Fall Optimizer Calves

[Margonme]

Fall Calves out of HPF Optimizer A512

I have two fall calves out of this bull. In December and Early January, I bred 5 cows back to this bull for early fall 2017 calves. The first one below is an early October heifer out of a Shocking Dream Cow.

 

The seconday calf is a mid September bull calf out of a Grandmaster Cow. The first picture shows the cow. The calf has a lot of chrome which will make it difficult to sell.

 

 

 

[True Grit Farms]

They look in good shape not over conditioned. Is the bull calf still a bull?

 

[Margonme]

They look in good shape not over conditioned. Is the bull calf still a bull?

Yes, he is. I have a creep hot wire up. They can come into the lot in front of the shop where a couple times a day, I put out a mixed feed that is only 12 % protein. I am limiting the amount of feed in an attempt to avoid getting them over-conditioned. That is how I round then up and halter train. They come into the lot in front of the shop, then I move them into the handling facility where I can halter and tie them. My fall calves are extremely docile. The halter training is going exceptional well.

I am going to retain 3 of the fall heifers. I don't want fat building up in their udder.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Why don't you put an Angus or homo black bull on that cow to knock some of the crome off? If you breed that bull to that cow you'll have an excellent chance at a spotted calf. Culling because of to much white is a major deal in Angus.

 

[Margonme]

Why don't you put an Angus or homo black bull on that cow to knock some of the crome off? If you breed that bull to that cow you'll have an excellent chance at a spotted calf. Culling because of to much white is a major deal in Angus.

I am blaming Fire Sweep for all that chrome. She goes through the pedigrees of my cows and advises me on the Sire.

Seriously, I bred her back to Upgrade, a homo black bull at Fire Sweep's recommendation to keep the chrome in check.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Why don't you put an Angus or homo black bull on that cow to knock some of the crome off? If you breed that bull to that cow you'll have an excellent chance at a spotted calf. Culling because of to much white is a major deal in Angus.

I am blaming Fire Sweep for all that chrome. She goes through the pedigrees of my cows and advises me on the Sire.

Seriously, I bred her back to Upgrade, a homo black bull at Fire Sweep's recommendation to keep the chrome in check.

It'll be interesting to see if you get a baldie calf. That's the good and bad part of the cattle business. It takes 285 days to see your prize.

 

[Margonme]

Why don't you put an Angus or homo black bull on that cow to knock some of the crome off? If you breed that bull to that cow you'll have an excellent chance at a spotted calf. Culling because of to much white is a major deal in Angus.

I am blaming Fire Sweep for all that chrome. She goes through the pedigrees of my cows and advises me on the Sire.

Seriously, I bred her back to Upgrade, a homo black bull at Fire Sweep's recommendation to keep the chrome in check.

It'll be interesting to see if you get a baldie calf. That's the good and bad part of the cattle business. It takes 285 days to see your prize.

Yes. I am already looking toward next fall. I am set up for 16 calves coming between Sept 9 and late October. I have high expectations. Nevertheless, one should enjoy the precious present!

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Correct me if I am wrong Margonme, but wasn't her first calf solid?
He can not use Angus on most of his herd because they are mostly percentage already. He needs to use bulls that are 3/4 or higher simmental to keep his calves 50% or higher.
The Optimizer bull above has proven in the last year to throw white on his offspring, but not as much as Ron has experienced, so when we use him now we need to consider that. We have not had any calves that are excessive on the white, and the calves are superior in growth. We have used him a bunch for our fall 2017 calving season also.

 

[Stocker Steve]

It'll be interesting to see if you get a baldie calf.


Is the blaze face markings on simi dominant, just like herefords?

 

[Margonme]

Correct me if I am wrong Margonme, but wasn't her first calf solid?
He can not use Angus on most of his herd because they are mostly percentage already. He needs to use bulls that are 3/4 or higher simmental to keep his calves 50% or higher.
The Optimizer bull above has proven in the last year to throw white on his offspring, but not as much as Ron has experienced, so when we use him now we need to consider that. We have not had any calves that are excessive on the white, and the calves are superior in growth. We have used him a bunch for our fall 2017 calving season also.

That would be Uno Mas Reina, One More Queen. Sired by Uno Mas. She is solid black and I retained her. She is bred in accordance with your recommendation to Elevate. Nice moderately framed heifer and very docile.

You know my cattle.

 

[True Grit Farms]

It'll be interesting to see if you get a baldie calf.


