STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemann,

UNL Extension Educator,

Webster County

December 29, 2011 Edition

Can you imagine if animals could communicate their New Year’s wishes to their owner of manager? Let’s put this in the perspective as presented by the old boss cow representing the rest of her herd to the farmer/rancher or person caring for them. I have a feeling that these New Year’s wishes would probably be similar to those of most cows in herds across Nebraska and the USA. Here would be the conversation….. “I have been appointed by other cows of your herd to present our wishes to you as we enter the New Year. If you can carry out these wishes, we can produce feeder calves that would be more profitable for you and of greater value when you market them. We are here to help you.”

First; improve pasture production and management that will allow us to graze more. This would make us happier and more profitable for you. We were made to convert grass into pounds of feeder cattle. Then, staying with the forage theme, we would ask that you harvest hay at the appropriate stage so we can get the needed protein and energy to perform profitably. Poor quality feed offers little in nutrition and is more difficult to digest. Good food makes good pounds. You would also benefit from this because you would also lower your cost of winter feeding and may be able to take your wife on a well deserved vacation with the money you save. If you time it just right we shouldn’t need much of your attention.
We would wish that you would provide, and then maintain, a good set of working facilities so we won’t get hurt and your children can watch you work us, our herd mates, and our offspring without wondering what the words you keep yelling at us mean. Your wife might also be more willing to help. We don’t really understand what you are trying to say to us, but we think your wife does, and by her body language we don’t think she likes it. We really do work better with a good system.
Have you ever heard of BCS? That doesn’t relate to football rankings in our world. It is “Body Condition Scoring”. Please keep us in “good” body condition and supplement when needed. We feel better and produce better when you keep us in the BCS 4-6 range. As you know, we don’t perform well when we are “too thin” and it is not profitable for you to keep us “too fat”. One thing that would help us reach or maintain our best BCS is that you control pests, like lice and flies, so that we can graze without being constantly irritated, our calves can perform well and neither of us develop eye problems.
Please work on developing a controlled, short calving season. We don’t need to spend a lot of time with the bull. He gets rather edgy and belligerent after that long with all of us ladies. Sixty days, the most 90 days, are long enough for us. Ask your wife about that. She has her routine, just like we do, and we ladies don’t really appreciate having a male under our feet. We have our calves to worry about, both the one at our side, and the one inside. Get him out of there!
While you are selecting bulls, please mate us to a one that allows us to produce a high quality feeder calf that we can be proud of and will be profitable for you. Before you purchase a new herd bull, consider the genetics needed to get the preceding wish done. Have you ever heard of EPD’s? Again that isn’t a football quarterback rating. It is “Expected Progeny Difference”, and it can make a lot of difference in the bottom line and in how we do as a herd. Look at the herd’s performance and make a breeding plan. We don’t want to be mated with just any old bull. We don’t mean to be picky, but if we are going to go to all the work and effort wouldn’t it make more sense that you would be a little picky too?
We see that you frequently go to the doctor with your family. We just ask that you carry out a good health program that includes vaccinations for both respiratory and reproductive diseases for us as well. I think the vet calls it a “health protocol” for our herd. Do we need to remind you that a healthy cow herd means more profit for you? We would ask that you walk out amongst us once in awhile to see how we are doing. Is one of us looking ill, or not grazing or eating our winter menus? Do any of us have droopy ears, runny nose or perhaps listless eyes? How about our babies? Are you looking to their welfare and health? Please keep an eye on them too. We can’t really tell you what we see or feel. We depend on you. Please don’t wait till it’s too late! It wouldn’t even hurt to even look at our manure. It can tell you a lot about how we are doing.
We are not too far from having our new babies. We would ask that you check on us during calving to ensure that we make it “okay” and our calves are born with few problems, survives, and does well. Again we are on your side. We don’t want you to lose the investment you have in our annual cost of maintenance. While we are on the subject, be careful on the bulls you run with us. Calving ease is an important consideration when you match us to the sire you want for our calves. We really don’t like you to use those calving jacks, chains, or especially having to have a c-section. That makes having a baby next year a lot harder for us. We will probably resist you messing with our calves, but in reality it is probably best to process (castrate, implant and ear tag) our male calves at birth so that they can get off to a good start and make you more money. Doing this as they get older will cause a set-back in their performance, especially if you do it at weaning.
We are proud of our daughters. Please take better care of our daughters that you are planning for replacements. They should be fed and cared for better than us mature cows to be profitable. We suggest that you pelvic measure and then get them on a vaccination program including childhood vaccination for bangs. We think it is just fine for them to have that metal ear tag. We see a lot worse in you humans. Our wishes are really pretty basic for a successful cow-calf operation and will help us make more money for you. It seems when you are more profitable, we do better as well…Happy New Year!
The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the !website at: http://www.webster.unl.edu/me