BW on 11 day early calf

[wade]

A friend of mine wants me to save him a bull. I have a bull calf born 11 days early out of a 4 year old red angus cow that was sired by LCC Field Day (Reg.937253). He wants to use the bull on his herd of Belted Galloways. The calf weighed 75 pounds the day after it was born. I don't want to save him something that is to big at birthweight. How much might this calf have gained if it went full term? I also have a couple other questions. This calf's ears are kindof tipped like a dog. Just the end of them about an inch hang over. What is with that? I also had calves from the bull Bieber Maximus (Reg.966329) out of my heifers. The calves have a longer lower jaw than the upper jaw? What is with that?

 

[dun]

The second one sounds like a genetic flaw somewhere. A calf upto 2 weeks early probalby wouldn;t run more then 15 pounds or so more at full term. A calf born early may very well be a calf that will sire early calves. Gelbviehs have an EPD for gestation length so it must me haritable to some degree.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I agree that the jaw issue is probably a genetic defect. You should report it to the breed association.
I also believe that they say a calf will gain about 1#/day at that stage. But, as Dun said, gestation length is slightly heritable, so he might sire early calving calves. I sure wouldn't be afraid of that BW if he isn't a little "bulldog" (big headed & shoulders).