Changing the Rules
I just read an editoral in a dairy magazine about "show cattle". The article said, "How many times have you stood at ringside and said, that cow would never last in my freestall barn." They then came up with the idea that the true type model should change so they look more like "regular" free stall cows. Now just wait a darn minute here. Ever think there might be something wrong with the free stall barns and not the cow. I have trouble being lectured about cow survival by a bunch of folks have cull rates higher than 30%. The true type models were made by men who knew alot more about cows then the current group of people that call themselves dairymen. If you want to own a bunch of chicken chested, round boned, fat, sausage shaped, ugly uddered index cattle; be my guest! But just face up to the fact that you own UGLY cattle and quit trying to change the rules so you can win.
In the future I will post on type traits and why they matter.
posted by Scott M Terry @ 6:10 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I'm not sure what's wrong with those freestall factory farm freaks. That's all they talk about. What gets me about freestalls in particular, like you said, is the cull rate. Even if you do the best darn job you can, it's still 25% plus; and even that's a lot of work! You could of kissed Elsie good-bye 10 years ago. Your friend Galton always insisted that a high producing cow that was culled after 2.5 lactations is more econimical than a 7 or 8 lactation cow with 'average' production. Given the fact that the 1st lactation pays room and board, he's out to lunch with that conclusion. I suppose if you looked crossed-eyed at the numbers it might work.
While I am totally against index bulls and mega herd I have lost a little faith in showring cattle. While we still use 90% or more of showring genetics I realize that the cowws winning are just freaks with great fit jobs. I need a cow that is durable not showring thin, big but not huge with an udder that is attached way above the hock and going to stay there. I have seen way to many cows go to the golden arches before they got themselves out of debt. Yeah We have very few 20,000# cows but I got a heck of a lot of Iron Grandmas that allow me to sell 1/3 of the herd for dairy instead of hamburgers. What bugs me is when you get the Auerthusas, Kueffners, Vail, Nabholz spending big bucks and everyone thinking how great the stock is. How so or so are so great of breeders, oh pleazz PS lots22 and 45 on Norms sale are the real deal. Again sorry for the shameless plug
Hey Matt,
My friend Galton? HA HA HA Its all smoke and mirrors.
Mystery Man,
I hear your complaints about the show business. I wasn't really advocating there culture, we don't show as much as we used to. When the invester types are willing to pay $100,000 for a cow, why bother. I do however think that the traditional type model is the way to go. The cows with a deep body, wide chest, shallow udder, and good spring of rib are the kind that can turn cheap forage into milk. They, dispite what the "new research" says, live longer and have better immune systems. I'm sure you agree, and I think we both breed for the same kind of cow. Thanks for commenting.
Scott
Didn't mean to be a mystery just forgot to add evermoor to the tag. Fully agree, it seems that only those who cannot breed cows use indexs. How is the Just waits and Deluxes doing? Many milking?
I like them. Only milking one JW so far and she is a good one. No deluxes fresh yet.
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