Pointer1160
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At what age to most of you breed heifers?
Breeding Hefers
- Thread starter Pointer1160
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Redgully
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15-18 months.
kentuckyguy
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I feel 15 months is a good age as long as they are in good condition. I like them around 800-900pds.
Pelvic measured at 11 months when they get their BANGS, minimum score 150. Turned out with a CE bull at 15 months.
Coosh71
Well-known member
TCRanch":1rvk3i3x said:
I think you are spot on with what you said here. CE bull is great to have for heifer and you. We do not check heifers when they calve now anymore than we do our cows... it's great. 13-15 months is perfect.
Bright Raven
Well-known member
14-15 months old.
wbvs58
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I breed them so they calve at 2 years to fit in with the calving season of the rest of the herd. In my situation so they calve as close to the 1st July as possible.
Ken
Ken
I still calve out my heifers at the barn, primarily to make sure they mother-up. Years ago I just happened to pull into the pasture right as one of my heifers successfully calved. She got up, took one look at her calf & hit the road. It was bitterly cold so ended up taking the calf to the barn to clean it up, get it warm. When we went back the heifer was trying to gank another calf. Penned them together for a week before she would claim her own calf. That cow is now pregnant with her 7th calf, turned out to be one of my best cows, but I'm still scarred.Coosh71":fuz1xevj said:
Redgully
Well-known member
TCRanch":1g3s5tgc said:
I have only ever had one cow do that, she had a sniff, the calf moved and she high tailed out of there. Lucky it was nice weather so I left them be and about 20 minutes later curiosity must have got the better of her and she slowly started coming back then when about 100 meters away saw the calf move and came running back and all was fine. I was surprised as red polls never have mothering issues. I didn't keep her for another calf but mainly because I had to reduce my herd a bit.
I'm sorry but that made me literally laugh out loud! She is our quintessential red-headed-step-child, compliments of our neighbors bull. My herd is primarily Angus, Angus-Herf, a few Angus-Simm and you can spot her a mile away. But love her to death, her dam was always a fave so decided to keep her. I've even kept all her heifers. Well, with the exception of her first one that she dissed & as reluctant as she was to mother-up, she's also the one that bawled the most when we weaned. Wouldn't mind a bit if she surprised me with a little red one, preferably a heifer.Redgully":303qswyx said:
Redgully
Well-known member
What are the chances!
True Grit Farms
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Using Angus bulls almost zero.Redgully":26tw5xo1 said:
Always a possibility my neighbor's bull will come a courtin' again ;-)True Grit Farms":2oj5qeab said:
FlyingLSimmentals
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I like mine calving at 25 months.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
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Hmmm - I posted on this - but, poof - it's gone.
Anyway, if you have a "calving season", you have to breed your heifers are 13-15 months old, if you want heifers to calve during your calving season. I have a "spring", Jan & Feb and a "fall", Sept & Oct. I guess I could hold my heifers over to the next calving season, but I think that is a waste of time, genetics, and money. And, research shows 2 year olds have less calving difficulty that 2.5 yr olds. I know that goes against what sounds logical, but as heifers get older, their pelvic area calcifies and they don't have the "stretch" that they have as a 2 yr old. Once they stretch out, they stay stretched out for future calving. I believe in raising my heifers to be big enough at 13-15 months of age to get bred and have no difficulties at 2.
Anyway, if you have a "calving season", you have to breed your heifers are 13-15 months old, if you want heifers to calve during your calving season. I have a "spring", Jan & Feb and a "fall", Sept & Oct. I guess I could hold my heifers over to the next calving season, but I think that is a waste of time, genetics, and money. And, research shows 2 year olds have less calving difficulty that 2.5 yr olds. I know that goes against what sounds logical, but as heifers get older, their pelvic area calcifies and they don't have the "stretch" that they have as a 2 yr old. Once they stretch out, they stay stretched out for future calving. I believe in raising my heifers to be big enough at 13-15 months of age to get bred and have no difficulties at 2.