Is the blaze face markings on simi dominant, just like herefords?

I wouldn't say dominant but a blazed faced Simi bull will throw 30%+ blazed faced calves on Angus cows. I sure some folks have had better percentages than I have.

 

[FlyingLSimmentals]

Ron, Looks like he needs somewhere dry to lay and a nice bath before he goes there. Does he like playing in mud? Might try a solid black bull out of a blaze parent?

 

[Ky hills]

Nice calves. I like that white faced bull calf, if I was in the market for a bull I would have been interested him, but I am stocked up with bulls at this time. I wonder how a bull like him would work on Hereford and BWF cows

 

[Margonme]

Ron, Looks like he needs somewhere dry to lay and a nice bath before he goes there. Does he like playing in mud? Might try a solid black bull out of a blaze parent?

I say this every winter- this is the muddiest winter I have seen. Not heavy rains but frequent rains. No opportunity to dry. About 6 inches total this month. I have a rock/lime feed pad and it still gets nasty. I have been pushing it off about every third day. No way to keep them out of the mud and he seems to like it.

I think breeding her to Upgrade will work well. I like the two Upgrade heifers I had this fall.

 

[Margonme]

Nice calves. I like that white faced bull calf, if I was in the market for a bull I would have been interested him, but I am stocked up with bulls at this time. I wonder how a bull like him would work on Hereford and BWF cows

Thank you. He has too much chrome for many but he is growing better than the others. He was 85 pounds at birth and is now outgrowing the Grandmaster bull that hit the ground at 96 pounds.

He should be good in a commercial setting. Fire Sweep is getting good growth out of her Optimizer calves too.

The chrome Simmental market is interesting here. I know two older gentlemen who look for lots of chrome. Both are in their late 70s and are as one said "on his last roundup". They are looking for what they like, not what the market likes. Both have expressed interest in getting cattle here if it has plenty of white.

 

[FlyingLSimmentals]

The chrome doesn't bother me any, kind of like it myself. One of the sale auction barns I go to they do just fine right along with the blacks but at the other barn they would likely get tagged and sell by themselves. Now selling seed stock bulls you need it all black, chrome, and yes even red. They always want the color you don't have. If you don't have a red that's when somebody comes looking for one, if he has a blaze and chrome its I wish he was solid black, if they are all black its where is one with the chrome or a blaze.
Yeah, I'm sure she'll have a fine calf with Upgrade, lots of people like him and use him. Just others I like better. Anyway sending good luck and best wishes. Thought it a bit funny him being all muddy and standing over the hose like he was ready for a bath.

 

[Margonme]

The chrome doesn't bother me any, kind of like it myself. One of the sale auction barns I go to they do just fine right along with the blacks but at the other barn they would likely get tagged and sell by themselves. Now selling seed stock bulls you need it all black, chrome, and yes even red. They always want the color you don't have. If you don't have a red that's when somebody comes looking for one, if he has a blaze and chrome its I wish he was solid black, if they are all black its where is one with the chrome or a blaze.
Yeah, I'm sure she'll have a fine calf with Upgrade, lots of people like him and use him. Just others I like better. Anyway sending good luck and best wishes. Thought it a bit funny him being all muddy and standing over the hose like he was ready for a bath.

Hi Mike:

Thanks for good wishes. I didn't give him a bath but I did brush him out for you. BTW: I have two fall Upgrade heifers, man, I like them. I know some elite breeders in my area who like everything except his feet. Fire Sweep has a lot of Upgrade, she has not experienced the feet issue.

 

[FlyingLSimmentals]

I think he liked his brushing.

 

[Post Oak]

The chrome doesn't bother me any, kind of like it myself. One of the sale auction barns I go to they do just fine right along with the blacks but at the other barn they would likely get tagged and sell by themselves. Now selling seed stock bulls you need it all black, chrome, and yes even red. They always want the color you don't have. If you don't have a red that's when somebody comes looking for one, if he has a blaze and chrome its I wish he was solid black, if they are all black its where is one with the chrome or a blaze.

LOL! I wanna full Fleck looking Simmy with about a 5 frame with Angus calving ease. Do you have that special order?

 

[Stocker Steve]

BTW: I have two fall Upgrade heifers, man, I like them. I know some elite breeders in my area who like everything except his feet.

Guess I am elite now ;-)

Any reason to use Upgrade rather than Top Grade ?