25 calves 2 days no heifers..

[Dusty]

Ok, now i know this is not supposed to happen... Unsexed semen, checked the freezing date on semen still in my tank and it was frozen in 2001...

25 calves, 2 days no heifers..... but i will say this is how to calve out cattle, as soon as i got done tagging one calf, giving shots, and checking to nurse I got to sit in the truck, warm up and watch the next calf get up and start all over...

Looks like i am going to have to amp up my bull sales next year...

Anyone else having or have had this lopsided bull to heifer ratio... Everyone is around here is saying that they are having alot more bull calves, but these are all AI sired.....

 

[bigbull338]

thats not uncommon to get a bull calf run like that.an no heifers.how meny differant bulls did you breed the 25 cows to.how meny more do you have left to calve.

 

[KNERSIE]

thats not uncommon to get a bull calf run like that.an no heifers.how meny differant bulls did you breed the 25 cows to.how meny more do you have left to calve.

I have had runs of 8 or 9 bulls in a row, but in the end the ratio is seldom more skew than about 40% heifers 60% bulls or the other way around.

I would say getting 25 bulls in a row without a single heifer is very uncommon. :shock:

 

[1982vett]

I have noticed more bull calves lately also. Went back and checked; 21 of 26 calves since December 1 have been bull calves. First heifer was born Dec 23 and last was born Jan 15. 7 bull calves since then.

No AI, all natural serviced.

Hereford bull - 1 heifer 3 bull
Brangus bull- 0 heifer 4 bull
Angus bull #1 2 heifer 8 bull
Angus bull #2 2 heifer 6 bull

 

[EAT BEEF]

I bought 12 cows about 5 years ago from a older man getting out and his wife keep 1 cow she was in love with, I had 12 bulls and they had a heifer :?:

 

[Dusty]

Now up to 57 calves, and i have 14 heifers... Not good for a program known for producing show heifers....

so the last split, 29 bulls in a row.. last 28 calves have been split 50/50 ...

A2Q.. I should have about another 20-25 calves in the next 48 hours, and then i should have about 20 days off till i have another 75-85 head calve and then starting April 1st I have 30 days of "Pasteur Bred Calving" on about 100 head of cows...

The Majority of these bull calves are all ET!! So I am hoping the all the embryos I have left in the tank are all the heifers... The Rest are AI sired and i still think there is no way that sexed semen could be used because the freeze date was 2001..

 

[dun]

The timing of the insemination has a lot to do with the gender of the calf. Early breeding produces more heifers and later breeding produces more bulls. It has to do with the time ovulation takes place.

 

[KNERSIE]

Now up to 57 calves, and i have 14 heifers... Not good for a program known for producing show heifers....

so the last split, 29 bulls in a row.. last 28 calves have been split 50/50 ...

A2Q.. I should have about another 20-25 calves in the next 48 hours, and then i should have about 20 days off till i have another 75-85 head calve and then starting April 1st I have 30 days of "Pasteur Bred Calving" on about 100 head of cows...

The Majority of these bull calves are all ET!! So I am hoping the all the embryos I have left in the tank are all the heifers... The Rest are AI sired and i still think there is no way that sexed semen could be used because the freeze date was 2001..

Which synchronization protocol did you use?

 

[rkm]

Dairymen who use ai here are complaining to the bull studs about too many bull calves. With the growth in the popularity in sexed semen folks that use unsexed semen are getting a greater % of bull calves. Farmers think there is something in the wood pile! :shock:

 

[CKC1586]

Interesting stuff here. My brother is convinced that he has "something" in the water that gives him a higher percentage of bull calves! Seriously it seems to go in cycles, two years higher percentage of bulls and the third heifers. Then you sort out the ETs and they seem to be more bulls than heifers. So he really does end up with more bulls consistently.

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

I think there's something to be said for the good ole gal Mother Nature...

She keeps things in balance as best she can... folks buy sexed semen for heifers and she gives the natural service folks more bulls

Interesting to ponder anyway

 

[sizmic]

We're running 90% heifers right now with a natural service bull, 25 calves in 2 weeks time. Several more look ready to pop!

Sizmic

 

[kaneranch]

I have 5 cows that were all bred to the same bull, and had 5 bull calves.

 

[SCRUBS620]

Odds of naturally having 25 bull calves, no heifers, is approximately 1 in 33.5 million (if I did my math correctly - 2 possibilities, 25 events = 2^25). Go play the lottery. :lol: :banana:

 

[Victoria]

The timing of the insemination has a lot to do with the gender of the calf. Early breeding produces more heifers and later breeding produces more bulls. It has to do with the time ovulation takes place.

So if I breed late in the day I'll have a better chance of a bull calf and early I increase the odds of a heifer? I have a cow I am AI'ing this year that I REALLY want a heifer from, maybe I will try it.

 

[dun]

The timing of the insemination has a lot to do with the gender of the calf. Early breeding produces more heifers and later breeding produces more bulls. It has to do with the time ovulation takes place.

So if I breed late in the day I'll have a better chance of a bull calf and early I increase the odds of a heifer? I have a cow I am AI'ing this year that I REALLY want a heifer from, maybe I will try it.

That's the theory. Unless you know the actual time of ovulation it's still a crap shoot.

 

[dun]

Of the 4 that have popped in the last 3 days it's 3 heifers 1 bull. One heifer was a natural service, the others were all AI

 

[shortstuff]

Interesting stuff here. My brother is convinced that he has "something" in the water that gives him a higher percentage of bull calves! Seriously it seems to go in cycles, two years higher percentage of bulls and the third heifers. Then you sort out the ETs and they seem to be more bulls than heifers. So he really does end up with more bulls consistently.

If something changed the PH of the water, then it could "potentially" cause more heifers. The tale that I've been hearing is that a more acidic enviornment produces more heifers. I assume the opposite is true for producing bulls. I don't know if scientific data will back it up or if it's someone's imagination is running wild, but some people they people who told me this are 100% convinced.

 

[CKC1586]

Interesting stuff here. My brother is convinced that he has "something" in the water that gives him a higher percentage of bull calves! Seriously it seems to go in cycles, two years higher percentage of bulls and the third heifers. Then you sort out the ETs and they seem to be more bulls than heifers. So he really does end up with more bulls consistently.

If something changed the PH of the water, then it could "potentially" cause more heifers. The tale that I've been hearing is that a more acidic enviornment produces more heifers. I assume the opposite is true for producing bulls. I don't know if scientific data will back it up or if it's someone's imagination is running wild, but some people they people who told me this are 100% convinced.

Really??! :shock: We just figured it was the "luck of the draw" but used the old saying "it must be something in the water". I would love to read any studies that may have been done on that!
I just read my reply here over and cracked myself up, "luck of the draw"..... :lol2: Get it?

 

[angie1]

The timing of the insemination has a lot to do with the gender of the calf. Early breeding produces more heifers and later breeding produces more bulls. It has to do with the time ovulation takes place.

I had not even read this post until today, but dun is right.

What happens is this: The male sex sperm is stronger, faster than the female sex sperm. SO, if the egg is in place and ready, the male sex sperm will reach it first and penetrate the egg.

However, the female sex sperm lives longer than the male. SO, if there is any waiting for that egg, the male sperm are no longer viable, while the female sperm are still alive and able.

But like dun said ~ who is to know time of ovulation?

Get it? Sometimes I worry that what I say makes only sense to me.
I have been up a very long time!

Edit~
OK~ Need to add, I am NOT suggesting people breed early in an attempt to get heifers. It will not work, the time line is thin and as dun said, is impossible to know where in the ovulation cycle your cow is. I am simply trying to explain the science behind it.