ET Calves

[breyfarm]

Lets say you have a very nice donor cow paired up with a proven maternal bull and you calve a nice healthy heifer calf and she turns out to look like shit. No matter what do you keep her as a cow?

 

[frostback]

Some of my best producing cows dont look like much but put a good calf on the ground year after year, and then you have cow that by looks should be great but never give you the one you think she should. If you think by pedigree she needs a chance give it to her. Only time and calves will answere your question.

 

[irishshorthorns]

What age is the calf at the minute?

 

[farmboy]

Our best calf in the field is out of, IMO, our worst looking cow. She looks like hell tbh.

 

[breyfarm]

What age is the calf at the minute?

Shes 14 months and probably going to be bred to I-80 this spring, we made the decision to go ahead with it, just wondering what people thought

 

[ZNT]

If you are not needing the money, I would give her a chance to have 1 calf. If she does a good job milking as her sire would indicate, and the calf looks good, keep her. If the calf or her maternal ability disappoints, ship her.

 

[Freddy]

I say keep her ,use to flush cows ,sell the very best at sales and keep the poorest at that time ,just weighed one up and she was fantastic cow and the ones I sold other people also did well,better than well one ended up raising a Champion or two for EXPRESS when they were just starting ...YOU STILL HAVE THE GENETICS ...
ALSO have a donor right now at a year to 1.5 should have sold her without a doubt,first flush calves on the ground,look great so far,and she is a good looking cow now,maybe she had worms,who know but over the years building a herd some of the smaller cows have made great cows ...

 

[twistedhshowstock]

I think it depends on what makes you say she looks like ****, if she is is just not pretty designed, or maybe isnt powerful or something like that.  Then I would probably keep her and give her a chance. Especially if she is something special pedigree wise.  However if they are poor structured then it doesnt matter how good their pedigree is I ship them.