Culling Poor Hair Coat Heifers ?

[Stocker Steve]

I made a list a couple weeks ago on the retained heifers with shinny hair coats. They were in the minority, and generally were smaller and/or higher percentage angus. I made a list again today and most of the heifers had a shinny hair coat. Have you been hard cull'in late to shed/poor hair coat retained heifers at some point?

 

[ClinchValley]

What does the poor coat indicate?

Does it have anything to do with fescue?

 

[Chocolate Cow2]

Late shedders or retained winter hair coats are an indicator of a poor endocrine system or a failure to adapt to the environment the animal is in. I do a short breeding season on my heifers and sell whatever is open. I don't like the ones with the rough or retained winter coat but pregnancy is more important. and they both sorta go hand in hand.

 

[wbvs58]

Where I am there is a bit of a requirement for Angus bulls with slick coats as some are purchased to go north into tropical areas where they are joined to high bos indicus types to improve the grading. So that would come back to slick coated heifers to produce those bulls.

Ken

 

[TexasBred]

I made a list a couple weeks ago on the retained heifers with shinny hair coats. They were in the minority, and generally were smaller and/or higher percentage angus. I made a list again today and most of the heifers had a shinny hair coat. Have you been hard cull'in late to shed/poor hair coat retained heifers at some point?

Never culled one because she retained her coat. They get good feed, minerals, worming etc. If they still hold the long hair I figure it's just genetic. As long as they raise a good calf they can stay. I will and do cull quickly for a poor udder.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I don't like the ones with the rough or retained winter coat but pregnancy is more important. and they both sorta go hand in hand.

You see a lower prep rate with rough hair coats?

 

[Chocolate Cow2]

Steve, I have some heifers right now that are still holding onto their winter coat. It won't surprise me to find they didn't breed. The rough hair coat is an indicator of over-all health. They have something going on that has them out-of-balance. If they aren't in balance with nature, they may not cycle.
BUT-there are so many factors like hot weather and vaccinations and mineral and 'you name it' that a rough hair coat is simply part of the total assessment. Last year, my heifers slicked off perfectly but the County cut the trees along side their pasture to make the road more accessible for large farm equipment, Those heifers lost all their shade in that pasture. I had 50% opens. I kept the opens and they all rebred for my fall herd. I won't give Long Range injectable to yearling heifers because it seemed to affect preg rates. That may not be the case for anyone else.
Hair coat is just part of the total equation.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Back when we ran a lot of stocker heifers, we would retain a few extra shiny and tame ones. Because we liked to turn out lighter wt. stockers in May, these heifers had settle at about 600 pounds. They made efficient above average cows.

 

[snoopdog]

Interesting

 

[Chocolate Cow2]

I have some heifers with their 1st calf running back with a bull. Some of them are older Canadian Angus genetics. They're not shedding at all. They look like a rusted brillo pad. They're not carrying the condition the rest of the group has. It will be interesting to see how the group checks at preg checking time. I've written tag#'s down to keep track but they look like they'll still have their winter coat come September.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Most ALL my cattle still have splotchie winter hair. My cattle grow lots of hair and takes quite a while for them to shed out. I have not and never would cull on hair coat. I would not have a herd left!!!

 

[Ebenezer]

Most ALL my cattle still have splotchie winter hair. My cattle grow lots of hair and takes quite a while for them to shed out. I have not and never would cull on hair coat. I would not have a herd left!!!

Difference in breeds. But also why we quit xing with SM years ago. Early SM had better hair for us. Here they either are needing to be slick or a light fine thin fuzz or not here. Some bulls look like they are in summer hair in the winter. Environment and forages are different. No good or bad.

 

[Nesikep]

I find the heifers that just look the best here don't necessarily have a short coat, but rather straighter hair.. They seem to retain an overcoat but shed the undercoat... working on pics here...

 

[Stocker Steve]

I like girls with curls,
not hot shaggy clumps.

 

[Nesikep]

Here's Hera with her winter coat, looks good and warm

And as of today

 

[Angus Rocks]

Texas bred are you saying that you would rather spend money on feed, wormers, and medicines rather then genetics that will do the job?

Have read discussions that some think that hair coat depends how much muscling a critter has

 

[NEFarmwife]

Our calving intervals wouldn't suggest there is a problem with poor coat heifers. But for what it's worth, we sync them and AI. If they don't stick to AI, our bull gets them the next heat.

I'll be mindful of this suggestion when we breed again in spring and take note, so I can speak with more accuracy.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Most ALL my cattle still have splotchie winter hair. My cattle grow lots of hair and takes quite a while for them to shed out. I have not and never would cull on hair coat. I would not have a herd left!!!

Coats on two year olds look good now, but still a few yearlings with alot of redish fuzz. They tend to be larger, and have a higher percentage of simi. So have to be careful not to discriminate against tht breed :cowboy:

 

[Dsteim]

I read an article about that. I can't remember if it was by Jan Bonsma or one of his students. I can't find the article or I'd link it. I think its a fairly heritable trait, but I don't think its typically a criteria for replacements. I read the article a while back but if I'm remembering correctly how the calf sheds her first winter coat is an indicator for fertility.

 

[Ebenezer]

I read an article about that. I can't remember if it was by Jan Bonsma or one of his students. I can't find the article or I'd link it. I think its a fairly heritable trait, but I don't think its typically a criteria for replacements. I read the article a while back but if I'm remembering correctly how the calf sheds her first winter coat is an indicator for fertility.

Bonsma was big on early shedding and like a sheen.