Broadway AI bull.

[Bright Raven]

This Broadway was 93 pounds. Born unassisted. 281 days.

I have great cows. They help weigh their calves.

 

[jd720]

Good looking calf. It sure helps when the cows cooperate with you when handling calves.

 

[Till-Hill]

Preg checked last of cows. Hook`s Delta 66D (full brother to Broadway) was exposed to 29 head, 11 had no AI date, all bred up 85 day window. He stuck all 20 I left him! Bad year for my ai but Hook bull to the rescue! As a yearling bull I think he did darn good. Most people would put their yearling bull in a pen now and feed him all winter. Well Delta is back on a group of 17 fall cows, I'd be happy as heck if he runs over them in the next 85 days too!

He covered 7 cows that are either baldies or have some in their pedigree. Will be interesting to see how this solid black brother calves and what he does on color.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Till-Hill - Hook's Shear Force is NOT the only CE genetics in the breed. You seriously need to look at more bulls.

FireSweep - what's with these teeny calves?? Hard to believe they survive, good job!

 

[Till-Hill]

Till-Hill - Hook's Shear Force is NOT the only CE genetics in the breed. You seriously need to look at more bulls.

FireSweep - what's with these teeny calves?? Hard to believe they survive, good job!

What's a calving ease bull (A PB Simmental you would breed to any breed of virgin heifer that has 0% Legacy in it)? And I'll add that has above breed average growth and indexes

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

PB Breed Avg:
CE 9 WW 62 YW 90 MCE 9 API 121 TI 69
#2573743 JF American Pride
CE 13 WW 65 YW 101 MCE 14 API 147 TI 74
#2751238 SVF Blaze of Glory
CE 12 WW 66 YW 91 MCE 10 API 134 TI 74

These are readily available AI sires. JF American Pride has accuracies in the mid 80's & above
Blaze's accuracy for CE is only 38%, but his sire has an acc. of 96% with a CE 16. And his dam's sire has an acc. 94% CE 11
When I am looking at a young bull, I look at his parents to get a better handle on what I can expect.

I was going to list WS Zenith - but he does have Shear Force.
Why are you so worried about Shear Force being in their pedigree. So what if your cows are related. He is proven "over the top" for quality cattle and we (Simmentals) don't have any defects, other than the ones we are inheriting from crossbreeding.

I would also use a CE bull with average growth traits.
I have never had to worry about "junk" calves coming out of my heifers. Like was mentioned - I also have sold MANY calves out of heifers as top show heifers or top end breeding stock - as weaned calves. Why waste a year?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I want to back-track on the spotted heifer.
The white face, white feet, tail, bellie, udder - are all different genes - which I don't have a great handle on.
The white SPOTS, on the other hand, I am VERY familiar with. Remember, I've been breeding them since 1970.
The spotting gene is recessive. The dam AND the bull have to be carrying the gene for the offspring to exhibit the spots.
So, now we know Broadway carries the spotting the gene - and the dams that had spotted calves.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I want to back-track on the spotted heifer.
The white face, white feet, tail, bellie, udder - are all different genes - which I don't have a great handle on.
The white SPOTS, on the other hand, I am VERY familiar with. Remember, I've been breeding them since 1970.
The spotting gene is recessive. The dam AND the bull have to be carrying the gene for the offspring to exhibit the spots.
So, now we know Broadway carries the spotting the gene - and the dams that had spotted calves.

Common sense isn't common sometimes.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

PB Breed Avg:
CE 9 WW 62 YW 90 MCE 9 API 121 TI 69
#2573743 JF American Pride
CE 13 WW 65 YW 101 MCE 14 API 147 TI 74
#2751238 SVF Blaze of Glory
CE 12 WW 66 YW 91 MCE 10 API 134 TI 74

These are readily available AI sires. JF American Pride has accuracies in the mid 80's & above
American Pride is out of Upgrade, who is out of Legacy. I think he was looking for 0 Legacy. We have had several American Pride calves, and though I like them, they have poor docility and do come with a bigger birthweight. I would not use him on a heifer I might sell as a bred, but I would use him on a heifer I know that has low birthweight in her pedigree and I am calving her out.

Why are you so worried about Shear Force being in their pedigree. So what if your cows are related. He is proven "over the top" for quality cattle and we (Simmentals) don't have any defects, other than the ones we are inheriting from crossbreeding.

I would also use a CE bull with average growth traits.
I have never had to worry about "junk" calves coming out of my heifers. Like was mentioned - I also have sold MANY calves out of heifers as top show heifers or top end breeding stock - as weaned calves. Why waste a year?

I agree with that! My heifers I KNOW I am calving out myself I use bulls that might have bigger calves (like Broadway). Heifers I know I am likely to sell as a bred I use guaranteed calving ease bulls on (W/C Lockdown, Elevate, Cowboy Cut).

 

[Till-Hill]

I want to distance myself from Legacy right now because everyone is doing it. If Simmentals don't start using some outcross stuff we will end up with the Angus plague of Genetic disorders! Its nice to be different too. I don't like following everyone.
American Pride, 2 shots of Legacy. Same with Blaze of Glory.

WS Zenith Z55 has NO Legacy, he has been on my short list for the red side for a few years. Less than 200 registered calves in 3 years has me a bit gun shy tho. His dam is a prolific donor cow tho.

The red PB Simmental sire I will be using yesterday at the advice of some guys that have seen a bunch of calves is 3038020 CANSM - 794268 KUNTZ SHERIFF 8A. Outcross pedigree and 6.3 frame with that calving ease I'm going all in on my reds. Maybe it will be a flop. 1 calf registered in '15, 21 in '16, 79 so far in '17

On the topic of throw away calves I am 100% with you Jeanne. There's no sense in it. My high dollar selling heifers have been out of first calf heifers so far. I run our registered cows like commercial guys do. I don't check midnight very often. I just expect a live calf in the morning when I get time to check them. My custom AI customers like using Angus so volume discount on some dang good bulls I will most likely stay using some Angus on my registered Simmental heifers.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Your choice. That's what's nice about having your own animals. You can decide what direction you want to go.
I never worry about what's that far back. Line breeding is a good thing as long as there are no genetic defects. And, we don't have any. Just because they start stacking "same genetics" does NOT mean all of a sudden a genetic defect is going to appear.
I would breed a Dream On son to a Dream On daughter. Wouldn't hesitate. Dream On, Legacy, Shear force - they have so many progeny out there we know there is nothing to worry about. And they have so many progeny because they are GOOD.

 

[Till-Hill]

I won't agree on Dream On's bring anything special. But Shear Force and Legacy, they will be mainstays in the Simmental business forever. I have some Shear Force semen yet and been waiting on the right cows to use it on. Only problem is our cows are pretty moderate now. I don't want to make them any smaller.