first calf heifers

[longhornlover3498]

in 2010 we kept 5 heifers. those heifers are now 2 and 4 have calved. 2 calfs are heifers, all sired by the same black max bull. one of the heifers is really nice looking and has great genetics. i was wondering if any of you would reccomend keeping any calfs out of fist time heifers?

[WORANCH]

Sure you can hold them back to breed . Should be your best genetics .


Alot of bulls are sold from heifers also.

[longhornlover3498]

Sure you can hold them back to breed . Should be your best genetics .


Alot of bulls are sold from heifers also.

so do you ever keep any replacments out of heifers?

[WORANCH]

Yes we keep some .

[longhornlover3498]

Yes we keep some .

do they turn out all right?

[429421blkangus]

We keep back 35-40 head of replacements every year and have seen no difference between first calf heifers vs older cows, mothering abilty is instinctive and if you manage correctly you will have some of your best calves coming from first calf heifers. We also have no issues selling bulls out of first calf heifers, you should have no difference unless your first calf heifers are on a totally different program than the rest of the herd.

[vclavin]

We keep back 35-40 head of replacements every year and have seen no difference between first calf heifers vs older cows, mothering abilty is instinctive and if you manage correctly you will have some of your best calves coming from first calf heifers. We also have no issues selling bulls out of first calf heifers, you should have no difference unless your first calf heifers are on a totally different program than the rest of the herd.

[longhornlover3498]

ok. thanks. the first calf heifer is a very good mom. her baby is half black max, 1qtr. longhorn, 1qtr.red angus. shes solid black as well. birth weight was 68.

[longhornlover3498]

one of our heifers, autumn,had a black bull calf about 3 weeks ago and i think he's a mutant! lol he is as big as our 2 month old calves lol

[429421blkangus]

one of our heifers, autumn,had a black bull calf about 3 weeks ago and i think he's a mutant! lol he is as big as our 2 month old calves lol

Good feed conversion It helps to write these things down in terms of mother# and calf production if you are rasing cattle that you won't get EPD's back on, you'd be supprised how fast you can start to see a pattern within certain cows/cow families.