I have a couple of heifers that I want bred as spring calvers for next year. These heifers will be about 20 months at breeding time. I held off breeding them earlier because I didn't want to have calves in the winter. I also happened to pick up another heifer at an Angus sale a couple of weeks ago. She was part of their commercial herd, and she was listed as a "spring 2014" heifer. She was a nice sized/ looking girl, so I was hoping she was a Feb/Mar calf, but I found out later she is a May calf. I guess I shouldn't assume anything. I would like to breed her at the same time as the other two older heifers, but I'm not sure when to turn the bull in. Should I wait until she is about 15 months, or is it okay to go earlier. If so, is 13 months okay? The breeder says they breed at 12 months quite often and don't have many problems at all. The bull will be be going to work for the first time in his life. He is a Gelbvieh bull and had a 71 lb BW. He will be about 15mo himself when we turn him in. I'm interested in your thoughts. Thanks for the help.
Breed or Wait?
- Thread starter BC Acres
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
Breed them.
Black and Good
Well-known member
Are these heifers the only females you have? If so, I would turn the bull to them the 10th of May. If you have other mature cows, I would turn him in the 10th of April so, they might breed back and fall in with you mature spring cows. This will give you calves in February. B&G
When do you want to calve? The 20 month hefiers anytime you want to, the May yearling would concern me a little. The breeder said not to many problems, I wouldnt want any problems that I could help. Maybe hold her for your fall breeding or delay it a few months and back her up, some next year.
Is all you know about the bull is he weighed 71lbs? If so that and her a yearling id be nervous unless I was gonna be there alot at calving. JMO
Is all you know about the bull is he weighed 71lbs? If so that and her a yearling id be nervous unless I was gonna be there alot at calving. JMO
branguscowgirl
Well-known member
I personally wouldn't breed the May heifer before she's at least a year old, (15 mos is even better) and only if she is well over 800 lds herself. If you like her, why risk interfering with her growth or risk loosing her.
I would want to know more about how the bulls bred and some EPDs before I put him on heifers also.
I would want to know more about how the bulls bred and some EPDs before I put him on heifers also.
I would never try to breed her before a year. I was planning on putting the bull in during June/July. That would make her 13-14 months. My brother and I work together with cattle. He has all the EPDs at his place. We bought it from a pretty well respected breeder in this area. It was made known that we wanted a bull that would be used on heifers. Ideally I would like to make her a spring calver since our fall herd is pretty maxed out based on the pasture available. Our general rule is to wait until 15 months of age, but when the Angus ranch owner says they do it all the time, it makes me question that thinking. That is why I'm trying to see what some of you guys think about it.
Big Cheese
Well-known member
A cattle guy that was PTing some of the Longhorn heifers that we bought last May said it this way.....a heifer is going to breed when she's ready.
I would wait until she is at least 18 months old. I know a lot of people say breed them at fourteen months. I tried that. Then I let them wait until they were eighteen months to two years old and it makes a lot of difference with the calves. The heifers have had time to grow and they give more milk, thus raising much better calves. It pays off in the long run.
branguscowgirl
Well-known member
That is a sad statement for anyone trying to make a good cow. When heifers are cycling at 6-8 months old sometimes. He's gonna have dink heifers raising dink calves.Big Cheese":2igotj1t said:
Big Cheese
Well-known member
branguscowgirl":350x3mm3 said:
Just because he said that doesn't mean he does that with them. Nobody is going to breed a heifer at 6-8 months unless it's an accident. What I'm saying with that statement is that younger heifer that this person has will breed when it's ready. Let her out along with the other heifers and she'll breed when it's her time to breed. You took my statement and made it into something it wasn't stated for. No farmer is going to let a heifer breed at 6-8 months if they can help it. And for the record cows that breed young at around 14 months still make great cows. I've got 4 in my pasture right now that I know bred that early and they can arguably say they are the best cows on the place.
Williamsv":u6vwbdeu said:
I have to disagree. The one calf that will be better is the first calf. Second and later it does not matter at all, so it does not pay in the long run. Instead the situation will be a cow that produces just as good as one calving young, and she will be forever behind on paying her own raising costs.
Calve at two, the first calf pays for most of the upkeep for his mother between her year one and year two, thus the raising cost for the new cow is limited to her first year.
Calve at three, and voila, the first calf pays for most of the upkeep for his mother between her year two and and her year three, thus the costs are for the new cows´ two first years.
Now a calf from a three year old first calver is bigger than from a two year old first calver.
Agreed.
And a developing heifer will take up more space the older she gets, and two year old heifers eat distinctly more than one year heifers.
To calve at three instead of at two might double the raising costs (or worse) - with very little return. :2cents:
Or instead look at the situation from a herd standpoint; you get fewer small calves, but you pay for that by feeding a double amount of replacement heifers all the time. Even if you could keep them outdoors, even if their hay and grass would be free, there could have been room for more cows on your farm.
Compare a cow bred at 14 months and one at 18 or older five years down the road, and note the difference in size of the two. Heifers need to fully mature themselves,before they are bred. Early breeding stunts the heifer.
Discussed this with a friend yesterday who bought six heifers bred at 14 months. One heifer and her calf died and another lost her calf. He, too said no more breeding heifers at 14 months.
Each person has their own ideas. I, too thought breeding at 14 months would bring money in faster, but it did not help the cows. I try to consider what will be best for them in the long run.
Discussed this with a friend yesterday who bought six heifers bred at 14 months. One heifer and her calf died and another lost her calf. He, too said no more breeding heifers at 14 months.
Each person has their own ideas. I, too thought breeding at 14 months would bring money in faster, but it did not help the cows. I try to consider what will be best for them in the long run.
branguscowgirl
Well-known member
I certainly do not see any age in your first comment, leaving it wide open for interpretation.Big Cheese":26zab48r said:
The comment alone gives me the impression that he leaves any heifer with a bull and "she will breed when she's ready."
