Had to go get another bull.

[Silver]

Early into breeding season here and already down two bulls. One is lame, the other appears not interested in breeding at all. He came home yesterday. So made a few calls and went to a good Red Angus breeder and picked out a nice yearling that should fit the bill for the cows. Fortunately for us this bull was not bought up this spring, lots of folks scared of his birth weight of 106 lbs. I was hoping to find a good Simmental or Simm x RA but they just aren't around right now.

 

[HanknCali]

Hope that new bull fits the bill for you Silver,,, down two bulls,,, sounds like my kinda luck!

 

[Lazy M]

Where's the pic?

 

[Silver]

Where's the pic?

Sorry, took him straight to the forest and dumped him off. If I catch a glimpse of him before fall I'll try to take a pic

Actually, I did snap a pic as I unloaded him on the road but it was one of those awful phone pics I don't want to post lol

 

[Silver]

Found him.

 

[Bright Raven]

Found him.

Pretty bull. Looks stout and fit!

 

[Silver]

Pretty bull. Looks stout and fit!

Thanks. Yes, he's quite stout, lots of middle to him and pretty good rump for an Angus too, in my opinion. He was born Feb 6, 2017 at 106lbs, weaned at 868 lbs, yearling weight of 1380 lbs. Like I mentioned earlier, we really liked his mother so it made it an easy sale. And when you are in a bind it is good not to have to settle

 

[ALACOWMAN]

That's a heavy birthweight for a red Angus. But he's smooth, and looks like you got the cows to handle it...

 

[Silver]

That's a heavy birthweight for a red Angus. But he's smooth, and looks like you got the cows to handle it...

Tell you for sure sometime next April. His mother was 88 lbs at birth, and I don't mind calves born at that 100 lbs +/- a few, so we will see. Time will tell

 

[Nesikep]

I like him.. looks long too.

 

[Lazy M]

Looks great for a yearling

 

[Cdcollett]

Looks great for a yearling

He should being that he was half grown the day he was born. For me I can't market bulls past a 95 lb birth weight & I'm not sure I should because those calves could be smaller or bigger than him & you could sell someone a total wreck. That being said, the breeder got lucky & found someone who could use him with relatively little risk so hopefully everyone wins. I'd guess you got a good deal & you'll get nice big calves to sell.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Looks great for a yearling

He should being that he was half grown the day he was born. For me I can't market bulls past a 95 lb birth weight & I'm not sure I should because those calves could be smaller or bigger than him & you could sell someone a total wreck. That being said, the breeder got lucky & found someone who could use him with relatively little risk so hopefully everyone wins. I'd guess you got a good deal & you'll get nice big calves to sell.

Location is big deal in the cattle business, big calves seem to be the normal in the north country.

 

[Cdcollett]

I guess I'm in the south. Southern Idaho. I get that the too early too small calves are a bad deal but you have to stop somewhere. I cut any bull calf born over 95 lbs and I prefer them to have birth weights between 70 and 85 lbs. Those calves usually do better than the big 100 plus calves early on & in a month you wouldn't know the difference so why add risk? The flip side of that risk is going too extreme on calving ease because those calves don't all catch up from being born in the 50's so again, why add the risk? Pick a target and stay there.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I guess I'm in the south. Southern Idaho. I get that the too early too small calves are a bad deal but you have to stop somewhere. I cut any bull calf born over 95 lbs and I prefer them to have birth weights between 70 and 85 lbs. Those calves usually do better than the big 100 plus calves early on & in a month you wouldn't know the difference so why add risk? The flip side of that risk is going too extreme on calving ease because those calves don't all catch up from being born in the 50's so again, why add the risk? Pick a target and stay there.

I agree with your assessment besides that a 70 lb calf a can catch up to a 100 lb calf. A 90 lb calf scares me but to each their own. Around 65 to 75 lb calves is our target weight, and a 550 to 650 weaning weights.

 

[Supa Dexta]

by weaning do you mean 205 day weights?

 

[True Grit Farms]

by weaning do you mean 205 day weights?

More like 220 - 230 days for me, sad but true. I've had 100+ lb higher weaning weights under good to ideal weather conditions, and finishing them off on pearl millet. So far I've never pasture weaned a 800 lb calf yet.