Who's Your Momma?

Leo · #1 07/04/06, 09:57 AM

This is my first time posting so if it doesn't come up sorry, i'll see if I can make it work.
I was wondering if you might help us figure out what kind of breed she mostly resembles.
I'm mostly familiar with herefords, limousins, angus, brahmas, jeresy's and such, but can't find a good fit. We named her Butters, she's a bit golden in color, she weighs about 200#, very mellow, and a bit shy. We bought her at the livestock auction, so don't know much about her history, breed or vacc. wise.
So below is some pictures of her in the barn, and chillin' in the shade.
Who's Your Momma? - Cattle

We have some thoughts on her mix, but any ideas would be helpful.
Thank you,
Megan

Tango · #2 07/04/06, 10:32 AM

She's so cute

What long eyelashes! Something about the curly hairs on her head give me the impression of a Charolais cross. Is she very young?

Leo · #3 07/04/06, 04:07 PM

Hi,
I love her eyelashes, too. I'll look up the charolais breed, I don't think I looked up that one yet.

I'm not very good with the cattle breeds though so I thought I'd come to the professionals.

I went out and checked her teeth, she still has all her baby teeth, and measures 36" at the withers. All the info that I got from the auction was that she is a 200# heifer and a Killer.
I think they just called her a killer as they were trying to convince me that a woman has no business with cattle of anykind. Don't you just love the good o'le boys.

Thank you,
Megan

SmokedCow · #4 07/04/06, 04:13 PM

Yeah..chars have been known to throw out that creamy color. Most of the time, its the cow is a char with simiar color and shes bred Black or Red. Shes a cutie!!
Have a great and safe 4th!
AJ

milkinpigs · #5 07/04/06, 04:15 PM

She's a charolais cross, probably with a dairy breed, we've had char X holstein that same color. She should be good for whatever you want to use her for.

Tango · #6 07/04/06, 04:16 PM

Hi Megan,
Please don't think I'm a professional. There are many on this board who are; I'm a newbie myself. Just happen to live in an area where the Charolais is very popular so I see calves all the time. I even bottle fed a sick one for a few days before she up and died on me

I understand about being a woman at a sale barn though. I was at ours this past week when a Jersey went through. I went to bid on her and the auction owner called my [male] neighbor up there to tell him she had a bad back. Couldn't call me up there? I was the one buying her

I know I'm a woman and I know I'm learning but I do speak English, even if I don;t have the southern accent down just yet

Good luck with her. I think she's adorable, whatever she turns out to be.

Sprout · #7 07/04/06, 04:26 PM

My friend had a cross that looked like this same golden color and curly hair. It was a complete mutt you couldn't name all the breeds it had in it but a very good steer.

Freeholder · #8 07/04/06, 07:52 PM

There are a couple of reasons I can think of for someone to take a pretty young heifer like that to the auction. One is that she might be a dwarf. You'd want to check her teeth and get an estimate of her age for that. The other would be if she was a twin -- if her sibling was a male, she could be a freemartin. I've never seen one, so not sure exactly how you determine that. If I was you I've have an experienced cattle person check her over closely before you get too attached.

But she is a cutie.

Kathleen

Sprout · #9 07/04/06, 10:18 PM

From the pictures she doesn't look like she's a dwarf they usualy have mishapen large heads. For a freemartin sometimes you can't tell until maturity and only when comparing to a normal cow, they look more bullish with a thick neck and are more muscled. They often have very hairy vulvas so pull on her little tail and judge for yourself. A killer may mean that she was to be sold for food and not breeding stock. But I am definatly not an expert in cattle slang. At the very worst you can eat her. (not to be morbid but her pelt would be gorgeous)

Up North · #10 07/05/06, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueJuniperFarm

The other would be if she was a twin -- if her sibling was a male, she could be a freemartin. I've never seen one, so not sure exactly how you determine that.

