Brandon
Member
What is the best bull to bred heifers having their first calf? I live in Southeast Alabama if that helps out any.
Breeding first time heifers
- Thread starter Brandon
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SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE
Well-known member
Any good Murray Grey Bull will do you a good job,and have low birth weight calves that will grow off well. ;-) :cboy:
Bama
Well-known member
What type of heifers. Any bull that is noted as giving a low birthweight calf would work fine. Normally I don't get in on the color war's but some of the "white" ones are noted for big headed calves. Determine the heifers pelvic area by running your hand up her north end if she is pointed south, the upper part. Now extend you thumb and rotate it. If you have a average size hand she can have a average size calf, if your able to rotate it around. It can better be determined by using a special set of calipers then using a multiplier to determine a closer weight. If your asking this question I would suggest that you take them to a vet and let them do it. good luck and welcome to the boards.
bigbull338
Well-known member
i like the polled herefords an have used them for yrs on heifers they get you away from big head calves.scott
Tod Dague
Well-known member
I've never done any pelvic measuring. With the thumb deal does the bottom of the hand and the thumb touch the pelvic rim or should it not? When I AI'd my heifers I opened my hand completely and the tip of my pinky and the tip of my thumb reached the pelvic rim all the way around, is that good? I have an average sized hand. I plan to start measuring the pelvic area on next year's heifers.Bama":2anxd0qs said:
Brandon
Member
Thanks for ya'lls help with the breeding questions.
Brandon
Member
Bama said:
stocky
Well-known member
I would recommend an old time black angus or a longhorn. Longhorn calves will be smaller and much more lively but the old black angus will be a higher selling calf. They new black angus can have large calves with the changes that have been made. I would stay away from any bull that claims 70 lb or bigger calves for your heifers. Try to stay around 50 lbs or less for 1st calf heifers and you will eliminate those sleepless nights
Brandon":130sn689 said:
We did a Char bull years ago and with Char cows. We had a lot of calving problems mainly because the bull was a pallet head. We had to ditch him because we also run some other breeds. By chance about three years ago I went to a heifer replacement auction and picked up a couple Char heifers bred to a BA. I picked them up because the buyers were going crazy over black and I got them pretty reasonable. Boy did I do good! I put a R Angus bull on them with low BW EPD's and these Char's throw some nice stuff. I consistently get the highest $/pound from their offspring as compared to the rest of my stock.
I don't think you can go wrong by putting an Angus or Hereford on these cows unless it has an exceptionally high BW EPD.
Brandon
Member
Brandon":2hebzb1p said:
I don't know why I put black angus/simmental last night.
I think he said gelbvieh/charolaisMoGal
Well-known member
Depending on what color calf you desire, you might look into a red poll. From what I have learned, their birthweight is even less than black angus.
That's what I am going to use on my heifers next spring, but I have charx heifers.
That's what I am going to use on my heifers next spring, but I have charx heifers.
