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<blockquote data-quote="Ozhorse" data-source="post: 1114696" data-attributes="member: 18575"><p>I think I have run into a low BW problem this year and I think the trend to lower and lower BW has gone a bit too far. Usually I might loose one calf at birth a year or perhaps two from 90 to 120 angus cows. This year went pear shaped, because of a bushfire and lack of feed and some bad agistment. So the problem was MOSTLY feed - but that combined with low BW sires of the younger cows and of the bulls that were put over them, and some bad weather meant that I lost about 10 of 130 newborn calves to (I think) exposure. I used an AI sire on my big registered angus cows and he had a low BW and is very low on days to calving and the calves sure did turn up early. I lost one of those bull calves, probably to exposure too when it was a few days old. Also it means I have lots of undersize calves at weaning and calf sales. I admit again the problem is MOSTLY feed. But the low BW seems to just add to other stuff happening. I have older cows who did have more feed who were joined to a middling to higher BW bull and they have produced good size calves despite a hard year.</p><p></p><p>Heifers that were small late calves themselves did not cope as well after their first calf and did not get back in which I am actually glad of as I have no feed this winter either so I can give them a year off and not be forced to sell them small and skinny AND back in calf.</p><p></p><p>The up side of this is that I dont even dream of checking the older cows calving - and in 7 years have lost zero older cows and perhaps only 2 calves 80 - 120 births per year and had zero problems with heifers at home with 80 births and only two pulled away on agistment from calfs with a tucked up leg. </p><p></p><p>I have taken to buying higher BW bulls for the older cows (and I keep heifers from these cows) and breed from AI from my registered cows low BW heifer bulls for the heifers and dont keep the first calvers heifer calves. That means my heifer bulls dont owe me much money, I can use them while they are small as one, two and three year olds, and then sell them before they get a bit too heavy for heifers. </p><p></p><p>I am going to stay away from super low birth weight bulls for any of the females, lowish for the heifers and average minimum to higher BW for the older cows.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ozhorse, post: 1114696, member: 18575"] I think I have run into a low BW problem this year and I think the trend to lower and lower BW has gone a bit too far. Usually I might loose one calf at birth a year or perhaps two from 90 to 120 angus cows. This year went pear shaped, because of a bushfire and lack of feed and some bad agistment. So the problem was MOSTLY feed - but that combined with low BW sires of the younger cows and of the bulls that were put over them, and some bad weather meant that I lost about 10 of 130 newborn calves to (I think) exposure. I used an AI sire on my big registered angus cows and he had a low BW and is very low on days to calving and the calves sure did turn up early. I lost one of those bull calves, probably to exposure too when it was a few days old. Also it means I have lots of undersize calves at weaning and calf sales. I admit again the problem is MOSTLY feed. But the low BW seems to just add to other stuff happening. I have older cows who did have more feed who were joined to a middling to higher BW bull and they have produced good size calves despite a hard year. Heifers that were small late calves themselves did not cope as well after their first calf and did not get back in which I am actually glad of as I have no feed this winter either so I can give them a year off and not be forced to sell them small and skinny AND back in calf. The up side of this is that I dont even dream of checking the older cows calving - and in 7 years have lost zero older cows and perhaps only 2 calves 80 - 120 births per year and had zero problems with heifers at home with 80 births and only two pulled away on agistment from calfs with a tucked up leg. I have taken to buying higher BW bulls for the older cows (and I keep heifers from these cows) and breed from AI from my registered cows low BW heifer bulls for the heifers and dont keep the first calvers heifer calves. That means my heifer bulls dont owe me much money, I can use them while they are small as one, two and three year olds, and then sell them before they get a bit too heavy for heifers. I am going to stay away from super low birth weight bulls for any of the females, lowish for the heifers and average minimum to higher BW for the older cows. [/QUOTE]
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