I know there isn't much interest in cattle or agriculture in general here at PFF but I sometimes have an inclination to talk about the thing that has pretty much taken the place of my Fiero endeavors. I never name or get attached to any of my cattle but this was a bit of an exception. She was born March 20 2014, 7 months old on Oct 20, out of a horned heifer that lost her first calf in early 2013. I almost sold that horned heifer but decided to give her one more chance, but made myself a promise, that if she had a live calf, I'd try to do something good with it. Decided last month to donate her to some 4H kid that had the "want to" but couldn't afford to buy a calf to raise. Calves have gotten really expensive the last 2 years, and it's hard for some parents to be able to scrape together the $ for the initial purchase. I called a friend that's more involved with 4H than I am and him and another 4H mentor came by and looked at her a few weeks ago and got with the San Jac County Agent and they found a young man that wanted to raise one. She's a cross bred, not anything special, but she'll give him the experience and she's dog gentle and grew pretty good-Been weaned nearly 3 weeks and on a little creep and grass for over a month. 1 day old.
about 100 days old:
Last week:
She loaded right up just as calm and pretty as ya please, didn't bawl once or balk at the step up:
I really gonna miss her.....she grew good and fast and never a minute's trouble--I got way too attached to her which is unusual for me.. One last look as she goes off....
I didn't meet the young man--he was busy finishing up a pen when the 4h supervisor came by to pick her up and deliver her. I sent a new chin chain control halter and and an old fiberglas show stick with her, her shot and medical history, and I hope he enjoys her and learns with her. (Told them it was time for deworming--I just didn't get around to it before they picked her up)
She's out of the cow in the first pic and a polled sim/charX bull. That momma cow REALLY made the milk for this calf, and she's now bred to my beefmaster bull.
When we relocated to Virginia is 2012, the community where we moved is very agriculturally oriented, particularly with beef cattle. I grew up in an area that was predominantly dairy, so it is a big switch. The farm that we purchased was originally a 250 acre "gentleman's" beef cattle operation but our old farmhouse is only with 6 acres of the land which is plenty for my horse and his donkey companion. The neighbors who purchased 160 acres and 84 acres still raise cattle on them and the 160 acres neighbor continued to graze his cattle on "our" 6 acres until we bought it.
A funny story for you though - upon seeing pictures of the home which still had cattle in our fields, a PA neighbor asked, "Are you guys going to get beef cattle?" I promptly replied, "No. While I'm not an animal rights activist and enjoy a good prime rib, I don't think I could have an animal rely on me for food and care and then turn around and eat it." My husband then said, "What you don't want to feed them their last supper like the Pilgrims did to the Indians?" Poor guy mixed up Easter and Thanksgiving but it gave the rest of us a good laugh.
Nice thing to do Don, they raise them and then sell or have them butchered don't they when they do something like that?
Nice looking calf though.
Edit to add, we name all our animals no matter where they are going, now if they are headed to freezer camp the calves get named Normand and the pigs get named pork chop or bacon ! So we don't forget their days are numbered !
Steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.
[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 10-31-2014).]
I really gonna miss her.....she grew good and fast and never a minute's trouble--I got way too attached to her which is unusual for me.. One last look as she goes off....
Thanks for sharing. When my sister was in high school, she raised two steers in Ag class over two years. We were poor, and both were donated by good folks like you. She did learn a lot and took care of her steers, showing the second one at the Houston Livestock Show (this would have been in '87 or '88).
So believe me when I tell you the young man appreciates the opportunity. Being around livestock - and cattle in particular - is a good way to teach someone how to respect nature, learn discipline, and be rewarded with tangible success.
Sure there is - reading threads such as this is a nice reminder that there's a world outside this 'city' life...
Ditto. I find everyone's perspective interesting to read, even if I don't comment on all of them. I like all the 'pictures into other worlds' It's like a mini national geographic
Thanks for sharing. When my sister was in high school, she raised two steers in Ag class over two years. We were poor, and both were donated by good folks like you. She did learn a lot and took care of her steers, showing the second one at the Houston Livestock Show (this would have been in '87 or '88).
So believe me when I tell you the young man appreciates the opportunity. Being around livestock - and cattle in particular - is a good way to teach someone how to respect nature, learn discipline, and be rewarded with tangible success.
Thanks again.
