Breed at year old or wait till 2

[greggy]

I have some heifers that may be ready or close to be bred.

Murray grey, Hereford and JerseyxAngus, the latter is def ready as she would be over 800lb at least.

I do not know exact age of any. the greys and hereford would be 6-700lbs, none are fat, nor thin, small ribs all smooth, but rob only 4 I think may be ready.

I am not sure what it will cost to loan a bull, if not breeding these 4 now, in a year, will have prob 20 ready.

So would you breed them at that age as they continue to grow, which would mean they would be birthing at approx 2 years old, or, wait till nearly 2 and breed them then ?

 

[Logar]

Everyone has different idea on this but I do it on weight. I hate having issues with calving and like to see them spit out on their own. So if the girl is not around 900 pounds plus at a minimum, I do not breed her.

In all honesty if you can wait until they are at that weight or nearly 18 months then you would be good to go on this place.

I am certain you will get a lot of opinions and each one works for the person who gives you theirs.

No matter how you do it they need to be fed enough to grow as well as develop a calf. Hope it all goes well for you.

Best to you

L

 

[TCRanch]

I pelvic measure at 11 months when my retained heifers get their BANGS (as opposed to the standard 12 months). Turned out with the bull at 15 months so they'll calve right around 2 years. Regardless of size. Just mentioned in another post, big girls and big butts don't always mean big pelvic measurements. And definitely a calving ease bull!

 

[ccr]

TC, i'm curious what percentage of your heifers fail the pelvic measurement to breed at 15 months.

 

[Brute 23]

If you plan on keeping them for as many years as you can... wait. If you sell at 10 years or earlier do what ever you want. :tiphat:

 

[wbvs58]

If the right weight they are ready to breed at 15mths to calve at 2 years. I believe cows are unhealthy if not pregnant and or lactating. Calving at 3 years they are too fat in my opinion.

Ken

 

[greggy]

I wont be doing 3 years... what weight in mid condition do people think angus, hereford abd jersey should be....I think jersey is def ready, but not bringing a bull to small property for one heifer...lol
...that is asking for fences to be run down....

 

[greggy]

If you plan on keeping them for as many years as you can... wait. If you sell at 10 years or earlier do what ever you want. :tiphat:

Cattle are so slow compared to dorper sheep, so, i wanna get a move on, but, not at any expense....

Funny thing is some of my tiny young sheep have popped out lambs to my surprise, large ones have had complications or stillborn not to try and say they are same, I just hate to waste time seeing ig is already a paunfully slow process....

 

[greggy]

I pelvic measure at 11 months when my retained heifers get their BANGS (as opposed to the standard 12 months). Turned out with the bull at 15 months so they'll calve right around 2 years. Regardless of size. Just mentioned in another post, big girls and big butts don't always mean big pelvic measurements. And definitely a calving ease bull!

I could read up on this but stiill outside and need to sleep soon....how do you measure....something ext or do you need to glove up with some kind of measure

 

[darcelina4]

Everyone has different idea on this but I do it on weight. I hate having issues with calving and like to see them spit out on their own. So if the girl is not around 900 pounds plus at a minimum, I do not breed her.

In all honesty if you can wait until they are at that weight or nearly 18 months then you would be good to go on this place.

I am certain you will get a lot of opinions and each one works for the person who gives you theirs.

No matter how you do it they need to be fed enough to grow as well as develop a calf. Hope it all goes well for you.

Best to you

L

You must have bigger cattle than I have. Some of my 2 year olds dont weigh 900. I do breed at 15 months unless really small. One of my most productive cows is a Jersey cross dairy that only weighs 800. She will be 4 in march and should calve for the third time in March. plus the first 2 years she raised 2 other calves each year. Her first calf is also going to calve this March. She is beef shorthorn plus. She is also around 800. My biggest cow is about 1300 beefmaster.

 

[TCRanch]

TC, i'm curious what percentage of your heifers fail the pelvic measurement to breed at 15 months.

Pelvic measurements at 11 months, turned out with the bull at 15 and I don't have them measured again. My goal is 150 minimum at 11 months; they should theoretically be able to have a 73 lb +/- calf unassisted.

I generally only retain 5-6 heifers and I'd say at least every other year one doesn't make the cut. Last year I had a huge, beautiful heifer from a great lineage. Her sister scored 163 the previous year but she measured a pitiful 132. Not going to take the risk. Different sires but both CED 12.

The following link is a good example:
https://extension2.missouri.edu/g2017

 

[TCRanch]

I pelvic measure at 11 months when my retained heifers get their BANGS (as opposed to the standard 12 months). Turned out with the bull at 15 months so they'll calve right around 2 years. Regardless of size. Just mentioned in another post, big girls and big butts don't always mean big pelvic measurements. And definitely a calving ease bull!

