big enough?

[milkmaid]

1/2 angus, 1/2 holstein heifer
DOB 4/28/05
weighs somewhere around 760-820lbs
stands about 48" tall

she is cycling - I've seen her in heat twice for sure

she big enough to breed? I know it varies a bit by region as to what's considered the ideal weight. If I say she should be 65% of her mature weight at breeding...she'd be a 1200lb cow.

Comments?

 

[Jovid]

I think it is a little early. I would wait a couple of months, so that she is at least two when she calves.

 

[mgman]

I would give her a couple more months before breeding her...
late June or early July would put at just about 2 years old when she calves next year.

 

[rkm]

I'm guessing that you are probably are going to use a calving ease beef bull. In as much as she is 50% holstein I don't believe she is too young to breed. With good nutrition 21 to 22 months at calving is okay.

 

[milkmaid]

:lol2: If I hadn't said her age, would you folks still feel that way about waiting to breed her? Size-wise is she big enough? If she was holstein I'd say she's the right weight, but too small in terms of height -- but then I know these beef type calves have a vastly different frame from dairy calves. She's running with some 8 month old holstein heifers that are the same height as she is, but they're probably 300lbs lighter.

I have an holstein heifer here that's about 70 days bred and just a hair under 15 months of age. You do the math. She's ~1200lbs right now and I figured she was big enough. LOL.

 

[dun]

:lol2: If I hadn't said her age, would you folks still feel that way about waiting to breed her?

She's plenty big enough to breed. Age while a factor, isn;t all that crucial. When I AI for the dairy the heifers run around 12-15 months of age.

dun

 

[randiliana]

I would go ahead and breed her. We calve them out at 22 - 24 months.

 

[Jovid]

I would go ahead and breed her. We calve them out at 22 - 24 months.

If she breeds her now wouldn't she calve at about 20 months?

 

[randiliana]

I would go ahead and breed her. We calve them out at 22 - 24 months.

If she breeds her now wouldn't she calve at about 20 months?

Well, she is just shy of 12 months now, so another 9 will make her pretty much 21. IMO size matters more than a couple months.

 

[Beefy]

big enough.

 

[Susie David]

Milkmaid....just what are you fishing for?
Calve as a two year old...stick by it...like to let the girls grow up a bit before breeding....
What are you doing with a Angus in your wood pile anyway.
Dave Mc

 

[cypressfarms]

We've always used size more than age when deciding when to breed. That said, she's o.k. to breed.

 

[milkmaid]

DaveMc...LOL. She's half holstein. Boss had the neighbor's angus bull get in with the milking herd for a few days two years ago, and I picked up all four crossbred calves last May. I sold the steers, kept back the heifer. Now I'm still trying to decide what exactly I'm going to do with her. Sell her now for someone else to use in their operation, or breed her now and sell her this fall. My goal has always been for her to be big enough to breed when everyone around here is putting their bulls out in the pasture. If she's too small then she wouldn't interest anyone. I think I made my goal though. :lol:

 

[Double R Ranch]

:clap: Nice job at meeting your goal!

Double R

 

[stocky]

She is definitely big enough to breed to an angus bull. My question is how important is it to you what weather she freshens in. If you breed her now, that is mid January. If you wait 6 weeks, it is end of February. For me, mid-Jan is fine, but it all depends on if that is important or not. She is big enough