calving ease bull

[trappersteve]

This may sound like a stupid question but is there a way to tell a calving ease bull just by looking at him a buddy of mine has a calving ease bull and he is a monster probably weights in around 2300 . He said I could use him if I wanted to on my heifers. Just wondering if any of you can see Calvin ease and what do y'all look for?

 

[Till-Hill]

I can tell when he is proven on about 25 calves out of heifers.

 

[gizmom]

We usually use a younger calving ease bull on heifers, at 2300 pounds he may very well be a calving ease bull as far as the size of the calf he produces. However, I would probably not use him on my heifers due to his size. Our cow herd muture size averages between 1200 and 1300 pounds. When you consider we are breeding our heifers at 15 months old they are only weighing between 700 and 800 pounds a 2300 pound bull could sure break them down.

Gizmom

 

[fitz]

I sure couldn't tell just by looking at a Bull. I agree with gizmom. Even if the one you mention is a calving ease Bull I wouldn't want him on heifers at that size. I've said before I think an older experienced Bull is often easier on a cow than a young lighter Bull. My last Bull's calves came out looking like little poodles but he physically reached a point I didn't want to chance him crippling a heifer.

fitz

 

[redcowsrule33]

Don't rely on birthweight, either. Just because a guy says his bull throws 60# calves doesn't mean they aren't shaped like a sink plug.

 

[glacierridge]

A safe way to use a calving ease bull of that weight is in a straw.
I hope you'll find something you like that will work on your stock.

 

[Isomade]

Don't rely on birthweight, either. Just because a guy says his bull throws 60# calves doesn't mean they aren't shaped like a sink plug.

Exactly, small head, smooth shoulders will tell you a lot. Not everything, but a lot.

 

[glacierridge]

Don't rely on birthweight, either. Just because a guy says his bull throws 60# calves doesn't mean they aren't shaped like a sink plug.

Exactly, small head, smooth shoulders will tell you a lot. Not everything, but a lot.

True story.
We've had some hundred pounders just slide out and some eighty pounders that need an assist.

 

[inyati13]

This may sound like a stupid question but is there a way to tell a calving ease bull just by looking at him a buddy of mine has a calving ease bull and he is a monster probably weights in around 2300 . He said I could use him if I wanted to on my heifers. Just wondering if any of you can see Calvin ease and what do y'all look for?

I got a registered Angus bull that is a proven CE bull at least the 4 calves he spawned so far are not much bigger than rabbits. I will sell him for $2 K but I am in KY.

 

[Ozhorse]

I have a bull that throws nice small calves and have never had a small heifer having problems out of 70 or 80 calves. Problem is he is now full size and 6 or 7 years old and I have seen him squash a 14 mo heifer onto the ground trying to mount her.

Year before last I had two heifers I had to cull from injured hips from bulls being too big for them. I went and got some young low BW yearling bulls to put over my yearling heifers last year.

So not only do they have to throw low birth weight calves - they need to be a reasonable size compared to the heifers you are going to put them over.

I have read that heifers run around a lot and that big heavy old bulls can have trouble keeping up with them. It sounds a reasonable proposition but I dont know from experience if it matters.

Saying that, my older bulls have got 4 - 5 mo heifer calves on their mothers in calf.

You might get away with it with only a few heifers that are strong and IF the bull hops on them just right. You are not going to know if he is going to squish them flat until after he has done it. It is all very well to say some bulls might be big but will mount a cow in a light way - but you cant know if he is one of them before hand.

 

[dun]

The athleticism of the bull makes a huge difference. We had one bull that would knock even full grown cows to the ground, he weighed 1600 lbs. Anohter bull that weighed 2300 lbs would breed small heifers and they woudln;t even have to take a step while he was mounting and thrusting. Had a guy interested in him but decided he was too big, sent him through the sale barn and got more for him then I was asking for him as a breeder.

 

[CKC1586]

Don't rely on birthweight, either. Just because a guy says his bull throws 60# calves doesn't mean they aren't shaped like a sink plug.

Exactly, small head, smooth shoulders will tell you a lot. Not everything, but a lot.

True story.
We've had some hundred pounders just slide out and some eighty pounders that need an assist.

yup :nod:

 

[inyati13]

I have a bull that throws nice small calves and have never had a small heifer having problems out of 70 or 80 calves. Problem is he is now full size and 6 or 7 years old and I have seen him squash a 14 mo heifer onto the ground trying to mount her.

Year before last I had two heifers I had to cull from injured hips from bulls being too big for them. I went and got some young low BW yearling bulls to put over my yearling heifers last year.

So not only do they have to throw low birth weight calves - they need to be a reasonable size compared to the heifers you are going to put them over.

I have read that heifers run around a lot and that big heavy old bulls can have trouble keeping up with them. It sounds a reasonable proposition but I dont know from experience if it matters.

Saying that, my older bulls have got 4 - 5 mo heifer calves on their mothers in calf.

You might get away with it with only a few heifers that are strong and IF the bull hops on them just right. You are not going to know if he is going to squish them flat until after he has done it. It is all very well to say some bulls might be big but will mount a cow in a light way - but you cant know if he is one of them before hand.

One of my cows recently smashed a heifer to the ground. I have the heifer separated from the herd. I put a cow in with her that is due 9/12/13. The heifer cycled the other day. It happened when I was there; the heifer started standing. The cow smashed her to the ground. It looked bad. One of her back legs was out to the side. I got the cow separated and the heifer was up moving fine. The cow probably goes 1650. The heifer is not yet a year old.