Cow frame size reducer

[Aaron]

Most on here won't like this little fella (Not the best pictures either). He is the solution to knocking out the frame in a herd and keeping functional females. He has had lots of brothers that I have kept and eventually taking the nuts off at about this age, mainly due to the sires of them. Took me a while to realize the potential of his dam and the impact she could have on my bottom line if I gave one of her sons a chance to breed something. Never going to be a big bull. Born April, weaned first part of October at 545 lbs, 609 ADJ WW. Probably some where in the range of 650 lbs right now. Not a terribly high gaining bull, but again, I am looking at the maternal characteristics.

July of this year.

Yesterday.

Sire

Dam - Affectionately referred to as, "My Little Ranch Cow". About frame 4 and 1000 lbs +/- 25 lbs. Weans off each calf at about 50 to 55% of her weight. Other than annual vaccinations, have never had to hassle with this cow otherwise. Never helped calve out (likes to calve in the wide open spaces), never helped calf suck, never pinkeye, footrot or any other problem. Breeds back to same date every year. Going on 7 years.

 

[I luv herfrds]

I would like to see some more muscle on the hind end, but I would like to see what he throws.

Our bull Red never did look like much, but he surprised us. This guy might do the same.

 

[Aaron]

He doesn't look much good in those photos does he. I trailered him to this bull pen from the home place the day before and he was having a hard time adjusting to the new diet/water system. Will have to take some more pics maybe tomorrow to give him at least some hope. :cowboy:

 

[JHH]

Sorry Aaron I dont like him much but you know more about him (maternal wise, genetic ,ect) try him if you want to.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Looks like mom did a lot better job of feeding him than you did! Sure went down hill from July pics. Frame size doesn't bother me - they don't have to be tall - just GOOD - and he looked pretty decent on mom's milk/pasture.

 

[Brandonm22]

It might be the pics, but not enough heart girth for my tastes (and I like 4 frame cattle). He looks too narrow made for me. I like the mom, but am not overly keen on her rump structure. From the profile pic it looks like there is too much drop between the hooks and the pins for Bos Taurus cattle.

 

[Herefords.US]

Looks like mom did a lot better job of feeding him than you did! Sure went down hill from July pics. Frame size doesn't bother me - they don't have to be tall - just GOOD - and he looked pretty decent on mom's milk/pasture.

Ditto! Everyone will probably like him better at the end of another spring/summer.

George

 

[novaman]

I think I might just have some Holsteins with more muscle on the rump than this guy does.

 

[KNERSIE]

I have found that if you want to reduce frame size you really need as much width and muscle as possible in the bull, especially if you plan to use him on the typical taller cow. Shorter statured animals display their muscle better than taller animals, if a shorter bull doesn't look muscled he'll contribute very little to taller cows except reducing the growth potential of the resulting progeny.

 

[Aero]

stick to your guns aaron; you know more about what you are doing than anybody here... AND you have a reason for what you are doing!

 

[Stocker Steve]

Nice cow. We have gotten some great commercial replacements by crossing hereford cows like that with a Simi bull.

I was looking at a Kit Pharo catalog recently. Some really stout bulls in his AI lineup.

 

[Aaron]

Update on this bull: Sold him last spring to a neighboring purebred Herf breeder. He ran him with 8 or 9 heifers. Said the bull was one of the best bulls he had ever seen breed...this coming from a guy that does not like yearling bulls at all. :cowboy: Will try and get a more recent pic at some point.

 

[CPL]

Said the bull was one of the best bulls he had ever seen breed...this coming from a guy that does not like yearling bulls at all.

Honestly, I would question this "guy's" eye for cattle. If this is the best bull he's ever seen, not only has he not seen very many bulls, but he probably doesn't know what good cattle look like.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe in the last year that bull developed more overall muscle, maybe he got wider at his base, maybe he became more structurally correct, maybe he got more rib shape........ But I doubt it.

 

[Brandonm22]

We need to see some current pics. He looked like a real stout prospect as a weanling calf, then Aaron "challenged" him more than I would have liked post weaning and I did not like him at all then. With another summer behind him he has grown and matured. Without a current pic we don't know what his purchaser was seeing.

 

[Aaron]

I missed a few better pics today. This fella was having too much fun raising h*ll with the 3 yr old polled bull he shares a pen with.

CPL, I said 'best bull he had ever seen breed'. Nothing to do with physical attributes. I (as well as the buyer) wrote off yearlings as pretty much useless years ago. Get two cows/heifers in heat at the same time and one is going to the next cycle after the yearling wears himself out running, chasing and then finally breeding the first one. Not this guy. He bred two heifers the same day and never even let on that he did; something a 2 or 3 year old bull would be sly enough to pull off, but not a 13 month old. He wasn't expecting much for breeding from such a young bull, but it sure surprised him. :cowboy:

 

[CPL]

Okay.