# what is a "brood cow"?



## stifflej (Aug 11, 2008)

Relatively new to livestock, going to a farm auction tomorrow and they have 3 "brood cows" they will be auctioning off, so I need to know what the difference between a "brood cow" and a "cow (have given birth)" is. Thanks.

Auction listing with pics is here:

http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/auctionview.cgi?lid=663158&kwd=&zip=15938&category=0


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

Brood Cow is a term used for a cow that is used to raise offspring intended for slaughter as a beef animal.

Jim


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## LizD (Dec 4, 2008)

My 'brood cow' is invaluable to me. She raises all of the calves that are born during her lactation, one after another, that I remove in order to milk the dams. She comes in the staunchion, gets a bit of alfalfa and the current unweaned, otherwise bottle baby, or two rush in and fill up! Sort of my living 'milk bar'  This saves me an enormous amout of time bottle feeding. Liz


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

A brood cow is one that is used to rearing calves other than her own. They are usually older cows of a placid nature, are perhaps 3 titters, slow milkers or have some physical problem that doesn't make them good candidates for the twice a day milking regime. This doesn't have to preclude them from being used as a housecow.

Any cow can be used as a brood cow if she has the temperament for it and I sometimes will pull a couple out of my herd to rear calves including the younger ones. 

When you go to the auction take note of their feet, their walking, their udder, ask their age. It's hard to advise what to do after that because much depends on what your wanting them for and what your farm is like. But to give an example, I picked up a 7 year old Jersey/Friesian brood cow 5 years ago for $250.00. She came with mastitis in two quarters, overgrown hooves and a 3 month Angus calf at foot. I got the mastitis cleaned up as well as her hooves but they had been overgrown for so long they had buggered up her stifle(?) and she walks with a hunched look. She has given me a calf every year, gallons of milk, is in calf again and my farm is such that she can take her own time to get from the milking shed to grazing so she is never pushed or stressed. She has a clean bill of health from the vet. I took the punt and it paid off but I couldn't lose anyway - I would have got my $250.00 back if I had sent her to the works as a boner cow and I sold the calf 2 months later and he realised $450.00. 

Your not going to know until you get there and see them but give it some thought and if you pass on it this time, at least you will know what to look for next time.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

Ronney said:


> A brood cow is one that is used to rearing calves other than her own. They are usually older cows of a placid nature, are perhaps 3 titters, slow milkers or have some physical problem that doesn't make them good candidates for the twice a day milking regime. This doesn't have to preclude them from being used as a housecow.



Ronnie:

That is not the definition used in the US, here a Brood Cow ia a cow that is in a breeding herd for production of calves for slaughter. 

What you describe would be called a "Nurse Cow"

Jim


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Jim, you are quite right - we call them nurse cows too, as well as brood cows. But look at LizD's post as she obviously calls her nurse cow a brood cow. I think if one wanted to get pedantic about it, brood in relation to rearing many calves would be correct as the word brood in usually used in connection with chickens - a broody hen will be sitting on many eggs and will mother many chickens. Perhaps that's why we tend to use the word "breeding" cow when referring to a cow that is kept for the rearing of one calf for the beef market.

None of which helps StiffleJ as it has probably now muddied the waters on what he should be looking for - a good beef cow with breeding capabilities or a broken down cow of some breed but suitable for rearing calves on. 

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

stifflej
As you stated the auction will include 3 brood cows. A brood cow is a proven producer that is sold to provide calves to the new owner. Some large auctions will sell brood cows as proven replacement breeding stock. 
A nurse cow is just that, a wet nurse. She will be used to nurse calves that maybe not be hers and she may nurse more than one calf. I have seen at a beef farm where bull calves actually had the brood cow, its own mother plus a nurse cow. The owners were giving the bull calves additional milk in order to attain a weight they could publish in their brochures that IMO falsely stated an exaggerated weaning weight.
A brood cow nurses her calf.
A nurse cow nurses any calf.


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## LizD (Dec 4, 2008)

ok so what is the difference between a 'cow' and a 'brood cow'? Isn't a 'cow' a 'proven heifer' and sold to produce calves? Liz


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

A cow is a mature female of domestic cattle as we reference on this site IMO and is usually, though not solely, associated with milk production.
A brood cow is a mature female of domestic cattle that is kept for reproduction and rearing of its calf IMO and is usually associated with beef production.
To many not in the cattle business all cattle are cows, be they male or female, meat or milk.
In my mind a cow is not a proven heifer. A 7 year old female that has never been bred is an open cow. A heifer that has had a calf is to me is either a cow (milk) or a brood cow(beef).


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