Heifer bull
- Thread starter ratman95
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GoWyo
Well-known member
Depends on the bull. An athletic mature bull can breed a heifer and barely put any weight on them and a clumsy one weighing 1400# can knock them down. We usually run yearling and two-year old bulls on the heifers and they are fine.
115, the closest one, is the one we're interested in. The seller said he was around 12-1400 pounds. We may consider 126 as he's not quite as heavy.
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Katpau
Well-known member
Get the bull you like the best. I don't think the weight of the bull makes much difference. I have had 4 month old, 400 pound heifers settle to 2000 pound bulls, and I never saw a sign they had been mounted. Obviously this is not something anyone wants to happen, but it has happened here. If you watch an athletic bull mount and breed a cow, you will notice it happens fast and the bull will put very little weight on the cows back. Most of the weight is carried by the bull on his hind legs. I have seen a few bulls lean heavily on the cow, almost knocking her down. In my case, these were older bulls that I expect were developing issues that affected soundness in their hindquarters. They were culled.
I'm saying, get the bull you want to enhance your operation. Are you looking for a terminal bull or primarily calving ease? While it's nice to have a yearling bull on your yearling heifers, what are you going to do with him the next year? Move him up to the cows or keep him as a heifer bull? Cuz he's gonna continue to grow & outweigh any subsequent retained heifers. That said, I agree that the weight of the bull should not be your primary concern. Do both bulls have similar EPD's? And what about the heifers? Mine have a minimum pelvic measurement of 150 at 11 months and turned out with a calving ease (not to be confused with low birth weight) bull at 15 months, should theoretically have a 75+ lb. calf unassisted at 24 months.
A terminal bull, he would move up to the cows next year. We're keeping a bull calf that we're going to try on the next set of heifers. No EPD's that I know of and we don't do any pelvic measuring.
Son of Butch
Well-known member
What state? What breed of cows? What terminal cross sells best in your market?
Isn't the bull calf a 1/2 brother to your next set of heifers?
Isn't the bull calf a 1/2 brother to your next set of heifers?
Son of Butch
Well-known member
777+ lbs
p.s.
Weight of a bull has zero influence on birth weight of calves.
Birth weights will be the same when he's 10 yrs old as when he was a yearling
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Thanks. I was more worried about the heifers being able to hold up the bull.
Is this your first time breeding/calving out heifers? If you're using a terminal bull, have no idea what the EPD's are and no knowledge of whether or not the heifers are physically able to calve unassisted, please have your vet on speed dial. Big heifers with big butts don't always mean big pelvic measurements.
It's not our first time calving heifers, but this will be the first year we're breeding them this young/small. We typically wait until they're closer to 2 yrs old to breed. My only worry is if the bull would essentially cripple/hurt them when he mounts, since they're smaller than normal.
Son of Butch
Well-known member
Very strong odds neither bull will injure your heifers breeding them, but as in life
there are no guarantees.
there are no guarantees.
Katpau
Well-known member
Has anyone on here ever had a heifer crippled or hurt from being bred? I have been turning yearling heifers out with the same 2000+ pound bulls that breed the cows for almost 30 years, and I can't recall that ever happening. I suppose it could, but I think it would be a pretty rare occurrence.
Once, and it was a heifer calf prior to weaning. It didn't turn out well.
Welcome to the forums Ratman. Where are you located? It will help you a lot, if you will go back in your profile set up, and enter your location. how many heifers are you talking about being bred? I noticed that you said in your location. angus sell well. Why not get a CE black angus bull? Or, if you are in the lower part of the country, a Brangus?
Thank you. It would be 11 heifers. I'm tired of all the black and we've never had an Angus bull who's disposition suited us. We're going with Beefmaster for the Brahman influence and to get away from the black hide.
And where are you located? You need to go back into your profile and at least enter the state.
