article by Dr. Jan Bonsma

[Ned Jr.]

I found an article by Dr. Jan Bonsma in the July 1967 Hereford World and thought some of you may enjoy reading it. I tried to crop it to make it large enough to read but it may still be too small.

 

[alacattleman]

looks interesting, im gonna print it and break out the reading glass's :cowboy:

 

[Julian]

I found an article by Dr. Jan Bonsma in the July 1967 Hereford World...

Ned,
Being somewhat of a devil's advocate I have to point out the ever-so-slight and inadvertant typo. It was the Hereford JOURNAL, years before it became the Hereford World. A lot of people, like myself, ended their subscription of the Hereford Journal shortly after it changed to the Hereford World.

 

[Ned Jr.]

I found an article by Dr. Jan Bonsma in the July 1967 Hereford World...

Ned,
Being somewhat of a devil's advocate I have to point out the ever-so-slight and inadvertant typo. It was the Hereford JOURNAL, years before it became the Hereford World. A lot of people, like myself, ended their subscription of the Hereford Journal shortly after it changed to the Hereford World.

Thanks for that correction. It's from the American Hereford Journal. My bad.

 

[Durham Reds]

Ned Jr.- Thanks for posting this. I read everything of Bonsma's that I can. I have a copy of the "Worthington Lectures". I would really like to get the Livestock Production "Man Must Measure" book. If anyone knows of an available copy, please PM me.

 

[buymorebulls]

Gearld might still have some for sale:

Gearld Fry
193 Fry Rd
Rose Bud, AR 72137
(501)-556-5040
[email protected]

 

[3waycross]

Read it, re read it amd then read it again. A very insightful piece. It reinforced some things for me but also opened my eyes to a couple of things that I kinda suspected.

Thanks Ned Jr. for posting it.

 

[Ryder]

Good post. Certainly a different way of looking at things. A lot of food for thought.
Thanks for posting.

 

[Dylan Biggs]

Great post. Like 3way says, it is worthy of more than 1 read.
After grasping the principles the real fun and challenge is developing the eye to put it to practice in the field.

 

[Idaman]

"For instance, goat ewes come in heat when they hear or smell a billy" (Bonsma)


Ever notice the actions of a group of teenage girls when they hear a boom-box in the distance.

Are they coming in heat?

 

[agmantoo]

People like books by specific authors because they agree with what he writes. That was why I enjoyed reading the information you posted. It was interesting to see the calf weights in the 1967 testing backup information. I have stated before and probably will again that I am not a midwife to a cow. I keep my calf weights low and IMO the calving problems that many folks have are from trying to get calves that are too large thinking that the calves will maintain an advantage as they age.

 

[Bonsman]

I was fortunate enough to find many of Dr. Bonsma's Lectures on e-bay. I try to read everything he has written that I can find--for obvious reasons.


http://www.smithbonsmara.com

 

[KNERSIE]

People like books by specific authors because they agree with what he writes. That was why I enjoyed reading the information you posted. It was interesting to see the calf weights in the 1967 testing backup information. I have stated before and probably will again that I am not a midwife to a cow. I keep my calf weights low and IMO the calving problems that many folks have are from trying to get calves that are too large thinking that the calves will maintain an advantage as they age.

Quite alot of what you've written I don't agree with, but I've gotta agree with that statement.

 

[Dylan Biggs]

Agmantoo curious what qualifies as low birth weight for you?

 

[agmantoo]

60 to 65 lbs
That is probably way too small in your opinion, right or wrong?

 

[WichitaLineMan]

Personally, I like middle of the road. 70-80# would be ideal to me. I don't want to go chasing either end of the rainbow.

 

[Bonsman]

One of the things not in this article is Dr. Bonsma's preference for Horned Herefords over the Polled Herefords. Granted, this is a 1967 article and the genetics have changed dramatically over the past 43 years.

When Dr. Bonsmara started the Bonsmara breed, his initial sire was (by todays standards) a very modern Horned Hereford. To quote Dr. Bonsmara, it was a most outstanding bull; and he was very fortunate to have this bull to start his new breed of cattle--Bonsmara.

In Oklahoma, the heat index has been unbearable this week. While many breeds (which will not be mentioned--but they are black) seek shade and water, my Bonsmara lay in the grass enjoying the weather. And more importantly, the Bulls are working during this heat.

Those of us raising Bonsmara will always be grateful to the Hereford industry and what they contributed to our breed.

http://www.smithbonsmara.com

 

[WichitaLineMan]

My Herefords in Tillman County seemed to take the heat okay. Supposed to be 101 today with 45% humidity. Should be real nice!

Do you know anything about the pedigree of the Hereford he used?

 

[alacattleman]

My Herefords in Tillman County seemed to take the heat okay. Supposed to be 101 today with 45% humidity. Should be real nice!
Do you know anything about the pedigree of the Hereford he used?

sounds nice,,, id take that over 98 with over 100% humidity

 

[SRBeef]

I finally got a chance to read the article through. Thank you for posting it.

The thing that jumped out at me was the 1967 210 day weaning weights of a normal group at 374 lb and a "high" feed rate group at 338 lb.

I don't know what conditions these calves were raised on but for both of these groups to be in the mid-300 lb range is startling.

As a beginner I am not familiar with weaning weights in other conditions, maybe western dryland range, but in my conditions I expect my 205 day weaning weights to be very close to or above 600 lb. even for heifers. Steers should be close to 700 lb.

What has changed since 1967? Or am I missing something?

Jim