Help me with Culling my Shorthorn Heifers.

[RoppFamilyFarm]

Hey everyone! I have come to the point in my small herd that I cannot keep all my heifer crop, and instead must part with 2 of them, and since I can become blinded to things since i see them all the time, i am seeking your help and input with this process. If you wouldn't mind rating them from favorite to least favorite I would greatly appreciate the help. And feel free to give any input and reason why you put them in that order.

PS: No the birth weights are not a mistake, they were all 75lbs. when they hit the ground, and I did test my tru-test scale

Angel: Solid Red heifer with Halter. DOB: 2/20 BW: 75lbs. Currently: 510lbs. Sire:Saskvalley Bonanza
Rose: Solid Red heifer no halter. DOB: 2/27 BW: 75lbs. Currently: 440lbs. Sire:Captain Obvious
Martha: Roan heifer. DOB: 2/28 BW: 75lbs. Currently: 460lbs. Sire:Saskvalley Bonanza
Lilly: Red/White heifer. DOB: 3/5 BW: 75lbs. Currently: 365lbs. Sire:Herdsire

 

[JW IN VA]

Pretty heifer.I can't help much but here is something to think about:

1/ Any with attitude-gone
2/Any with a poor milking sire/dam trait-gone

 

[jerry27150]

Martha & lilly one is almost blind & the other is not a good gainer

 

[bigbull338]

sell the top end heifer for a show calf.cull the bottom heifer and keep whats left.

 

[Son of Butch]

Martha & Lilly one is almost blind & the other is not a good gainer

There you go.

I like bigbull's idea, but I don't see a show heifer sale possibility in the group.
I like Rose in 2nd photo, but I do not like her in the 1st picture standing behind Angel.
Rose's photo probably shows her off at her best, makes a very good 1st impression, nice straight topline and feminine,
then looking at her 'harder' she looks a bit short from hips to pins. So Angel over Rose.

 

[RoppFamilyFarm]

Martha & lilly one is almost blind & the other is not a good gainer

Thanks Jerry27150. Martha is just getting over a bad case of pink eye, so that is what you are seeing, and I do see that i made a mistake on my post, Lilly was actually born on 4/5 not 3/5, That is why she is smaller. But if you look at her ADG over that time period, she is right in line with the others, except Angel, she gained like 1 lb. a day more then the rest.

 

[RoppFamilyFarm]

Martha & Lilly one is almost blind & the other is not a good gainer

There you go.

I like bigbull's idea, but I don't see a show heifer sale possibility in the group.
I like Rose in 2nd photo, but I do not like her in the 1st picture standing behind Angel.
Rose's photo probably shows her off at her best, makes a very good 1st impression, nice straight topline and feminine,
then looking at her 'harder' she looks a bit short from hips to pins. So Angel over Rose.

Thanks for the great input! Martha is just getting over a bad case of Pink eye, and Lilly i noticed that I had the wrong DOB. Should have been 4/5 not 3/5. So when you look at her ADG she is right up there with the rest. Thanks again!

 

[cow pollinater]

I think I'd cull Rose and Lilly. The two Bonanza daughters make a nice pair of heifers. The one gained well even with pinkeye and they're bred the same so it's easy to pick one bull for both. I almost want to say keep Rose and go back solid red on her but she doesn't fit with the other red heifer and the roan Bonanza daughter is the better built heifer of the two.

 

[Nesikep]

I like the first two best.. though I'm not the best judge

 

[RoppFamilyFarm]

I think I'd cull Rose and Lilly. The two Bonanza daughters make a nice pair of heifers. The one gained well even with pinkeye and they're bred the same so it's easy to pick one bull for both. I almost want to say keep Rose and go back solid red on her but she doesn't fit with the other red heifer and the roan Bonanza daughter is the better built heifer of the two.

Thanks Cow Pollinater - I have actually been leaning along the same lines. The trouble that i keep having is that there is something about Rose that i just keep going back to. I love the coloring of lilly, but you can't just keep them cause they are pretty Thanks again!

 

[branguscowgirl]

I would like to see a side view of Martha.

Edit- never mind. Sorry, I guess the pic was slow loading for me. :mrgreen:

 

[branguscowgirl]

Hard to say, but I kind of like the 2 Bonanza daughters the best.

 

[Nesikep]

I'll admit to being a little biased.. I had one that was a spitting image of Martha.. she was the biggest eater and had the smallest calf every year...
A little of what I see on each one.. I can't say I see anything that stands out as a 'wow' heifer, but depending on your goals they may all make decent cows..

Angel: Looks fair, though her topline seems to leave something to be desired, seems to have some length but if she flaps those ears she may very well take off
Rose: Nice topline, doesn't look pinched in the heart or the waist, for as much as I can see she's probably be my pic
Martha: She may recover from the pinkeye in time, at least mostly. Chrome will take a hit depending on your market, which is part of the reason I lean toward the first two
Lilly : Part of it may be her stance in the picture, but she seems short to me, for coloring I like her color better than the mixed roan, but that's just me

How are the dams? Have you kept any siblings from them and how did they perform? That would be something I really look at as well.
Whatever you choose I hope it works out for you

 

[RoppFamilyFarm]

Thanks Nesikep! yeah Angel has quite the wings Dams are all excellent producers for me. I had a full sib to Angel that I sold last year and wish i would have kept. One reason i am having a hard time deciding this year, but she had a better top line then Angel does. I agree on Lilly, she is short, just like her mother. Her Dam is very deep and barreled, but short. Martha is pretty well cleaned up from the pink eye as i looked at her today at noon. Chrome doesn't hurt me to bad since i make most of my $$ selling meat direct to consumer. And they actually like my "pretty cows" vs. just the solid color Thanks again for the input.