easy calvers

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I have never had any trouble calving using saler bulls. I don't pay particular attention to easy calvers but I used two hundred pound birthweight saler bulls on a set of angus cows this year. Last year they were bred to low birthweight epd angus bulls the cows were heifers then. I pulled a little over 10% and saved all of them but one . This year the calves were smaller made and I pulled none of them , of course this was their second calf. The calves also weigh more at this time of year than they did last year.
 
I used two hundred pound birthweight saler bulls on a set of angus cows this year.

Can I assume that this is really (2) one hundred lb BW bulls? Rather than 200lbs of BW. Or am I the only one that read it that way?
 
Sorry I'll be more specific . They are two one hundred pound birthweight saler bulls. They were also red horned.
 
Before any one gets carried away I also use angus.
 
Know there are several breeds that contribute to low birthweight calves. On the other hand, the Longhorn bulls we have have been siring 45 to 70 lb calves on 1st and multiple calf females. This year we have sold 3 Longhorn bulls to angus, mixed breed, and other commercial ranchers in our area as well have one bull out on lease to another rancher. All of these ranchers were selling beef stock. One or two had been pulling calves and were tired of it.
 
On first calf heifers I've used Jersey bulls, Jersey/Angus cross and purebred Angus. Only time I've pulled a calf from a heifer she was bred to a Jersey. 80 pound calf. Freak thing. That's in ten years of calving a minimum of 15 first time calvers each year.

Oops just remembered the vet had to cut the head of one because we couldn't get it turned around right. So two, but the second one had nothing to do with size just the position of the head.

Cows...I haven't pulled any except from a hereford who was carrying an embryo and she wouldn't push.

I think it has to do with the size of the cow and the head of the calf, not the weight of the calf.

And I've noticed because I've selectively bred for calving ease over the years my average gestation is 275 days.
 
heiferhoney":3fiek1ar said:
I think it has to do with the size of the cow and the head of the calf, not the weight of the calf.
It has to do with all three and their relationship with each other but I would rather have a well shaped head and shoulder than a small calf or a large pelvis.Of the latter two I would rather have a large pelvis than to have light birthweight.
 
ollie":23cm3nlg said:
heiferhoney":23cm3nlg said:
I think it has to do with the size of the cow and the head of the calf, not the weight of the calf.
It has to do with all three and their relationship with each other but I would rather have a well shaped head and shoulder than a small calf or a large pelvis.Of the latter two I would rather have a large pelvis than to have light birthweight.

What is wrong with a large pelvis?
 
Monica":2rznq9p4 said:
If your breeding Angus why not use a Dexter bull on the Heifers. They have small birth weights and are meater breed then Jersy.

um because that would be worse than using longhorns on them!!! Dexters would ruin your calf crop because you couldn't sell them any normal place.
 
Monica":6uho8199 said:
If your breeding Angus why not use a Dexter bull on the Heifers. They have small birth weights and are meater breed then Jersy.
Jersey's actually out marble angus. But the answer is there are no Dexter bulls around here.
 
Jake":1pmcern5 said:
Monica":1pmcern5 said:
If your breeding Angus why not use a Dexter bull on the Heifers. They have small birth weights and are meater breed then Jersy.

um because that would be worse than using longhorns on them!!! Dexters would ruin your calf crop because you couldn't sell them any normal place.

True...we are only talking maybe 5 to 8 calves a year (clean up bull on heifers after AI). The bulls are sometimes bought as clean up bulls to be used on Holstein Heifers. The heifers go for meat, and many don't show any signs of being part Jersey.
 
Using AI you can select bulls that are easy calving and have daughters that are easy calvers. Granted, frequently calving ease bulls aren't known for daughters calving ease, but with selection you can have your cake and eat it too. There are bulls, at least in Red Angus and Polled Hereford that can contribute to all sides of normally considered antagonistic traits. There are bulls that have carcass and maternal, calving ease and daughters calving, low BW and at least average and in some cases above average WW and YW.

dun
 
I have never had problems out of brahman cattle. Especialy purebred or angis cows with brahman bulls.
 
I bred a jersey bull to 8 heifers last year. I had to pull 1 out of the 8. They are gelveigh/angus heifers. I had 2 brahma x heifers bred to a brahma x bull the year before and had to pull 1 of those. Haven't had to pull any 2nd calvers yet, knock on wood.
 

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