Not this time, I don’t think. The internet says that male calves are typically killed for meat at 18 months old, but would reach adulthood at 4 years of age. One male breeder adult is rented out to other farmers for a fixed period to impregnate the whole (female) herd. All the other males are killed. So few males make it to adulthood that it’s not normally even one per herd. Cows are usually killed if they don’t get pregnant after a number of tries. There’s no sense farmers spending a lot of money keeping an animal alive to not even get any milk from it, and there’s not a lot of profit in farming in my country for them to sentimentally keep animals alive.
I have 320 beef cows, and about that many steers/heifers waiting for market.
18 months on a steer is about 1200lbs, pasture fed then grain finished before slaughter. A non-castrated male can get to 2200lbs after 4-5 years. I’d call that an adult bull. They can breed successfully at damn near any age after 12 months, but I wouldn’t call them developed until about 30.
At least 50% of them are killed - very, very few males make it to adulthood.
This is incorrect.
Not this time, I don’t think. The internet says that male calves are typically killed for meat at 18 months old, but would reach adulthood at 4 years of age.
18 months is full weight
It’s not not adulthood, and it’s certainly not a full life, because cows and bulls would love to over 15 if we let them.
davidagain@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Not this time, I don’t think. The internet says that male calves are typically killed for meat at 18 months old, but would reach adulthood at 4 years of age. One male breeder adult is rented out to other farmers for a fixed period to impregnate the whole (female) herd. All the other males are killed. So few males make it to adulthood that it’s not normally even one per herd. Cows are usually killed if they don’t get pregnant after a number of tries. There’s no sense farmers spending a lot of money keeping an animal alive to not even get any milk from it, and there’s not a lot of profit in farming in my country for them to sentimentally keep animals alive.
commie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
18 months is full weight
ikidd@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I have 320 beef cows, and about that many steers/heifers waiting for market.
18 months on a steer is about 1200lbs, pasture fed then grain finished before slaughter. A non-castrated male can get to 2200lbs after 4-5 years. I’d call that an adult bull. They can breed successfully at damn near any age after 12 months, but I wouldn’t call them developed until about 30.
commie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
you know that, whether they are male or female, they are at full weight for slaughter around 18 months.
davidagain@lemmy.world 2 months ago
It’s not not adulthood, and it’s certainly not a full life, because cows and bulls would love to over 15 if we let them.
commie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
if we didn’t provide veterinary care and feed and water and shelter and protection from predators, I doubt any would live so long.