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A great percentage would be 100% calf crop! But, as a benchmark, a producer should aim for a 92 to 98% calf-crop from his cowherd, regardless of size. Anything less than that should be of concern to any cow-calf producer.
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∙ 11y ago
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How many cows do you need to have to make a good living?
At least 1000 cows for a beef cow-calf operation, and over 200 for a dairy operation.
What do you call a female bovine with only one calf?
She is still called a cow. If she's old a lot of producers call their old cows "granny cows," especially if their foundation cows or good producers that have been in the herd for a long time.
What age are cows still good for calving?
Any age, really, as long as you make sure she maintains good condition, has her annual vaccinations, and can still suckle and wean a good calf. Some cows can still be mommas when they're past 20 years of age.
What are some ways you can use dairy cows?
Not only for milk production, but dairy cows are also good grazers, enough to eat down a pasture or field, and their manure is also great for use on gardens, flower beds and fields used for crop production. Dairy cows also produce calves, which can either be used as replacements, or the bulls can be raised for meat. Some people like to buy a bull calf or two, castrate it, then raise it for beef (not veal), slaughtering it when it is around 2 years of age.
Many a good cow hath a bad calf?
Sadly, this is often true. A good cow or heifer can have the looks of a good cow or heifer, but when it comes to producing a good calf, they fall short. And it's not always the bull's fault. A good lookin' heifer may be the one that has more trouble calving, or one that raises an average to poor quality calf compared to the rest of the heifers in the herd. All this could be due to too much condition which affects milking ability and calving ease, diet during pregnancy that could've induced a calf that was too large for her to deliver by herself, or that she produced a calf that was too small. The good lookin' heifers may also be the ones that do not have as strong a mothering instinct as the other heifers, and may kick the calf away from them, fail to protect their calves against the test of predators like dogs or even strange humans, or just altogether ignore their calves. Even the good lookin ones may be the ones that fail to breed back or breed back on time. The same can be said for the cows. Often there are those good lookin cows that raise great calves, but there's also those great lookin cows that are only able to raise average-quality calves. Even these good lookin cows may be the ones that are less able to gain weight easily after birth, or take more feed to maintain. There may also be some good cows that break down quicker than the uglier ones. There's all sorts of variables to the phrase that "Many a good cow hath a bad calf."
When a cow gives birth to a stillborn calf will she breed back quicker than if she had given birth to a healthy calf?
Yes. Interestingly, this is a good example of how dairy cows come back into heat sooner than beef cows. Dairy cows that do not have a calf suckling on them (even though they are producing more than twice the amount of milk), actually come back into heat sooner than beef cows. Research has shown that this is because the calf actually inhibits ovulation. If calves are taken off their dams early, (like, 30 to 60 days after birth), the cows will almost always resume cycling much more quickly than if they were raising a calf. All in all, the simple explanation to the question above is this: A cow that gives birth to a stillborn calf (or has aborted early, or has been weaned early) comes back into heat quicker because partly she's not being suckled, and partly because she will dry up (if she isn't made into a surrogate mother for an orphaned calf), resulting in the decreased drain of energy reserves on her body. Hence, she can put those reserves into returning to her normal estrous cycle instead of growing a calf.
Is there health management for cows?
Yes. Cows need to be healthy in order to produce a calf, give milk, and even live a good life. Vaccines and antibiotics are made available whenever an animal is in need of it, but shouldn't be used on an animal if she doesn't need it.
What do you need to start a dairy farm?
You would need cows (Of course!), barns and pastures to house them, feed, milking machines, farm hands and a good work ethic. Cows will needed to have been milked twice a day. You will either need to buy a bull or stud your cows to a bull, because you cow needs to have had a calf before it starts giving milk. You would need cows (Of course!), barns and pastures to house them, feed, milking machines, farm hands and a good work ethic. Cows will needed to have been milked twice a day. You will either need to buy a bull or stud your cows to a bull, because you cow needs to have had a calf before it starts giving milk.
What is a person who searches for lost calves?
Someone who is stupid of foolish enough to love to interfere with the normalcy of what is Nature and natural for cows to hide their babies while they go off to forage on their own!! A cow knows where her calf is and purposely "loses" her calf so that she can have some time to herself. If you find a "lost" calf, leave it alone. Good intentions often result in terrible consequences, like the death of the calf you tried to "save."
Is a pregnant heifer a heifer or a cow?
It depends on you and what your plans are for the female and her calf and your experience with calving females. Often bred heifers are cheaper than bred cows, but they can be a pain in the rear when it comes down to calving, because they're predictably unpredictable. A bred cow will have more experience delivering and mothering up to a calf than a heifer will, and if you intend on keeping the calf for breeding (IF it's a heifer), then more often than not, if the cow's a good dam, the calf will be a good keeper. Not so for heifers: any calf that they birth should be raised for slaughter or sold, as they're not as good quality to keep for breeding purposes as her second, third, fourth, etc. calves will be. So it's all up to you.
A desirable feature is a cow with a low milk yield?
In most cases, it should be the exact opposite. For beef and especially dairy cows, a desirable feature or trait is to have a good to high milk yield. High milk yield in dairy cows means more milk to ship to be consumed by people. High to good milk yield in beef cows means bigger calves, as the old saying goes: "Lotta milk, lotta calf."
Do milking cows give birth to milking cows?
Cattle such as Guenseys are specially bred for milk production. The offspring of a Guensey bull and a Guensey cow will be a Guensey calf. So, yes, the adaptation for high milk production is hereditary. Some other cattle breeds are not good milk producers, but are adapted for beef production.
