This is the first calf born on our farm to a heifer and bull that we raised from calves. Unfortunately, the brangus bull and 3 other black heifers went missing back in February and haven't been seen since.

What is this on my cows neck? It has grown. Small bump was about 6 weeks ago, other pic where its bigger is recent. She is around 9 months old. I plan to have one calf with her, then process her. Small hobby farm, 2 cows 6 sheep chickens etc on 15 acres.

I have a bull calf that I've had in feeding meal and silage. But recently had a few bales of haylage I had been feeding past two weeks. Calf has got major bloat and didn't get up for feed this evening. I think he's got stones and can't piss. think the combination of the dry silage and meal has caused it. Vet came out and put a orange cap on side to allow pressure to relieve. Calf got back in and drank a pile of water now fluid is seeping out of the orange hole. Calf was shivering after. Does he need operated on to allow him to get rid of the water. It's almost midnight and have a cow trying to calve. Should I get the vet first thing in the morning to operate on it. I had a bullock before that couldn't pee and he got operated on but died. I'm worried now. Any advice welcome.

honestly this comes up a lot and most people just think “cow is cow” but there’s actually a decent gap between them.

indian cows like gir, sahiwal, tharparkar, rathi etc are zebu breeds, you can spot them by the hump on their back and the loose skin hanging under the neck. jersey is a european breed, no hump, way more compact body, and honestly built more for pure milk output. jerseys give a LOT more milk per day compared to most indian breeds, that’s literally why dairy farms went crazy for them decades ago.

the milk itself is where the real difference is talked about. indian breeds mostly produce A2 beta-casein protein, jersey (like most western breeds) usually has a mix of A1 and A2. there’s this whole ongoing debate about whether A1 is harder to digest for some people, science is honestly still not fully settled on it so i wont pretend its a proven fact either way.

fat content also differs, indian cow milk generally runs a bit richer/fattier which is part of why ghee made from it has that deeper aroma, jersey milk tends to be thinner in comparison.

temperament wise indian breeds handle heat way better, makes sense since they evolved here, jerseys struggle more in hot humid weather and need more care/shelter.

so basically it’s not “better vs worse” straight up, it’s a tradeoff, jersey wins on quantity, indian breeds tend to win on the traditional/A2/heat-tolerance side.

Does this hoof look like crooked claw syndrome or does it just need a trim? Trying to decide if we should breed this heifer or not.

Any help would be appreciated. I got a calf from auction ( I know they say to avoid buying from auction) He's around 1 month old, and has this lump at the bottom/ base of his neck or dewlap. I don't have any other cows or calf.

I just want to get my own herd started. My boss offered me to run them in his feedlot/pasture for free. Seeing some good looking 90 day preg heifers. Being offered at CAD 6500 USD 4700 located in general Alberta. Would I be paying too much or should I just go for it.

I grew up in a cow/calf operation but my dad sold out when I was in high school because he worked a lot of overtime.

I’m considering bringing our operation back as a DTC beef selling quarters.

Is the market strong for people that potentially want to wait six to seven months for their beef? And is the market strong for people that want to take all the various cuts?

I don’t see any other way to start, I can’t carry steers hoping they will sell a few weeks out and take a bloodbath at market if they don’t.

Any thoughts out there? I know it’s hard and I know I may lose money, but I feel like at least have to try.

At 5 years old, she looks pretty well imo

Seems healthy otherwise

How do we feel about it?

Currently have a few crossbred steers and heifers from the auction house but wanting to get into some better genetics for youth showing in the future. Seems like ET could be a more cost-effective way into the club, but idk enough about it or the success rates.

Occasionally, I'll experience a burger or steak with an intense, buttery umami profile. It's typically found in the fattier cuts of beef like ribeye. By comparison, grass-fed beef tastes flat. I read this deep flavor is achieved by finishing cattle on corn for several months prior to slaughter. Its carbohydrate-rich content maximizes intramuscular marbling and elevates levels of glutamic and other free amino acids responsible for the desirable flavor.

Given the diverse bioavailability of polyunsaturated fatty acids in hemp, I wonder if using it as cattle feed could yield even more flavorful meat and dairy. Has this concept ever been tested or proven true, at least anecdotally?

https://www.agriculture.com/podcast/living-the-country-life-radio/industrial-hemp-for-cattle

found just south of Flagstaff AZ. There were so many I was wondering if the dominant species were psychedelic that grow from the dung.

I'm at a local petting zoo with my family and noticed that the hooves of the cow they have here look in rough shape. I don't know much about cows so I wanted to ask someone who knows more before I report anything. Is this normal or is this just hoof care neglect?

Hello! I’m fairly new to dairy cattle and am trying to get better at evaluating them, so I’d love to hear what you all look for when assessing a dairy animal.

I come from more of a beef cattle background, and I find that I have a much harder time judging dairy cattle than I do beef cattle. I understand the general concepts of structure, feet and legs, capacity, udder structure, etc., but I’m still learning how those traits translate into a good, functional dairy cow rather than simply a cow that looks good to me.

I’m interested in hearing what experienced dairy people look for in a young heifer versus a mature cow.

Things like

Feet and leg structure
Body capacity and strength
Rump structure
Udder development/attachment
Overall balance and functionality
Anything that tends to be overlooked by newer people

Pics/examples are very welcome if you have any to share. Thank you! I’m here to learn!

Hi!

I recently bought a cow hide rug and I was lucky enough for it to have been branded and i wanted to identify who this cow may have belonged to or to learn more about it.

If anyone could help that would be really cool. I like that i have the opportunity to trace it back.

Apologies if this is off topic I am not super well versed in this stuff

Thank you in advance

When you sell a cow, how much of what you know about them actually goes with him/her?

I’ve been thinking about this after selling a young bull we raised. I’d promised myself I’d find him a good home, and when I advertised him I found myself putting his whole story out there — where he came from, what had been done with him, what he was like, the history I thought the next owner should know.

I’ve done a version of the same thing with a couple of Braford heifers — after they sold, I sent their records along to the new owner.

Obviously with registered cattle there’s pedigree, registration info, performance data, health records, etc. But what about everything else you know from actually having the animal — temperament, mothering ability, quirks, previous calves, old photos, past issues, things you just remember?

Do you have a system for passing that knowledge along when cattle change hands? Or does most of it stay with the seller?

Hey everyone hope you're well. I have a question in relation to something I observed in our cows that were serviced.

We have one cow that was serviced and 6 weeks on I noticed a thick cloudy-ish/translucent string from her, it did appear mucus like but yet didn't have the same consistency as the ones they put out when in heat which is more free flowing. At week 9 I observed the exact same thing again only this time three others on the same night in the herd who were serviced also had it, one of them also being 9 weeks and the others being 7 weeks serviced.

The string has no odour and their vulvas are pink with no sign of redness, none of our bull calves have shown any interest in them whereas they have in the others who haven't been serviced.

I know scanning would be ideal but unfortunately the guy we normally use is going through a family bereavement and our local vet is currently on holidays and none of his other staff are trained up in it.

I'm just partially paranoid as my brother who has his own farm who opted to synchronise his cows heats (We stick to natural detection ourselves) scanned his a few weeks back and found out half of his herd was empty.

I did ask Google and chat bots but one says it's a common and even positive signs of successful pregnancy while the other says it's probably endomertitis

Any feedback is appreciated