth more money... but the two together will wean off more pounds...  OK, lets modify it then; which should make up for the less dollar value worth... 

Must be the sheep in me speaking.. wean two, make more profit... 
 

WKYIronMike

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2010
Messages
196
Location
Princeton, Kentucky
The twin brothers are six months old now, was wondering if I should wean 1 first and wait a while longer and wean the 2nd or just wean them both together. The Dam has held up good and is milking pretty good, so I was thinking gradually weaning them separate, 1 now another a bit later. Calves have done pretty well for no more grain than I have fed them and the dam has done great with the twins. I try and feed them some feed once daily but I do end up missing alot of days, lol but they do know their names and let me know when they're hungry.
 

Attachments

  • 65's Twins in Feb 2012 pic1 resized_opt.jpg
    65's Twins in Feb 2012 pic1 resized_opt.jpg
    57.8 KB · Views: 233
  • Mike's #65 in Feb 2012 resized_opt.jpg
    Mike's #65 in Feb 2012 resized_opt.jpg
    62.5 KB · Views: 219
  • Bruce resized _opt.jpg
    Bruce resized _opt.jpg
    64.9 KB · Views: 248
  • Mel resized _opt.jpg
    Mel resized _opt.jpg
    64.4 KB · Views: 232

kfacres

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 15, 2008
Messages
3,713
Location
Industry, IL Ph #: 618-322-2582
in my experence with lambs- one lamb will ALMOST always nurse the same side.... thus weaning at different times will do no good..

I have had ewes nursing twins- one die at month old or so-- one side swells up-- and goes dry.. the other side keeps on milking...

Many instances of this-- and unless the lambs were changed as very young babies-- this was hte case..

might watch the calves to see how they nurse...
 

leanbeef

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2012
Messages
944
Location
Tennessee
We have twins about as often as what you say...a couple of sets a year on average out of 50-60 cows. We'd RATHER just have one, but if we get two, we don't throw one away. Instead, we take a little better care of that cow and help her raise them. We usually put cows that have twins in with our first-calf-heifers, at least until rebreeding. After AI, everything gets turned out with clean up bulls, and the calves are big enough to eat creep feed or grass by then.

I don't understand the thinking on weaning one calf early. If the cow is milking and in good shape, I would put the calves on some creep feed. I think they'll do as well that way as they would any other until time to wean them both.

The only time I actually like twins is if we have a cow that loses a calf. If it's not a cow we want to let go of right away, a twin makes a perfect foster baby for a mama who needs a baby to raise. And the problem of one cow/two calves is instantly solved. But I never hope for an extra mama that needs an extra baby when we have a set a twins.
 

WKYIronMike

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2010
Messages
196
Location
Princeton, Kentucky
Leanbeef, that is pretty much what I'm doing, except I'm hand feeding them usually just once daily though. As far as the weaning it's just that she is making more milk than usual compared to when she has only 1 calf a year. Therefore, I was a bit worried about her bag and her stress if I weaned them both together. Also the baldy is bigger and pushing the black one around some therefore decreasing his amount of milk. Thought about weaning the baldy put him on exra feed and good orchard kobe square bale hay and letting the black one have momma to himself for awhile and then take them to the sale barn together. But that's just a thought! I'll probably keep it like it is and just try to supplement more often or give the black bull a larger amount of feed and let her keep them a month or two longer and then wean both together.
 

WKYIronMike

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2010
Messages
196
Location
Princeton, Kentucky
Went ahead and sold the Twin Bulls Yesterday at the Sale Barn. The Baldy weighed 505 lbs and the black one 445 lbs. The baldy brought 173.25 and the black one 188.00 per pound. They were 10 days from being 8 months old. Not bad for twins and no more than I put in to them. Gonna miss them but I got new ones that need my attention, hoping for all single births this time around.
 
Top