Whenever we have a calf and momma with a problem that requires tubing or bottle feeding, I immediately calculate how many days it is until the next Monday when its local cattle auction day.  I used to try and bottle feed and baby them for weeks.  Yes, there were a lot of successes.  But overall, I am more profitable if I just cut my losses and sell the calf at the next cattle auction, and move on.

Some calves are just stupid and are missing the suck gene.

I was wondering yesterday what it was like in say the early 1800's as a cattle farmer.  Have we progressed exponentially in things like calving ease since then?  I wonder what the statistics were back then for pounds of beef successfully raised per momma cow?