Breeding to create calm cows

[2raedwards]

What are some bulls that are known to produce calm and docile momma cows. I'm looking for a little more than just what the epd would indicate. Anybody have any hands on experience? Seems like there are quite a few high headed sires out there these days….

Aberdeen- we have herd Australian Lowline Angus.

 

[Rendell]

...I don't see many suggestions. Here is what I am using. photo_link

He's a son of LSF MEW X-Porter 6695D RAA# 3539014. Select Sires stud# 7AR81. The Red Angus Association website does not list a docility EPD. The Neogen profile of my bull scored docility a 7. So far he seems to be a pleasant change from my previous bull. I would guess female progeny of X-Porter would be docile too, but I don't have any.

She's not Angus, but I have a sweetheart black heifer out of Romn Justice NALF# NPM1541731. ABS stud# 29LM0082. Careful using Justice on heifers. In my experience, heifers have difficulty but cows do all right.

 

[Rendell]

ROMN Justice progeny can have bad feet. Just giving you a heads-up.

 

[cowgirl8]

We have always had a rule, if the cow is difficult when we work them or get them up, she goes. And over 40 years of doing this, we rarely have a problem... but, you should always be cautious around a new mother, always. Just never keep a problem cow, they learn off each other. We dont keep problem bulls either.

 

[andybob]

Breed CC&7 to a Water Buffalo and you'll be able to halter break its calf

We never had any problems haltering the Water Buffalo calves in the Laverstoke dairy here in the UK , you can tyrust the Buffalo far more than the Jersey herd.

 

[Wind and Sage]

What are some bulls that are known to produce calm and docile momma cows. I'm looking for a little more than just what the epd would indicate. Anybody have any hands on experience? Seems like there are quite a few high headed sires out there these days….

I am going to mention one sire that I've had a lot of experience with, although I'm sure there are many out there that I am not familiar with. He is an (1995 birth date) old bull, AAR Really Windy 1205. I've raised over 200 head of cows over about a twelve year period from him, and sold many bulls sired by him as well. Generally, the disposition is extremely gentle, although (as with about any sire) there have been a few exceptions.
However, the bull is only half of the disposition, and possibly even less than that. The dam's sire as a group can have a lot of influence on disposition, as well as the individual animal.
The second thing, and I agree with the posts that have mentioned this, is the way the cattle are handled and managed. It is amazing, but there are some people out there who just seem to make cattle nervous. I've worked with some producers that are the same way. I usually help them one time, and then make excuses not to help the next time, if it is a "rodeo approach" to working cattle. I hope that helps.

 

[Wind and Sage]

Pretty easy to sort out and sell a couple percent of crazies. Why keep them?

We only use bulls with good dispositions but there are always outlier calves. For our black heifer calves it is 10 to 15% culled for disposition, who give us issues when we work them. Not crazy - - but always looking for holes...

True! Even if they aren't mean, or wanting to hurt you, it seems that one wild one, looking for that hole, will get the entire group stirred up. I think they can learn bad habits from each other that way.

 

[Stonewall Joe]

What breed?

according to report, and I've never had one, but they say the Sennepol cattle are super docile

 

[gusea305]

What are some bulls that are known to produce calm and docile momma cows. I'm looking for a little more than just what the epd would indicate. Anybody have any hands on experience? Seems like there are quite a few high headed sires out there these days….

I wouldn't worry so much about the bull as i would the dam. If you have a small herd you could spend a lot of time with them. Take treats. I started my small herd by buying weanlings and hand raising them with lots of scratches and handfuls of wet cob. I also let them browse. They just seem to pass those traits right on down. Maybe find a FFA or 4H bull or heifers that have been hand raised. County fairs are a great place to find gentled animals.

 

[coachg]

Think it helps if the breeding has that trait but I think handling and how often they have good interactions with you is the main factor. Two almost identical groups of heifers calves : 2019 group was preconditioned with their steer brothers . The steer group had to be worked several times for various health issues so the heifers had to go through the catch process too . Everyone of the heifers are skittish , a couple even borderline wild . Group sold ! 2020 group , almost the same momma's . We retained this group , worked them the minimum times for worming , vaccinating etc . No yelling, no hotsticks. We had to push 5-6 into the head catch because they are so laid back . Keepers !

 

[Stocker Steve]

What do you think I Caught her for? It sure wasn't to keep her.

I thought you might be AI ing her to a docile bull.

 

[Hpacres440p]

Aberdeen- we have herd Australian Lowline Angus.

Although the majority I've had are great, I have also had a not so nice Aberdeen...same as all breed I guess

 

[BFE]

I thought you might be AI ing her to a docile bull.

Heck no, life's too short. I don't want to make it any shorter.

 

[Bcompton53]

Definitely connealy comrade. His calves are incredibly docile.

 

[moses388]

ROMN Justice progeny can have bad feet. Just giving you a heads-up.

Thanks for letting me know. My ROMN Justice female was born October 13, 2018. She has not had feet problems yet... knock on wood.

The X-Porter son has had 1 abscess.

 

[Nesikep]

There is SOOO much to docility outside of genetics... Genetics may set them up to be capable of being docile or not, but far more important is the mother and how she teaches the calf.. it's been also proven that a stressed mother during pregnancy is setting up the offspring to be more prone to stress, fight/flight, etc, and this can be seen for a couple generations

 

[Steve123]

I the only one I know NOT to use is N Bar Emulation EXT. Unfortunately, he is in a lot of pedigrees.

 

[SCC]

I am going to mention one sire that I've had a lot of experience with, although I'm sure there are many out there that I am not familiar with. He is an (1995 birth date) old bull, AAR Really Windy 1205. I've raised over 200 head of cows over about a twelve year period from him, and sold many bulls sired by him as well. Generally, the disposition is extremely gentle, although (as with about any sire) there have been a few exceptions.
However, the bull is only half of the disposition, and possibly even less than that. The dam's sire as a group can have a lot of influence on disposition, as well as the individual animal.
The second thing, and I agree with the posts that have mentioned this, is the way the cattle are handled and managed. It is amazing, but there are some people out there who just seem to make cattle nervous. I've worked with some producers that are the same way. I usually help them one time, and then make excuses not to help the next time, if it is a "rodeo approach" to working cattle. I hope that helps.

I currently have a grandson of AAR Really Windy 1205 as my main herd sire, although he's getting a pretty good age on him now, and I couldn't agree more with your take. As gentle as they come. I also would agree with Steve123 about Emulation Ext. Bought a half dozen bred heifers that would have been grand daughters to him and ended up culling them all because of how they handled. On my spring herd I used a cane of Connealy Cool 39L on cows and bred my heifers to Tex Playbook. Very excited to see those calves next year!

 

[GoWyo]

I the only one I know NOT to use is N Bar Emulation EXT. Unfortunately, he is in a lot of pedigrees.

I like to see EXT a generation or two back. Getting further back all the te though. They have been productive and durable cows. No disposition issues.

 

[JKCattle]

In my opinion, angus docility EPDs track pretty close to actual docility. However, it doesn't take a whole lot for someone who doesn't know how to handle cattle to ruin a docile animal. We've been breeding for docility for 10-15 years now and have culled several for being too docile. We haven't been ignoring docility EPDs, but aren't breeding for it the last few years.