CHOOSING BULL FOR CALVING EASE OF 1st TIME HEFIERS

[Anonymous]

Many old time farmers here live by the rule of using a Jersey bull for 1st time heifers,since there calf weights and size are smaller than beef breeds.Any insight are experince here?

Also does anyone know of any satistics of calfs having to be pulled on different age of 1st time hefiers,10 months up to 2yrs of age even with a first time young bull Charl X Braham 1&1/2 yrs old.

I have one good 700to800 lbs.heifer Charl X herford cross about 1yr old, that my new young bull got to.I am wondering now wheather to keep her and take my chances or sale her. She still growing off fast,she will probably weigh now between 800 to 850 lbs. and will come in in March. Just as gentle and loving as a kitten.Thanks

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[Anonymous]

Cattlemen in my area used to use Longhorn bulls for easy calving. But they always took a beating at the sale barn on them. With the advent of EPDs, more people are using low birthweight Angus bulls. We went to a replacement heifer sale yesterday. Almost every bred heifer was bred to an Angus bull. You can have calving ease and still get a marketable calf. Some breeds have calving ease EPDs.

Talk to your vet about getting the heifer a shot of Lutalyse. If she's not too far along, it will abort the calf and you can get her bred to something more suitable for the first calf. A bull's genetics don't change with age. If he's going to sire big calves he will do it as a young bull, too. Good luck...

> Many old time farmers here live
> by the rule of using a Jersey bull
> for 1st time heifers,since there
> calf weights and size are smaller
> than beef breeds.Any insight are
> experince here?

> Also does anyone know of any
> satistics of calfs having to be
> pulled on different age of 1st
> time hefiers,10 months up to 2yrs
> of age even with a first time
> young bull Charl X Braham 1&1/2
> yrs old.

> I have one good 700to800
> lbs.heifer Charl X herford cross
> about 1yr old, that my new young
> bull got to.I am wondering now
> wheather to keep her and take my
> chances or sale her. She still
> growing off fast,she will probably
> weigh now between 800 to 850 lbs.
> and will come in in March. Just as
> gentle and loving as a
> kitten.Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

> The shape of your bull will have an impact as to whether he is an easy calving bull or not.He should be triangle shaped for easier calving i.e. wider at the hips than the shoulders. You could let your heifer go full term then as soon as she has milk induce her,and watch her carefully for any calving problems. Goodluck,elle Many old time farmers here live
> by the rule of using a Jersey bull
> for 1st time heifers,since there
> calf weights and size are smaller
> than beef breeds.Any insight are
> experince here?

> Also does anyone know of any
> satistics of calfs having to be
> pulled on different age of 1st
> time hefiers,10 months up to 2yrs
> of age even with a first time
> young bull Charl X Braham 1&1/2
> yrs old.

> I have one good 700to800
> lbs.heifer Charl X herford cross
> about 1yr old, that my new young
> bull got to.I am wondering now
> wheather to keep her and take my
> chances or sale her. She still
> growing off fast,she will probably
> weigh now between 800 to 850 lbs.
> and will come in in March. Just as
> gentle and loving as a
> kitten.Thanks

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[Anonymous]

Hello,

I also agree with Frankie

The bulls conformation, individual performance and EPD's all play a factor in the calf, as well as the nutritional plane the heifer is on in her 3rd trimester. The calf does the greatest growing in the third trimester, and if she is in a high plane of nutrition, the calf could still grow to be quite large and increase calving problems can result, even if you have used a bull with low birth weight EPD's and a small actual birth weight.

ANY breed can have bulls that produce small calves. You have to find one with a low Birth weight EPD's and a low actual birth weight.

We have to look at the reason we raise cattle, BEEF. We want a product that is useful and marketable. Breeding a beef animal to a dairy or Longhorn Bull does not produce a marketable calf. Longhorns make good pasture ornaments, but I recommend breeding them to Angus bulls to get something worth selling, unless you are raising roping calves, and have sa stable market for them.

If your heifer is worth saving, and is from a cow family that has been productive, I would hit her with 5cc Lutalyse and use a different and safe calving ease bull on her. Look at actual Birth Weight, and an EPD value of 0 or -1 or better to indicate calving ease. +1 > indicates a birth weight of +1 or > over the contemporaries of the calves that bull was born with, for the breed.

Good Luck

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[Anonymous]

> Many old time farmers here live
> by the rule of using a Jersey bull
> for 1st time heifers,since there
> calf weights and size are smaller
> than beef breeds.Any insight are
> experince here?

> Also does anyone know of any
> satistics of calfs having to be
> pulled on different age of 1st
> time hefiers,10 months up to 2yrs
> of age even with a first time
> young bull Charl X Braham 1&1/2
> yrs old.

> I have one good 700to800
> lbs.heifer Charl X herford cross
> about 1yr old, that my new young
> bull got to.I am wondering now
> wheather to keep her and take my
> chances or sale her. She still
> growing off fast,she will probably
> weigh now between 800 to 850 lbs.
> and will come in in March. Just as
> gentle and loving as a
> kitten.Thanks

A Murray Grey Bull will give you low birthweight calves that are vigorous and fast growing.