Embryo transfer birth weights.

[strihafarms]

I am looking to purchase a heifer bull from a breeder whose RA bulls are all ET this year. My question is if the epd's are good for heifers but the birthweight is 90-100 lbs, am I an idiot to consider them for hfrs or will they be fine?

 

[Jessica06]

Our first two were 99# bull calves, but they aren't out of low BW genetics. I've always heard that ET calves are heavier, but I wouldn't use a bull with a high BW on heifers until I'd tried him out on cows, even if he has a low EPD.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I agree with ricebelt. I would certainly be taking that BW into consideration and have concern.

 

[strihafarms]

One bull that I am looking at has -2.3 bw and 8 ced epds but a 89lb bw. Use on hfrs or no?

 

[double v]

If you put a embryo in a Big dairy cow will the calf be bigger? Probably actual BW goes out the window with ET's , if it was just a natural mating actual means something..

 

[Jessica06]

A couple of years ago we were thinking about buying semen from a virgin bull for our heifers that had a 50# BW and an EPD lower than -2.0. After a couple of calf crops his EPD is 4.0 and his calves avg. close to 90#. Virgin bulls are a crapshoot on heifers, even when all the numbers add up.

 

[strihafarms]

I was told exactly what double v said about et BWs meaning nothing and so I am wondering what those of you with experience think.