This beef cow showed up last November. She was an escapee from the local sale barn (the fourth in two years). She had aparently just had her calf force weaned because she was still producing milk (nice udder as far as beef cows go). A bit light weight wise.
We are dairy farmers, not beef farmers, so I'm not sure just how much weight is right for a beef cow and when they have hit the obese/overweight area. I know some of our Jersey heifers are pushing the obese bracket at this point, but they are bred so they'll milk it off. Our animals gain weight on our pastures.
This cow (I'm assuming a two year old, maybe three year old, young) did not calve this year, so she went through the sale barn as open. We brought the herd up to draw blood for preg checking, but when we went to try and put a halter on her...well, it didn't work. It was right before dark though and we went ahead and gave up after she lifted the panels and took off. Before that I had got to the point where I could approach her in the open field and pet her nose. We don't know if she is bred or not. The majority of the rest of the herd is. They are settled to a 1/2 beef, 1/2 dairy bull calf that resulted from the stray beef bull from the sale barn two years ago. We are assuming she is due in February with the other mature cows, but hoping it is later. We shall see.
Mostly though, is she overweight at this stage? Or is she a good weight for a beef cow? The only grain she has seen has at most been about 10 pounds split among 25 head when they get out and when we brought them up to pull blood on...so maybe twice or three times in the past year? She has put on a lot of weight since she has been here. These pictures were taken on Monday;
Thanks!
given the oppurtunity, a cow will always take the wrong gate...Baxter Black
