I did get the vaccination info - thanks! I did have some questions on the vaccs...will get to that next. First thing on my mind is AI sires. :lol:
I have a few cows to breed in the near future...main one that I'm interested in a good bull for is this one. This is my 311 cow. (Others I'll breed and either sell as springers or sell the calf as a springer; but this cow's calf could be staying a lot longer than that.)
(3 days prior to calving)
(after calving)
3rd or 4th lactation cow. I raised calves on her all last year; one of the culls I rehabilitated. Right now she's fresh, running with boss's herd. She was doing about 90lbs/day at a week in milk, and I can't have a nurse cow doing
that much. LOL.
I'm looking for a reliable (90%+) bull that will give a little more udder width. Low SCS (I've treated this cow for mastitis 5 times within the last year, diff quarters each time, and she's back on antibiotics right now). Bull that throws daughters with excellent feet and legs. Same on Dairy Form. Those are the main things in my book.
Increase on udder depth is optional (but not negative depth; no shallow udders!), and no need for an increase in stature (she's about 1400lbs and that's just right in my book). This cow calves easily and has bred back first service last two pregnancies I remember, so I want to keep the calving ease and fertility...and an increase in milk is OK, I just don't think I need +2370lbs. LOL.
And I'll put it this way; price isn't really a question on this cow. Whatever bull is best for her.
I've been looking through the Select Sires directory as we do have a SS rep that comes through the area on a regular basis and one of those bulls would be easiest.
Any thoughts on bulls? anything you'd suggest?
Also, I think what I need a "bit" of help on too is understanding the numbers here. Most of them make perfect sense to me, but not all. LOL. Can you help?
DPR - daughters pregnancy rates? And positive numbers are better...higher the better?
Calving ease - %DBH - percent difficult births heifers? So lower numbers here are better, right?
Now how about the "Standard Transmitting Abilities"?
Catagories are...
Stature
Dairy Form
Strength
Body Depth
Rump Width
Rump Angle
Legs Side View
Legs Rear View
Foot Angle
Feet & Legs Score
Fore Attachment
Rear Udder Height
Rear Udder Width
Udder Cleft
Udder Depth
Front Teat Place
Front Teat Length
Scoring goes from a -2 to a +2. Is it best to have positive numbers on EVERYTHING? And how does this scoring system go? For instance - Stature. -2 equals "short", +2 equals "tall" - ??? How about feet and legs score? how's that one work?
Any help here is
greatly appreciated. :lol:
;-)