When will the economics of the cattle business improve? Cow-calf producers in particular are asking this question and as you can see in the photo above, the cattle have queries as well.
Joanne McQueen of Blue Ridge, Alta., sent this photo some time ago, and we’ve been waiting for the ideal time to use it.
Wrote McQueen in her accompanying note: “It makes you wonder why you are farming when even the calves are coming out with question marks.”
Well said, Joanne, and kudos for keeping your sense of humour intact during these less than ideal times in the livestock business.
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Humour and admiration were also on Rob Penno’s mind when he called to talk about one of his favourite cows.
Penno runs about 160 cows and 120 yearlings on his farm near Broadview, Sask., and among them is Angie, a 20-year-old cow who gave birth to her 19th calf earlier this month.
She’s productive, is Angie, and pictured below with her most recent offspring.
“This old girl, I know how old she is because she was born here,” said Penno.
“We bought her mother as an older cow. She doesn’t seem to get into trouble. She’s not a fence crawler. Only thing is, she’s tough to catch. She’s old enough that she can spot a trap.”
We wondered if the cow was named for the famous Rolling Stones tune about love and loss. Fortunately not.
The Black Angus-Limousin crossbred was named by Penno’s father, a former daytime soap opera buff who named the cow after a screen character.
Though the 1,200 pound cow is starting to go grey around the muzzle, she is healthy and was able to spend the winter in the bush with two- and three-year-old herd mates.
“She’s going to die here, I’m not selling her,” vows Penno, so it appears Angie’s loyal productivity will be rewarded.
No disrespect to Angie, but she has a ways to go to make a record, if that is her bovine goal. The world’s oldest cow, so far as we can tell, was a 49-year-old Irish animal named Bertha.
She produced 39 calves in her lifetime, also a record, although that makes her less productive year on year than Penno’s cow.
