Boy Call + Girl calf = Non-breedable?

[HazyDay]

Ok, I have pretty much grown up on my uncles dairy farm. They have alot of twins born every year. And If a bull and heifer is born they can't keep any of them. If it true that a male and female born share sex organs? Im just wondering because a goat can have 2 does and 1 buck and they all can breed? Or is this all an OLD WIFES TALE???

[wildhorse]

HazyDay they are called free martins and from what I understand its only the female that is sterile.

[Ken Scharabok]

In cattle mulitple calves share the same pacenta. Since the male developes sexually earlier his male hormones typically (about 90% or so) cause the female sex organs to not develop properly. As such, pretty well all male/female twins consider the female to be sterile. A vet can verify if necessary (such as for show cattle).

[HazyDay]

Ok, no they don't even keep them. They sell them right off the farm within days. They only keep them for milk so claves unless going to be a milker in a few years are sold. Lately they are selling all claves for around 80.00 each. some bulls only go for 30.00. NO Market for cattle around here. Just milk and thats loosing to! The place wants to cut back all farmers with out 100 plus cows and when they sell out then they don't get any money!

[xoxoGOATSxoxo]

I thought cows hardly ever had multiples....shows how much I know.

[jerzeygurl]

I had cow have twin girls this year

[glidergurl03]

Originally Posted by HazyDay

Ok, no they don't even keep them. They sell them right off the farm within days. They only keep them for milk so claves unless going to be a milker in a few years are sold. Lately they are selling all claves for around 80.00 each. some bulls only go for 30.00. NO Market for cattle around here. Just milk and thats loosing to! The place wants to cut back all farmers with out 100 plus cows and when they sell out then they don't get any money!

wow...dairy calves are selling for around $200 for bull calves and $500-600 for heifers here in northern MN! Wow...

[myersfarm]

Baby calves:
Holstein heifers 500.00-625.00, small 350.00-475.00
Holstein bulls 130.00-165.00, small 85.00-100.00
Crossbred heifers 200.00-300.00, small 100.00-150.00
here in missouri

[sammyd]

Central WI

69% of the Bull Calves Sold 100.00 - 170.00 per head
23% of the Bull Calves Sold 75.00 - 99.00 per head
Top Quality Holstein Heifer Calves 400.00 - 590.00 per head
Good to Select Quality Heifer Calves 300.00 - 400.00 per head
Average to Lightweight Heifer Calves 200.00 per head and down

[HazyDay]

Cows don't really have twins, but a farm around us had 3 bull calfs, Mom claved them with out help and they are huge stars. the news had them every where for weeks!

I know why they always have twins at my uncles. I used to go there every summer and I can tell every cows name and whos who's mom. I twins almost every time come in the same bloodlines heres the example

#18 = twins (219 and 218)
#219 = Single (bull sold)
#218 = Single (# 240)
#240 = Twins
So the twins are in the bloodlines. Thats just one family of them. I think they have 4 sets of cows (all that have had 3 clavings) So alot of hefiers will have twins. In Dec 206 the best cow ever (9 years old and still going strong) had twins dead tho claved 2 months early. But I know that twins are rare but they seem to have atlest 1 set of twins dead or alive every year!

[Tam319]

Jerzeygurl - Woo hoo!! Did you give her a gold star! Twin heifers...nice! Are these Jersey twins?

I was offered a Holstein bull calf for free this week from my friends that run a dairy. I'll call him my "Portable Milking Machine". LOL Saves me the extra work.