True Grit Farms":1a8mybvh said:
Breeding heifers to their sire isn't ideal, even folks that line breed don't go that far. It's poor management at best. IMO
With that being said I've had it happen myself. In the cattle business the two most important things are, do what's right, and stick with your game plan.
Vince,
I disagree with you on this a little bit. I agree that sire/daughter breedings are not the norm even for linebreeders, but I do think they are a sound practice when you plan to linebreed and want to prove a sire is free from defects that may happen when you breed tightly. To that end, I will have 3 calves on the ground from a bull that I plan to weave back and forth through my pedigress for the next decade. They are all commercial heifers that he has sired. I won't retain the calves but I am curious to see how they grow. The first one hit the ground today at 65 lbs. He was up and nursing within minutes.
All that to say, if you are that worried about deformed calves, I think you should be worried about using that bull in the first place. If there's something hiding in the genetic woodpile, better to expose it and deal with it.