AI heifer bull selection

[sske]

I have 2 cross bred heifers that I will be breeding early 2017 at 15 months old. One char cross and an F1 baldy. I would like to AI both of them and I'm looking for recommendations for good heifer bulls, biggest thing i want are live calves.
Thank you

 

[Duramaxgirl]

These are the bulls suggested to us by our AI tech. http://www.selectsiresbeef.com/index.ph ... ge?bid=167 also http://www.selectsiresbeef.com/index.ph ... ge?bid=375 and for easy calving and he said this bull you can't go wrong with for calving ease: http://www.selectsiresbeef.com/index.ph ... ge?bid=260 I went with Durango 44u

 

[wildcat2154]

Comrade is good choice.
No experience with 44U or the other sire.
Angus wise other than comrade, really like hoover dam and Connealy black granite.

What are you wanting in sire?

 

[sske]

Wildcat2154 Honestly for their first calves i just want something that will be heifer safe.

 

[Son of Butch]

Black Angus sires are as safe as they come...
7AN367 Heisman at Select Sires for $18 is extremely safe .... maybe Select's best for heifer safe
Comrade for $25 is another top notch sire for heifer safe calves

Because you can find heifer safe black angus sires at any of the A.I. studs
I would select the A.I. technician to breed your heifers 1st then a black angus sire from the inventory he handles.
It doesn't do much good to find the semen without finding a way to get it into your heifers.
In example: A Select Sires employee is not allowed to breed animals with bulls from other A.I. companies.

 

[wildcat2154]

Angus wise ced of 7+ is heifer approved and I would use a proven sire so you know. All studs have calving ease angus. What stud are you going to use?

 

[sske]

BPF special focus and SAV brilliance are 2 that I know my local tech has in stock. But I've still got 5 months to decide on a definite sire. I was just hoping for input from people on this forum on what bulls they like.

 

[Ky hills]

I have used BPF Special Focus, on several heifers, most were sold bred heifer sales, and have heard good calving reports from some that have bought them, and no negatives except one was said to have been really small. The calves of his from heifers that I kept came easily and were nice vigorous calves. I kept 2 SF daughters, one got bred one didn't, I was disappointed because she looked like she would have made a very eye appealing cow. If calving ease is the main goal, then I think Special Focus would be a reliable choice.

 

[Son of Butch]

BPF special focus and SAV brilliance are 2 that I know my local tech has in stock. But I've still got 5 months to decide on a definite sire. I was just hoping for input from people on this forum on what bulls they like.

O.K. .... that means you are using an ABS technician.
Special Focus is an outstanding calving ease bull, Aviator and Chinook would be 2 more.
Who do I like at ABS?
Absolute and Hoover Dam

 

[sske]

Thank you both. I've looked at hoover dam too, I'm going to go back through and narrow down my list more, and hopefully come up with one or 2 sires to use.

 

[cow pollinater]

Back to Basics is at Origen, which is available from any ABS rep. If you're serious about calving ease he's about as good as it gets. He has quite a bit to offer beyond calving ease but big time growth isn't on that list.
Special focus is a great choice. Brilliance will work but I would not stake my reputation on his calving ease. You can tell a lot about numbers by what sectors of the industry a bull is being marketed to. Special focus and brilliance have very similar CE numbers but one is being sold primarily to commercial cattlemen and breeders that target them one is being used in the show circles in addition to commercial sales. I trust CE numbers much more on the commercially oriented bulls because the heifers they get bred to are much more likely to be raised in real world conditions.

 

[1Sport]

I have had good luck with the ABS Sire Buford Bluestem. He has a CE of 15, with a .73 accuracy. I've seen some nice calves out of him.

 

[BK9954]

good heifer bulls I use a are "GAR ADVANCE" "B3R BACK TO BASICS" and I also like "NEWT OF BRINKS" Available at bovine elite .com. the first 2 are black angus, second one black brangus

 

[Osu98]

I'm certainly no expert but have some calves on the ground out of Tour of Duty. Bred my first calf Hereford heifers to him and had zero problems. Calves were small and have already grown a lot in the first couple of weeks.

Also have a neighbor who is 92 and has the nicest set of angus cattle around. He swears by using GAR Early Bird on heifers.