I could read up on this but stiill outside and need to sleep soon....how do you measure....something ext or do you need to glove up with some kind of measure

My vet measures when they get their BANGS. Cheap insurance. And yes, definitely glove up!

 

[Redgully]

If you only have four to breed now instead of a bull why not use A.I.

 

[JW IN VA]

I like my heifers to be 26 to 28 months old when they calve the first time.In my experience,the early breds never grow out and always seem stunted.
I've seen cases of a "calf having a calf" and little calving problem.Also see a seemingly large enough heifer being bred early and having a c section.

 

[CG1]

For whatever reason my cows never breed until 18 months +. I have never had one "reach sexual maturity" before that according to our vet. My last cows I put with a bull at 14 months, they all were pregnant at 25 months.

 

[greggy]

If you only have four to breed now instead of a bull why not use A.I.

My vets say it is very expensive, I was originally thinking this was the way I would do them all, but the conversation ended that.

What sort of costs do you say should be involved ? You can PM me if you do not want to post it here

 

[Redgully]

Its not very expensive if you have an A.I. tech close by. A straw will cost you $10-$30. You can pick old bulls up from semex for $8. Work on 1.5 straws a cow for misses. Now if you have a tech close by, maybe a proffesional, vet or farmer who does his own, they usually charge $10 to $50 a cow. If you are good at heat detection then can do each one as they come in. If you are not interested in heat detection can run a hormone program and do timed A.I. all at the same time. A hormone program will cost you anywhere from $25 to $100 a cow depending on how much you can do yourself. You will need to put cidrs in, do injections and remove cidrs, if you can do all that at the times the tech says then will save money on them traveling to do it. Cidrs are roughly $15 each but i use them twice. Injections are about $5 a shot and you may need two, i used one, shot per cow. I am a really small producer so for me i just heat detect and don't do any of the hormone stuff so just costs me the price of the straw and i feel i get a better take. For you it is going to come down to how close an A.I. guy is.

 

[Logar]

Everyone has different idea on this but I do it on weight. I hate having issues with calving and like to see them spit out on their own. So if the girl is not around 900 pounds plus at a minimum, I do not breed her.

In all honesty if you can wait until they are at that weight or nearly 18 months then you would be good to go on this place.

I am certain you will get a lot of opinions and each one works for the person who gives you theirs.

No matter how you do it they need to be fed enough to grow as well as develop a calf. Hope it all goes well for you.

Best to you

L

You must have bigger cattle than I have. Some of my 2 year olds dont weigh 900. I do breed at 15 months unless really small. One of my most productive cows is a Jersey cross dairy that only weighs 800. She will be 4 in march and should calve for the third time in March. plus the first 2 years she raised 2 other calves each year. Her first calf is also going to calve this March. She is beef shorthorn plus. She is also around 800. My biggest cow is about 1300 beefmaster.

It would appear to be so. Our cattle have to make it through living outside in snow and cold and we have developed them to the point they can take any weather. I would be surprised if we have any adult cattle that are under 1200 pounds. My best.

 

[greggy]

Its not very expensive if you have an A.I. tech close by. A straw will cost you $10-$30. You can pick old bulls up from semex for $8. Work on 1.5 straws a cow for misses. Now if you have a tech close by, maybe a proffesional, vet or farmer who does his own, they usually charge $10 to $50 a cow. If you are good at heat detection then can do each one as they come in. If you are not interested in heat detection can run a hormone program and do timed A.I. all at the same time. A hormone program will cost you anywhere from $25 to $100 a cow depending on how much you can do yourself. You will need to put cidrs in, do injections and remove cidrs, if you can do all that at the times the tech says then will save money on them traveling to do it. Cidrs are roughly $15 each but i use them twice. Injections are about $5 a shot and you may need two, i used one, shot per cow. I am a really small producer so for me i just heat detect and don't do any of the hormone stuff so just costs me the price of the straw and i feel i get a better take. For you it is going to come down to how close an A.I. guy is.

Oh...gawd....that is helpful.... :clap:

The young lass I spoke to was talking thousands.....

You know, I think I can tell when cycling...or take a guess....my jersey cross acts like a bull with anyone active....I believe that...she will try and mount sniff etc and turn lips up....just like rams do when ewes are ready....

May not be foolproof, but....hey...

What signs can I look for....I get real close to them most days...I have not noticed any discharge or swelling etc
....if I am to compare some other species.....

I am willing to give this method a go......I am not going to lose any hair for any that do not get bred...

 

[Dsth]

I breed mine around 15 months. I have noticed that when a heifer has her first calf around 3 years of age they seem lazy and do not do a good job of raising a calf. I agree with Redgully and would AI so you can select calving ease bulls and breed to different breeds based on breed of the heifers. I would also synchronize so they could breed as a group and calf in a closer window.