Kathleen

A freemartin looks the same as any other female bovine,LOL. You would never know one if it walked past you among 100 other heifer calves. If you suspect this, a vet can do a simple, painless test by inserting a 5 ML glass test tube thru the vulva to see if she has reproductive organs.
There are more reasons people send cattle to sales than we could ever list here. Why not just enjoy watching Goldilocks grow up and cross each creek when you get to it, LOL.
PS there was definately a Jersey in her ancestral tree, perhaps the product of an unsanctioned late night tryst with a fence jumper

Tango · #11 07/05/06, 06:56 AM

Another reason a heifer will go to sale is if she is the calf of a milk cow. The calf may be a Charolais or Charolais X crossed with a dairy cow (would be a big dairy cow. That's what I was told about my heifer calves. Get to know your auction to tell if they are trustworthy. I've learned mine here will try to catch all the nonsense. Anyway, like UpNorth said, enjoy her. Can't wait for my heifer calf!

What are you feeding her?

Leo · #12 07/05/06, 08:38 AM

Hi
Thank you so much for all the responses. I thought that she might be a freemartin, someone's cull, or whatnot, and to prepare mentally if she really is as vicious as the guy at the barn said. I just told my husband if she's as mean as they say, we'll just eat her. Luckily, she's a sweetheart.

As Up North said, I checked her outside and all seems together, I've seen freemartins before, but only with goats. I will have to get a vet to come up and check her out internally though. My husband will be happy to her that she might have some jeresy as he's been saying that since day one.

Tango, I am feeding her free choice coastal, red mineral, baking soda. For breakfast, and dinner, a mix of alfalfa pellets, Boss, calf manna, and Mare n' foal. I can see the charolois in her too, I'm not used to calves so.

I could see her being a mix of dairy and beef, we have two dairies up the street a bit from us, one holestein, the other jersey, and we are surrounded by cattle ranchers, mostly angus, or angus cross. I'm sure we have some charolais too, we have some whitish cattle here too that I have mistaken for very large limestone rocks. I just called them limestone cattle, I think charolais is a better term.

Sorry for being so verbose, but I really appreciate all of ya'lls input.
Thank you,
Megan

Up North · #13 07/05/06, 09:33 AM

The sale barn jargon "KILLER" meant that it was an undesirable calf noone would want and hence " go for kill" or direct to slaughter. It has nothing to do with disposition of said calf.
Distinct possibility that jersey dairy farm had no desire to raise and milk a beef cross (OOPS, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?,LOL) and just sent her to sale. Doesn't mean she won't work perfect for Y'all!!!!!....ENJOY.

Tango · #14 07/05/06, 02:51 PM

Up North, knowing a Charolais and a Jersey (cow) would not be a wise choice for a dairy, could the cross be a Charolais cow and a Jersey bull, (hypothetically speaking, not necessarily about this pretty calf)? Would the distinct black nose of the Jersey be recessive trait? I would have thought the color black on a cow would be co-dominant?

cowgirlracer · #15 07/05/06, 10:01 PM

I am not very experienced with this, but my guess would be some sort of Jersey cross. She looks as though she doesn't have the super high place pin bones of a full dairy cow, so the cross would presumably be w/ a beef breed. However she does look very sweet, and gentle maybe killer is for those great looks - those eyes are gorgeous. Good luck and enjoy.

Anne
Cowgirlracer

Up North · #16 07/05/06, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tango

Up North, knowing a Charolais and a Jersey (cow) would not be a wise choice for a dairy, could the cross be a Charolais cow and a Jersey bull, (hypothetically speaking, not necessarily about this pretty calf)? Would the distinct black nose of the Jersey be recessive trait? I would have thought the color black on a cow would be co-dominant?

Black is USUALLY dominant, but not ALWAYS. We have had quite a few red&white calves born from black&white mothers. Just depends on if the red genes link up. Most commercial dairy farms don't milk beef crosses - simply because they don't need to. If they are doing their job on repro, they will have good plenty of dairy heifers to work with....................................