Helped the neighbor again today

[Mossy Dell]

I understand the management problem of a home-raised bull out of your best cow breeding his sisters. You kept all her heifers! But remember, they are HALF sisters. That is not very close inbreeding and to a minority of the herd.

I've been thinking about this too. We tried AI on some of our better commercial cows for keeping a bull and some heifers this year so we're hoping that turns out. Bulls are getting too expensive so had to try. Just another thought: would it be cheaper to do a few embryo transfers into your commercial cows vs buying a good registered cow?

I agree with your efforts! You surely own a few great cows. If you have more than a few commercial cows and take weaning weights and adjusted weights, you already know them. They have succeeded in your environment and weaned a high percentage of their own weight. They are probably better doers and producers than most registered cows you can buy.

Yes, some of that may be their hybrid vigor. Most of it is invisible maternal qualities and environmental fitness. They aren't just high milkers or they wouldn't breed back. You want cows that have brought in nice calves year after year. I'd AI them in a heartbeat too and raise my own bull. I am not sure about embryo transfer unless you have experienced folks in that nearby.

Thanks for the advice! We've taken the top 1/4 of the commercial herd and AI'd those and time will tell how many of those caught. One tricky thing with choosing your best cows to keep a bull calf from is that those cows already have multiple daughters in the herd and keeping bloodlines separate will be an added challenge. That's where bringing in a totally new cow bloodline for purpose of raising bulls would be a benefit but o well, for now it'll just mean a little more sorting before sending out to pasture. And I'll have to ask around about ET. There are a number of vets in the area so we'll see if any would be willing.

 

[Nesikep]

IMO- it takes a GREAT cow to make a good bull. I don't have a big bull market - but, I also don't raise them to breeding age. They are sold while still nursing mom. I am extremely picky what stays a bull - most are banded at birth. Real easy if they are heavy BW - immediately band them.

It does take a great cow to make a good bull, but I judge a cow by how her daughters look.. I've got lots of cows that make nice steer/bull calves but their heifers just don't make the grade.. The cows that make outstanding heifers usually ALSO make good bull calves

 

[Dave]

The neighbor just keeps throwing curve balls at me. I have 100 of his fall calving cows in my pasture. They are very literally every color of the rainbow. Some real nice cows. Some not so much. So today we preg'ed his fall calving Waygu cows. About 35 or 40 of them. I heard him tell the vet that a cow which calves June 15 or earlier is a spring calving cow. One calving after June 16 is a fall calver. OK. This is a buckroo outfit. I get it. After we run the last Waygu the boys bring up a extremely nice Angus cow. He talks to the vet. I was too far away to hear the conversation. Well it turns out this cow and her young calf are going to Hermiston today to be flushed!
On one hand we have a rainbow herd and the difference between spring and fall calves is one day. On the other hand we have an outstanding cow going to be flushed. I wonder what my next surprise will be. I am looking forward to seeing what it will be.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Makes life interesting!