Your sister, would have probably have been FFA and not 4H --if it was like the school I attended. I don't know any of the local FFA folks much but do work with the 4H when I can. My father bought my first calf for me when I was a sophomore in high school--$300 worth for a registered Angus heifer, and that was a LOT of $$ for a 8 month old calf back in the 60s. I had to pay him back over time, but that was the calf that got me hooked on raising cattle, and she had the paperwork going back to Aberdeen Scotland. My father knew nothing about halter breaking a calf--horses and mules he knew, but not calves. I was on my own.
Now, my goal was to halter break her and show her, but that didn't work out at all. I weighed about 95 lbs soaking wet, tall and skinny. The calf weighed about 500lbs and Angus in those days hadn't had the meanness bred out of them like they have today. She didn't give us much trouble getting a halter on her, but the minute I snapped that lead rope onto the halter, she turned into a brick--wouldn't move no way no how--just wouldn't lead. If I gave her any slack in the lead rope at all, she'd take off like a scalded dog, dragging me from one end of that pasture to the other, but the second I got in front of her, she'd set all 4 legs, and wouldn't budge--a brick again, snorting snot and watching every move I made.
This went on for about 3 weeks, me coming home from the pasture up the road, dirty, disgusted, elbows scraped up, knees tore out of my jeans, bruised and cut up from being drug thru the weeds, grass and brush and slung into the fences. One day, my father came driving up on his tractor to do some mowing, watched me fight that ornery calf a while, and backed the tractor up right up to us. "Boy, tie that lead rope on the tailwheel of the mower, I'll break that little hell ***** of her stubbornness right now--tie it on good too". He took off with her in tow, in 2nd high. That calf set all 4 legs, and just bounced on her hooves up and down that pasture for 30 minutes and never once broke into a walk or run. He brought her back to me at the pen, said "Well boy, I just don't know what to tell ya about her". I never did get her halter broke and we ended up turning her in with the tamed brahma bull and white face cows we had at the time, and I went and got me a hog to raise and show.
The Angus had a really nice baldy calf every year for several years, but none were stubborn like she was. That brahma bull Mike was docile as a puppy and all his calves were too.
I learned since then, the tail twist trick to get them to move WITH you and have halter broke several, but I won't ever forget that first one and it's for that reason I'll never have a black angus again.
Don, I don't give a rat's ass how bad ass you are or what other's think of you. You're a good guy and worth knowing. I'm proud to call you friend.
------------------ Ron Count Down to A Better America: http://countingdownto.com/countdown/196044 Isn't it strange that after a bombing, everyone blames the bomber, his upbringing, his environment, his culture, his mental state but … after a shooting, the problem is the gun?
My Uncle Frank was a staunch Conservative and voted straight Republican until the day he died in Chicago. Since then he has voted Democrat. Shrug
Nice looking little gal there. My hats off to you! I remember the pig and cow program we did in the FFA when I was in high school. I think it's great to read about some kids that still want to learn that kind of thing.
[This message has been edited by Khw (edited 10-31-2014).]
The countywide 4H/FFA livestock show took place while I was incarcerated, so I didn't get to see it, but someone did take a pic and send it to my phone. Looks like the young feller fed her good and got her broke for the show ring. I don't know how she did or what he got for here at the end of show auction.
Good People Do Good Things. You're a good man Don. Thanks for updating the thread and heal up.
BTW, this a nice heifer.
------------------ Ron
Isn't it strange that after a bombing, everyone blames the bomber, his upbringing, his environment, his culture, his mental state but … after a shooting, the problem is the gun?
My Uncle Frank was a staunch Conservative and voted straight Republican until the day he died in Chicago. Since then he has voted Democrat. Shrug
Hey MJ, what is a 4H? What families are trying to buy cows? Do they use them for milk and stuff, or is it for something else? (I really have no clue, so being honest here).
Also, just curious... I thought only male cows had horns? That female cow had horns? I feel really stupid.
While many call all bovines by the name 'cows' ---it's not really accurate. There is no such thing as a 'male cow'. Males are called bulls. Females that have never given birth are called heifers and females that have given birth and successfully raised a calf to weaning stage are called cows.
Horns are a matter of genetics--not gender--both male and/or female can be horned--depending on breed. Some breeds are homozygous "non-horned" (polled) both males and females.
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 10-11-2015).]
So we don't forget their days are numbered !
It's like a mini national geographic
