Good Calf - Bull or Steer?

[SRBeef]

I have a young bull Hereford calf, born from a very nice heifer around April 1, who was a big calf to begin with but is very much larger than the others and gaining weight rapidly. I am planning on having the vet come over and we will run the entire herd thru the chute for vacinations, pour on, and castration of the bull calves some time in June. I am wondering if this one wouldn't make a good herd bull some day although his calves might be large also. He took about 5 hours to be born after hooves were showing.

He is filling out nicely, has a good disposition and is just growing much faster than the others. Hard to believe he is not even 60 days old. I have another registered bull coming in late June and don't really have the facilities or time to keep him separate from the rest.

What would you do? Just have him be a great steer? Or try to develop him into a herd bull? Sell him separately? He is not related to any of the others in the herd except his mama that I bought as a bred heifer. What do you do with a really fast gaining/good conformation bull calf?

 

[3waycross]

If it took his momma 5 hours to birth him after the hooves were showing what were you doing while that was going on? Cut his nuts off and thank God you still have the cow alive. :roll:

 

[SRBeef]

If it took his momma 5 hours to birth him after the hooves were showing what were you doing while that was going on? Cut his nuts off and thank God you still have the cow alive. :roll:

You are probably right. He was born on a Sunday. Noticed hooves before church, same hooves after church, heifer not showing signs of distress. About an hour later same hooves. Called the vet (since I am not very experienced in calving problems - which may have been a plus this time). Vet was on another emergency and would call back. Called a neighbor who said if the heifer is not in distress just keep an eye on her. (good advice)

Went back out to the field, about 5 hrs after first seeing hooves, and there was the heifer licking this huge calf clean.

On second thought, I sure don't want to go through that again especially with a smaller heifer or cow. That is what I needed to hear. Steer he will be. It will be interesting to see how he turns out.

Thank you.