Bulls on test

[Jovid]

Here are three of our bulls we have on the bull test at Connors. Fire away.

DOB 2/24/07

DOB 3/19/07

DOB 3/21/07

 

[bigbull338]

those are some nice looking bulls.they look like their growing real good as well i see they are yearlings.what was their bws wws an starting test weights.

 

[Jovid]

# 1 BW 95 WW 640 start weight 865

# 2 BW 90 WW 627 start weight 802

# 3 BW 95 WW 680 start weight 902

 

[bigbull338]

they going to finish at 1200lbs a head or better.

 

[Jovid]

they going to finish at 1200lbs a head or better.

They should all be over 1200 and the last one should be over 1300 as he weighs 1100 with 60 days left on the test. We are very happy so far.

 

[MikeC]

Looks like they are gaining well. Nice calves, but they are so.......RED! :lol:

Fill us in on the ADG, etc. when the test ends....................

 

[Jovid]

I thought red poll were supposed to be low birthweight. 95 pounds or better aint low birthweight.

You are right. For some reason all our calves were bigger than normal last year. Seems like it was the norm in this part of the country. Oh by the way the first one is out of a heifer and she didn't have any problems.

 

[onecowfarms1]

nice looking!

 

[AppalachCattle]

Good looking young bulls. No Red Polls around here. I like #3 best, he is faster growing and especially earlier maturing, a very good trait.

 

[KNERSIE]

Fill us in on the ADG, etc. when the test ends....................

I'd rather want to hear about their feed convertion rate.

 

[Jovid]

Fill us in on the ADG, etc. when the test ends....................

I'd rather want to hear about their feed convertion rate.

I can tell you what their Genestar Feed Efficiency GPDS are.

# 2 FE GPD is -1.98 # 3 FE GPD is - 2.57. We are waiting results on # 1. The higher the negative The better

 

[KMacGinley]

I have always admired Red Polls, Purdue had a herd and the herdsman, when he left bought them out and started up with them here in Indiana. I always thought they were good cattle and yours look like fine examples of the best qualities of the breed.

 

[MikeC]

Fill us in on the ADG, etc. when the test ends....................

I'd rather want to hear about their feed convertion rate.

The high gainers are usually the best converters. Not always, just overall.

We have been inadvertedly/unknowingly breeding for feed conversion rates by choosing the high gainers for breeding.

When the Auburn Bull Test data (complete with 25-30 years of RFI & conversion rates) is published I will post it.

 

[MikeC]

Fill us in on the ADG, etc. when the test ends....................

I'd rather want to hear about their feed convertion rate.

The high gainers are usually the best converters. Not always, just overall.

We have been inadvertedly/unknowingly breeding for feed conversion rates by choosing the high gainers for breeding.

When the Auburn Bull Test data (complete with 25-30 years of RFI & conversion rates) is published I will post it.

"GENETICS - THE USE OF CARCASS EPDs TO AFFECT PHENOTYPE cont. - Stephen Boyles, OSU Extension Beef Specialist

Genetic Correlations of Carcass Traits: Successful breeding programs usually do not involve single trait selection. The reason is that various other traits are also affected when a trait is changed. The traits are thus correlated to each other. The correlation can be positive or negative. An example of a positive correlation would be Average Daily Gain (ADG) and Feed Efficiency. Selecting for Feed Efficiency can be very costly since animals have to be individually fed. But if we select for rapid average daily gain we are also improving feed efficiency traits. Some breeds have demonstrated that selection for growth negatively impacts maternal performance. Some of these correlations can be rather weak or in another words, "a little positive or a little negative." These relationships are not perfect. The fact that genetic correlations are not perfect provides breeders the opportunity to try to identify sires that are exceptions to the unfavorable correlation. Table 3 has some genetic correlations between growth and carcass traits. It should be noted that correlations will vary among data sources. Strong correlations will have value close to 1 or -1 while a weak correlation would have a value close to zero."

 

[ShuterSunset]

Jovid,

What are these bulls out of?

 

[DOC HARRIS]

Good Phenotype! Good functioning cattle. It just exemplifies the fact that good Genetics will produce good results! You have some fine genetics in your herd, and should be very satisfied with your work!

DOC HARRIS

 

[KNERSIE]

Fill us in on the ADG, etc. when the test ends....................

I'd rather want to hear about their feed convertion rate.

The high gainers are usually the best converters. Not always, just overall.

We have been inadvertedly/unknowingly breeding for feed conversion rates by choosing the high gainers for breeding.

When the Auburn Bull Test data (complete with 25-30 years of RFI & conversion rates) is published I will post it.

So in other words you are just testing their apetites?

Don't you have the technology in the USA to record each bull's consumption so that you can get an accurate FCR?

 

[MikeC]

So in other words you are just testing their apetites?

Don't you have the technology in the USA to record each bull's consumption so that you can get an accurate FCR?

Not all Bull tests here check for conversion rates. Our bull test does. (Auburn University)

When I looked at the original posters' pictures and saw the "self" feeders I knew they didn't and went around the question.

I'm am not a big fan of the "Eating" contests either, but they have helped with conversion rates in the long run.

You do understand that ADG and FCR are highly correlated?

 

[KNERSIE]

You do understand that ADG and FCR are highly correlated?

I do, but have seen to many gluttons who topped the ADG and ADA but that were below par on the FCR.

Interesting enough the hereford bull who topped the tests near me in 2006 for FCR was also the one with the smallest scrotum. It was ridiculously lacking in circumference and volume.

Was this just coincidence or is there any correlation?

 

[MikeC]

You do understand that ADG and FCR are highly correlated?

I do, but have seen to many gluttons who topped the ADG and ADA but that were below par on the FCR.

Interesting enough the hereford bull who topped the tests near me in 2006 for FCR was also the one with the smallest scrotum. It was ridiculously lacking in circumference and volume.

Was this just coincidence or is there any correlation?

Don't know but the exact same thing happened at the 2006 Auburn Bull Test with a Hereford bull. He got bounced from the test for small scrotum. He would have been the High Indexing bull. Sometimes some bulls have late maturing scrotums but it generally coincides with growth and finishing patterns.

I've not seen many that gained well that didn't convert well. Well, maybe an angus or two, but the Chars generally gain and convert equally each test, year in and year out.