BUYING A COW
The last thread inspired a lot of interest BUT PLEASE dont go buy a cow just yet.
The thread below looks into what you should be looking for when buying your first cow.
This is general advice not breed specific advice.
The last thread inspired a lot of interest BUT PLEASE dont go buy a cow just yet.
The thread below looks into what you should be looking for when buying your first cow.
This is general advice not breed specific advice.
1. When to buy
The dry season is the best time to buy a potential cow.
Our environment is one of feast or famine, food is either in abundance or scarce.
How an animal copes with scarcity is a key variable. In any head the animals that look fat in October are your target.
The dry season is the best time to buy a potential cow.
Our environment is one of feast or famine, food is either in abundance or scarce.
How an animal copes with scarcity is a key variable. In any head the animals that look fat in October are your target.
2. Body condition
Body condition scoring allows one to evaluate the physical condition of a cow.
A cow that is in good condition when food is scarce is a cow that will need little extra feed to survive the dry season.
Ideally you want a cow with BCS score of 3 or 4
Body condition scoring allows one to evaluate the physical condition of a cow.
A cow that is in good condition when food is scarce is a cow that will need little extra feed to survive the dry season.
Ideally you want a cow with BCS score of 3 or 4
3. Calving ease
The most important attribute of any cow from an investment perspective is its ability to give live calfs.
One of the leading issues with calf birth is dyscotia ie when a calf gets stuck in the birth canal.
To avoid this you look for a cow with wide hips
The most important attribute of any cow from an investment perspective is its ability to give live calfs.
One of the leading issues with calf birth is dyscotia ie when a calf gets stuck in the birth canal.
To avoid this you look for a cow with wide hips
A productive cow will have a broad chest and large spring of ribs, indicating adequate body capacity.
It should be wide and long from hips to pins and deep from pins to the stifle joint, indicating calving ease.
The widest portion of the fertile cow should be in the midrib
It should be wide and long from hips to pins and deep from pins to the stifle joint, indicating calving ease.
The widest portion of the fertile cow should be in the midrib
4. History
If the cow is small ask to see the mother.
The mother will be a decent indicator of what your cow will look like in future.
Cows that show a poor physical structure should be avoided.
Caveat emptor despite all this you can end up with a dud of a cow.
If the cow is small ask to see the mother.
The mother will be a decent indicator of what your cow will look like in future.
Cows that show a poor physical structure should be avoided.
Caveat emptor despite all this you can end up with a dud of a cow.
Commercial farmers rarely sell their best animals.
Typically they will sell cows that have come from a poor line, shown calving difficulties, issues with condition or low productivity.
I know farmers who sell all the cows that fail to conceive that year.
Typically they will sell cows that have come from a poor line, shown calving difficulties, issues with condition or low productivity.
I know farmers who sell all the cows that fail to conceive that year.
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