I have a group of 54 cows all are angus or simangus breeding. They are all spring calvers. I am debating the idea of AI'ing them to superior maternal genetics to produce replacements, maybe even used sexed semen, and then follow up with a terminal bull as a cleanup. Not sure what combinations to use but I am open to suggestions. I am leaning towards using a either a Hereford bull or Charolais bull as a cleanup bull and still up in the air about a very moderate framed maternal bull for AI. Any suggestions are welcome.
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AI and Cleanup bulls
- Thread starter bcarty
- Start date
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Till-Hill
Well-known member
Angus cows my pick is http://www.selectsiresbeef.com/index.ph ... =Simmental
SimAngus cows I really like http://www.selectsiresbeef.com/index.ph ... d=SimAngus
That's just 2 of them I would use. W/C United I have not used yet but the 2 close up angus bulls in his pedigree being Final Answer and Bismark I'm banking on him making the kind of females I want. I really also love the Grandmaster cow I got. She is doing great on her first calf. Perfect udder and very easy keeper.
I like the Hereford or Charolais clean-up bull idea too. Always wanted to do it but I usually retain a yearling bull of my own and sell as a 2 year old so I haven't been able to do that yet. Someday tho!
SimAngus cows I really like http://www.selectsiresbeef.com/index.ph ... d=SimAngus
That's just 2 of them I would use. W/C United I have not used yet but the 2 close up angus bulls in his pedigree being Final Answer and Bismark I'm banking on him making the kind of females I want. I really also love the Grandmaster cow I got. She is doing great on her first calf. Perfect udder and very easy keeper.
I like the Hereford or Charolais clean-up bull idea too. Always wanted to do it but I usually retain a yearling bull of my own and sell as a 2 year old so I haven't been able to do that yet. Someday tho!
I thought about skipping the sexed semen but really want to use a bull to produce females. I plan on keeping almost all of them as replacements and increase numbers. Of course there are always going to be a few culls, but they should be out of my most fertile cows and if I use a maternal bull then the heifers should be very fertile cows. I dont plan on keeping any of the cleanup calves as replacements.
High Cotton
Well-known member
The count and vitality of the sexed semen is gonna be lower compared to non sexed semen. I think due to that you will more than likely end up with the same number of less desirable calves. Whether they be bull calves or clean up calves. You will save money and get better semen with non sexed semen.
I have looked at both Wye and Shoshone and am very impressed with them. Just not sure which bull I would use if I went with one of those programs. I have also looked at some OCC bulls. I really dont mind sacrificing some carcass or growth characteristics since I will be using sexed semen. I truly want to make better females to put into my cowherd.
HC - I have used sexed semen twice in the past and my conception rates only go down by ~10%. Thats roughly 5 calves. 5 more calves will not give me the maximum number of heifers to choose from.
HC - I have used sexed semen twice in the past and my conception rates only go down by ~10%. Thats roughly 5 calves. 5 more calves will not give me the maximum number of heifers to choose from.
Making great females is not a one generation and done thing. It will take several generation commitment and some have spent a lifetime. With a mixed heterozygous females base, I would pick a linebred herd and stick with them. Some jump ship too soon or have unrealistic expectations. It sounds like you have a understanding of that though.
I am not sure if you are going to get sexed stuff with older lines.
I am not sure if you are going to get sexed stuff with older lines.
cow pollinater
Well-known member
You're money ahead to skip the sorted semen. When you factor in the cost of the semen, the fertility as compared to conventional semen, the price of quality steer calves, and the cost involved with having your cows open another twenty one days for the bull to get them, conventional semen looks better and better. Plus you get to hand pick a bull that fits your needs instead of choosing one just because he's being sorted.
AF: you are exactly right about it taking more than one generation and I have been doing it the conventional way with traditional semen and cleanup bulls. I select the best heifers from the entire herd and keep them as replacements. I have been using bulls that are mostly maternal without sacrificing too much growth and I have found that my cows are getting bigger and my steers are not nearly as good as I feel they should be. I would like to devote more resources to creating better females. For me that would be a frame 4/5 cow weighing 1000-1200lbs. I really like the linebred bulls that some operations are offering, they just dont have sexed semen on many of them.
CP: the only reasons I would want to use sexed semen is to avoid having steers that are not growthy and hard to sell, and having fewer females to choose from. I understand that the sexed semen is more expensive and less fertile, but if I use a high growth bull as cleanup I should recoup some of that cost in pounds of calf sold. I even thought about a black lim bull to add growth but keep the color black so I dont get docked.
These are all thoughts that are running through my head and I cannot decide where to go next.
CP: the only reasons I would want to use sexed semen is to avoid having steers that are not growthy and hard to sell, and having fewer females to choose from. I understand that the sexed semen is more expensive and less fertile, but if I use a high growth bull as cleanup I should recoup some of that cost in pounds of calf sold. I even thought about a black lim bull to add growth but keep the color black so I dont get docked.
These are all thoughts that are running through my head and I cannot decide where to go next.
