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Heifers are still growing and maturing themselves, so a lot of resources being put into the calf's growth still need to be put into the heifer to keep her growing as well.
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Why do you neuter there male cows?
First let us get some terminology straight here. Male cattle are called Bulls and females are called Heifers (if have never calved a calf) or Cows if have calved a calf. Neutered Cattle are called Steers. Bulls are neutered if not of breeding quality and the Farmer wants to feed them out to fatten them and then slaughter for use as beef. This is where your beef comes from.
Does a cow go through puberty?
No, a heifer does. Cows are mature female bovines that have had at least two calves, and thus are females that have already been through puberty when they were heifers, before they had their first calf.
Is every cow a girl?
Yes! Cows are mature female bovines that have given birth to at least two calves. Heifers are females who have not given birth at all during their lifetime, and first-calf heifers are heifers that have given birth to their first calf. Steers and bulls, on the other hand, are MALES. Steers are male bovines that have been castrated or neutered (some people like to refer to them as "castrated bulls"), and bulls are intact male bovines that have not been castrated and are used (or going to be used) for breeding purposes.
What is the name of a 1- to 2-year old cow?
If she hasn't been bred yet, she's still a heifer. If she's bred, she'd be a bred heifer.If she has calved (which occurs in most heifers at around the age of 24 months), she would be called a first-calf heifer.But to make things simple, at that age, the name of a 1-2 year old "cow" is a heifer.However, if that "cow" is actually male, notfemale, then if castrated he would be a steer. If not castrated, a bullock or a young bull.
When do you separate calf from bulls?
This question is asked in quite an awkward manner: are you asking about separating young calves (or a young calf) from a herd of bulls, or about separating heifer calves from the bull calves in your herd? Or are you asking about something entirely which wasn't put across very clearly in this question? I'm assuming that you are referring to the middle question: separating heifer calves from the bull calves. The best time to do that is at weaning, which is around 6 to 8 months for a beef herd. When you process your heifers, make sure you give them a shot of lute (or a similar injectable hormone) to make any unknown-pregnant heifers abort, particularly if your herd is highly fertile and the heifers and bulls have hit puberty before they've been weaned, which happens more often than you might think. As for the first question, the calf should be separated from the bull herd immediately, particularly if it's a young animal and needs its dam. A bull that doesn't know what a calf is will physically abuse that calf with the intentions to do harm or even kill. Even though some herd bulls can be great with calves, this isn't true for all of them. This is partly why many producers choose to remove their herd bulls from the cow-herd before the cows start calving.
Is it true veal cutlets come from the nuts of young cows?
No. First of all, young cows refer to heifers, not bull calves, and heifers do not have "nuts" or testicles. Only bull calves have testicles that are removed if necessary. These testicles collected and eaten are called calf fries, Rocky Mountain Oysters or Prairie Oysters, not veal cutlets. Thus, veal cutlets are cuts of meat from calves, particularly dairy bull calves, that are slaughtered for their meat which is called veal.
Why do you neuter there male cows?
First let us get some terminology straight here. Male cattle are called Bulls and females are called Heifers (if have never calved a calf) or Cows if have calved a calf. Neutered Cattle are called Steers. Bulls are neutered if not of breeding quality and the Farmer wants to feed them out to fatten them and then slaughter for use as beef. This is where your beef comes from.
Does a cow go through puberty?
No, a heifer does. Cows are mature female bovines that have had at least two calves, and thus are females that have already been through puberty when they were heifers, before they had their first calf.
When do first-time calving heifers start to lactate?
None. Calves don't suckle on any breast, they suckle on the udder (NOT "utter") of their mothers, being cows. Breasts are for baby humans, apes and bear cubs and possibly even elephants. But not calves.
Should you keep heifers out of heifers?
