Conception rates in virgin Brangus heifers.

[TTBHG]

A ranch close to me lost a lease and they have forty yearling Brangus heifers that are 12 months old and 850 pounds they need to sell. If I bought them what should I expect for conception rates on those virgin animals?

I'm going to AI them and use a clean up bull when they're breeding age. I've never messed with yearlings.

I'd like to hope I can get enough of them pregnant to make the deal worth it. Any thoughts?

 

[WFfarm]

Not sure about Brangus, but we have always waited until heifers were at least 15 months old to breed. My dad used to say virgin heifers were the easiest to get bred.

 

[Rafter S]

Give them another 90 days and you should get excellent results. I'm not familiar with using AI, but I've never had a problem getting Brangus heifers bred at 15 months old with natural service. At 850 pounds they may conceive now, but I've never tried them that young.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Depends mostly on the tech and how he does heat detection...

 

[TTBHG]

Thanks for the replies. I usually don't select semen that has EPD for low birth weight calves but I wonder if for heifers if it makes sense for their first breeding.

 

[Brute 23]

12 months old is very young to try to breed Brangus heifers.

 

[TTBHG]

12 months old is very young to try to breed Brangus heifers.

I'm not trying to breed them now. In my post I said "when they're breeding age". 15-18 months old is the soonest I'd consider putting expensive semen in a heifer.

I have to buy them now if I want the group. I've never bred heifers before so I was just asking about projected conception rates on them.

 

[Brute 23]

I'm not trying to breed them now. In my post I said "when they're breeding age". 15-18 months old is the soonest I'd consider putting expensive semen in a heifer.

I have to buy them now if I want the group. I've never bred heifers before so I was just asking about projected conception rates on them.

Sorry about that. I missed it.

 

[TTBHG]

Sorry about that. I missed it.

No worries. Have a great day!

 

[Stocker Steve]

72%

 

[76 Bar]

Brangus heifers that are 12 months old and 850 pounds

To be meaningful need to know their frame score & BCS. Was the weight a guess or via scale? Last but not least it would be helpful to know the mgt/fertility history of the program that these girls originated from. People make excuses for later maturing Brahma influenced cattle but with selection pressure I don't believe that needs to be the case.

 

[Warren Allison]

A ranch close to me lost a lease and they have forty yearling Brangus heifers that are 12 months old and 850 pounds they need to sell. If I bought them what should I expect for conception rates on those virgin animals?

I'm going to AI them and use a clean up bull when they're breeding age. I've never messed with yearlings.

I'd like to hope I can get enough of them pregnant to make the deal worth it. Any thoughts?

Are you staying with Brangus bulls, or crossing with another breed?

 

[TTBHG]

Are you staying with Brangus bulls, or crossing with another breed?

I'm staying with Brangus semen/bulls for at least the first service.

 

[Warren Allison]

What part of the country are you in?

 

[TexasBred]

In general Brangus are very fertile so if your tech is skilled you should get 100% conception. Our experience has been small calves regardless of the sire used, usually little more than 50-55 lbs.

 

[Brute 23]

In general Brangus are very fertile so if your tech is skilled you should get 100% conception. Our experience has been small calves regardless of the sire used, usually little more than 50-55 lbs.

If I remember correctly from AI class Brangus did have the highest conception rates in a couple studies now that you say that.

 

[Son of Butch]

In general Brangus are very fertile so if your tech is skilled you should get 100% conception.

Simmer down now, it's one thing to be optimistic, but projecting anything beyond 94% is truly unrealistic.

If it isn't one thing it's another - Roseann Roseanna Anna Danna

 

[Son of Butch]

To calculate real world expectations for expenses with virgin heifers use 2 /3 or 3/4 66.66% - 75% 1st service conception.

I would rather be pleasantly surprised with 76% conception than deeply disappointed.

 

[TexasBred]

S

Simmer down now, it's one thing to be optimistic, but projecting anything beyond 94% is truly unrealistic.

If it isn't one thing it's another - Roseann Roseanna Anna Danna

Should have known you would find a statistic to disprove my comment. Folks expect it now. Carry on you SOB