Register steer calf ?

[bobhorkay]

Should I register a steer calf that I'm planning on raising for consumption?, with a good 19-22 months to get to that point it might be worth doing ?

Anyway, I was fortunate to buy a cow / calf pair last year and enjoy training them for milking, which was a considerable effort but was worth it in the end. But then she suddenly dried up on me in October (dextercattle.proboards.com/thread/4338/keep-milking ). 

In the back of my mind I was suspecting she was pregnant, but she had only been with a bull for two months after the calf before the pair left that farm for ours and everyone said, "not possible".

By December I knew and finally on 1/27 this year, we had a nice bull calf, no issues.  Pictures here: ( www.lifeasbob.com/2015/01/27/StrongHEAT.aspx )

Because I'm not yet prepared to raise a bull (and don't want to in-line breed them), I banded it, and it's now a steer, also I learned how to use dehorning paste, as after watching my 12 month old calf get dehorned, I'll always try to get that calf early and use the paste, she still hasn't forgiven me for that !

So now I have 3 ! and lots of milk again (strawberry milk at first, good for the chickens and roses, which by the way...if you dump the milk on your roses, expect the dogs to promptly begin digging up the rose bushes, wife not pleased with that idea).

So back to the question, should I register him ?  [ can can I register him, both sire and dam are registered ].

[cddexter]

no benefit, other than keeping track of calves from the cow. If you have the fee value to spare, go for it.

Love your rose story. cheers, c.

[zephyrhillsusan]

That's right, no added value, but useful to track your cow's production and if you want to show. You can only show registered stock, if I understand correctly. We registered our bull calf and have now castrated him, so I need to change his registration to reflect that. I think I'll probably continue to register our steers (it's cheaper than the regular resgistration) just to keep it from looking like a cow didn't have a calf for several years in a row and to reflect all our herd sire's progeny. However, if you have lots of them, some people might not want to go to the expense or trouble.

Congratulations on your surprise! 

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

Feb 14, 2015 14:10:12 GMT -5 bobhorkay said:

also I learned how to use dehorning paste, as after watching my 12 month old calf get dehorned, I'll always try to get that calf early and use the paste, she still hasn't forgiven me for

Have you thought about either keeping horns on, or using the polled gene to genetically de-horn? Use a homozygous polled bull on your genetically horned cows and you'll never ever need to de-horn again. The calves will thank you for it.

[bobhorkay]

Keeping the horns on is not something I'd like to do, mostly because I do want to milk them, my kids, and my in-experience with cattle in general.

The paste worked real good, but unfortunately when I bought my cow/calf pair, the calf was already close to 3 months old.

I will be looking for a polled bull or AI from a polled bull in about 9 months, will have to see what I can find, finding the balance between cost, availability and chances of success, though paying more to get the herd started will definitely pay off long term.  I was also hoping to rent/borrow a bull, as I'm not all the way ready to keep a bull yet for only two cows, but I see that having to change pretty quickly.

With only two heifers I'm not sure how successful AI will be, though I do have someone locally (literally around the corner) who is willing to work with me even though I only have two (right now!), so that is a big bonus for trying AI a time or two.

Long term I envision a herd big enough to always have one in milk year round, one ready for the freezer each year.

[hollydzie]

I personally do not register my steers. I know it is only $15.00 but to me it just doesn't matter. Of the 11 calves born on our farm we have only had 3 bull calves and all were steered.

[zephyrhillsusan]

bobhorkay, if you have someone who will do AI for you, I would go that route rather than get a bull.  That's coming from someone who does have a bull because although we live two miles from a nationally-known genetic clinic, we could no longer get them to bother with us for two cows.  But using AI lets you have your choice of genetics from the available AI bulls, even breeding a different bull to each cow based on her qualities.  You could wait to buy your bull until your herd is a bit more built up.

We went the route of taking our heifer to be bred, but that wouldn't work for re-breeding her because I wanted to milk, which means she has to stay here.  So we leased the same bull for on-farm breeding, but after he left here he was sold because his breeders were getting out of the leasing business.  They were very particular about which farms they would let him go to, but it just became financially unfeasible for them to continue it; it was a service they provided which didn't benefit them at all and which left them with all the risks of something happening to their bull or him getting something from cows that carried an STD.  There are still a few breeders who will lend or lease bulls, but not many--and you want to know who else's cows that bull might be breeding.  It's something we have regretfully decided we cannot do because of the risk of disease, injury, liability, etc.  So AI might just be your best bet for now.

[RedRidge]

I'm no longer registering steers. I used to feel an obligation to the ADCA for accurate record keeping, but let's just say I don't feel that obligation any more. I keep very accurate records... most people care about other's records unless it affects them. The older I've gotten the more I realize my record keeping is much more important to me than others. Yes I'm anal. But I think that statement might just mean I'm getting slightly cynical also. ;-)

I am not a fan of AI to outside bulls for a variety of reasons.

[legendrockranch]

I also have stopped registering steers, for the same reasons as RedRidge and others have mentioned.

Barb

[bobhorkay]

I decided not to register for a few reasons:
- feedback above
- He's in the food pipeline !
- I can't, as since she was pregnant when I got her, according to the latest newsletter, the guy I got her from would have to register her and then do a transfer,

He's doing great, de-horned via paste, steer, and looking great; he doesn't let me get too close yet, but I guess between getting castrated and dehorned, he is a bit shy of me ! Man he can run, he was tearing around in circles yesterday, than momma got to running and mooing at him and her year old heifer calf starts running, the 3 of them are a playful sight at times.

The duct tape we wrapped around his head finally wore off yesterday, wow, that paste leaves some nasty looking divets, but still looks less painful than taking the horns off at 12 months.

Mom has finally gotten back used to the milking routine, though those days when the weather is single digits cold and snowing, she can be a bit fidgety, but even the chickens didn't leave their coop for 3 days it was so cold. Even sharing with the calf, there is plenty to make string cheese and mozzarella, as well as feed my 3 boys. For those that haven't tried it, my father sent me a root beer syrup to make root beer milk, and it's outstanding in Dex Milk.

thanks for the advice to all.
bob

[littlecowfl]

Sometimes I register them as babies, keep them until they're six months old, and then decide whether or not to cut them. Other times, if I know they won't be bred, I just wait until they're cut and register them as steers. I have one steer who was spared his fate by being put on permanent loan at a children's farm. He was definitely worth registering. I do like having an ADCA record of all calves born to my animals.