No. All offspring from first-calf heifers should be sold because they are just going to be too small to be any good as replacements. I'd wait until your first-calvers are older, like after they've had their second calf to consider keeping any replacements from them. You may have an opportunity to keep some heifers as replacements from second calvers, but you're better off keeping heifers from cows that have proven time and time again to produce good keeper-quality calves. First-calvers are still growing when they have their second calf, and loose their baby teeth after this time. This growth and teeth-replacement period is quite stressful on both mom and baby, and as a result the calf isn't going to be gaining well because of these stressors. Besides, this first-calf heifer isn't a proven dam yet, so it is better to ship her offspring and give her a second (or third) chance to redeem herself and produce a better calf. By the time she has weaned her first and had her second, her adult teeth would've grown back and she would've finally reached maturity. Mature cows tend to give bigger, and better calves than first-calf heifers do.
Should first time heifer be brought in for freshening when temps are in the teens?
Yes, if the heifer has not calved yet and is close she should be brought to the barn so she does not calve outside, and can receive the care needed when she does give birth. It is important that first time heifers be milked regularly, regardless of the temperature. This will decrease the risk of mastitis, milk production, and get her used to the milking process.
Is every cow a girl?
Yes! Cows are mature female bovines that have given birth to at least two calves. Heifers are females who have not given birth at all during their lifetime, and first-calf heifers are heifers that have given birth to their first calf. Steers and bulls, on the other hand, are MALES. Steers are male bovines that have been castrated or neutered (some people like to refer to them as "castrated bulls"), and bulls are intact male bovines that have not been castrated and are used (or going to be used) for breeding purposes.
What are short bred cows or heifers?
Short bred cows or heifers are females that are in early gestation or pregnancy, mostly in their first trimester.
What is the name of a 1- to 2-year old cow?
If she hasn't been bred yet, she's still a heifer. If she's bred, she'd be a bred heifer.If she has calved (which occurs in most heifers at around the age of 24 months), she would be called a first-calf heifer.But to make things simple, at that age, the name of a 1-2 year old "cow" is a heifer.However, if that "cow" is actually male, notfemale, then if castrated he would be a steer. If not castrated, a bullock or a young bull.
When do you separate calf from bulls?
This question is asked in quite an awkward manner: are you asking about separating young calves (or a young calf) from a herd of bulls, or about separating heifer calves from the bull calves in your herd? Or are you asking about something entirely which wasn't put across very clearly in this question? I'm assuming that you are referring to the middle question: separating heifer calves from the bull calves. The best time to do that is at weaning, which is around 6 to 8 months for a beef herd. When you process your heifers, make sure you give them a shot of lute (or a similar injectable hormone) to make any unknown-pregnant heifers abort, particularly if your herd is highly fertile and the heifers and bulls have hit puberty before they've been weaned, which happens more often than you might think. As for the first question, the calf should be separated from the bull herd immediately, particularly if it's a young animal and needs its dam. A bull that doesn't know what a calf is will physically abuse that calf with the intentions to do harm or even kill. Even though some herd bulls can be great with calves, this isn't true for all of them. This is partly why many producers choose to remove their herd bulls from the cow-herd before the cows start calving.
How old are calves when they loose there baby teeth?
The calves are actually sexually mature and no longer "calves" by the time they lose their baby teeth, which is in fact around 2 years of age. You don't find this in feedlot steers because they have been killed and butchered (at around 14 to less than 24 months old) before they've dropped their baby teeth to be replaced by new ones. You find this more often in breeding bulls that are around 2 years of age, and heifers that have just had their first calf.
What is the offspring of a bull and a cow?
A calf. If it's a male, it's a bull calf. If it's female, it's a heifer calf. Bull calves become steer calves if they are castrated. A bull calf becomes a bull when he is weaned and reaches one year of age. Bulls are raised and used for breeding cows and heifers. Steers are steers when they are fed and raised for beef. A steer can become an ox if he is trained at a young age to pull carts and wagons. A heifer calf is no longer a heifer calf after she is weaned and becomes one year of age. She is a bred heifer when she is impregnated by a bull at 15 to 18 months of age, then a first-calf heifer when she calves. She becomes a cow after having her second calf.
