help with what breed this bull is?

[jordanesch]

Hello I recently bought a yearling bull he is an angus cross but they werent sure if its an angus/jersey or angus holstein. he does have small horns. He is small because he was in with a bigger guy, they said he was 5-6 hundred pounds id say more like 400 but maybe you guys can give me a better guess. My question are
1. can anyone help with breed? he has small horns is black with a brown tint on body and a few white spots on underbelly.
2. i am trying to beef him up, so hes on a 6 lbs 14% grower grain and 2 lbs of calf manna a day ( i will increase gradually) only had him 4 days. anymore I should do? like maybe the purina heavy weight powder added as well? I did deworm him as well

thanks in advance!
it wont let me put the pics i will get them asap

 

[SBMF 2015]

Hello I recently bought a yearling bull he is an angus cross but they werent sure if its an angus/jersey or angus holstein. he does have small horns. He is small because he was in with a bigger guy, they said he was 5-6 hundred pounds id say more like 400 but maybe you guys can give me a better guess. My question are
1. can anyone help with breed? he has small horns is black with a brown tint on body and a few white spots on underbelly.
2. i am trying to beef him up, so hes on a 6 lbs 14% grower grain and 2 lbs of calf manna a day ( i will increase gradually) only had him 4 days. anymore I should do? like maybe the purina heavy weight powder added as well? I did deworm him as well

thanks in advance!
it wont let me put the pics i will get them asap

What is this "purina heavy weight powder " your talking about? I'm not familiar with it.
If he only weighs 400lbs, 6lbs total concentrates is plenty. 1% of their body weight is a growing ration for a beef calf. To much to fast will burn him out.
I'd also give him around 2wks to get used to his new home than get him castrated. You don't want to have him realize that he's a bull.

 

[Rafter S]

There's an "Add image to post" link just below the text box and all the way to the left.

What are you planning to do with the calf? Feed him to butcher?

 

[jordanesch]

Hello thanks for the replies, let me clarify a bit moore, im just starting my beef herd i have 7 young heifer calves and he is going to be my breeding bull, i wanted a smaller one for their first calves. Most wont be breeding until next summer but 2 are going to be ready next winter they are 9 months and about 750 lbs. my problem is that this bull is a year old and i want to get him caught up so hes more even with these heifers come breeding time. He is getting 4 lbs of 14% steer grower, 2 lbs calf manna and 2 oz of the purina heavy weight powder Split inTo2 feedings a day. Its Day#5. And the pictures keep saying you cant post url outside domain or something? Anyone else get that error? Thanks again!

 

[jordanesch]

Oh and the purina powder is for puting weight on 4h cattle its like 70%crude fat

 

[Nesikep]

you won't be able to post images or links until you have 2 more posts and your posts don't need mod approval

 

[Rafter S]

Hello thanks for the replies, let me clarify a bit moore, im just starting my beef herd i have 7 young heifer calves and he is going to be my breeding bull, i wanted a smaller one for their first calves. Most wont be breeding until next summer but 2 are going to be ready next winter they are 9 months and about 750 lbs. my problem is that this bull is a year old and i want to get him caught up so hes more even with these heifers come breeding time. He is getting 4 lbs of 14% steer grower, 2 lbs calf manna and 2 oz of the purina heavy weight powder Split inTo2 feedings a day. Its Day#5. And the pictures keep saying you cant post url outside domain or something? Anyone else get that error? Thanks again!

I wouldn't use a dairy breed bull if the goal is to produce beef. Especially if he has Jersey breeding, since they get notoriously mean when they get older. I just re-read your post and see that you plan to use him to get small calves from first-time heifers. There's nothing wrong with that, but after getting them bred I'd sell or eat him and get a beef breed bull for future calves.

 

[jordanesch]

Oh yeah thats the plan just the first go around so they are small then off to market he goes. Thanks

 

[Stocker Steve]

Sounds like a Jersey cross bull.
Good hay with a little grain energy should be enough feed to develop him.
I would not be afraid to use a straight angus bull on heifers.

 

[jordanesch]

Thanks for the insight, straight Angus bull is the plan finances said otherwise. Got this guy for super cheap but I will be getting an Angus bull as soon as possible

 

[Caustic Burno]

Hello thanks for the replies, let me clarify a bit moore, im just starting my beef herd i have 7 young heifer calves and he is going to be my breeding bull, i wanted a smaller one for their first calves. Most wont be breeding until next summer but 2 are going to be ready next winter they are 9 months and about 750 lbs. my problem is that this bull is a year old and i want to get him caught up so hes more even with these heifers come breeding time. He is getting 4 lbs of 14% steer grower, 2 lbs calf manna and 2 oz of the purina heavy weight powder Split inTo2 feedings a day. Its Day#5. And the pictures keep saying you cant post url outside domain or something? Anyone else get that error? Thanks again!

I wouldn't use a dairy breed bull if the goal is to produce beef. Especially if he has Jersey breeding, since they get notoriously mean when they get older. I just re-read your post and see that you plan to use him to get small calves from first-time heifers. There's nothing wrong with that, but after getting them bred I'd sell or eat him and get a beef breed bull for future calves.

I just don't get skimping on the bull!
Bad bull is a calf crop disaster.

 

[jordanesch]

Right, I made it sound worse than it was. Someone with a lot more experience recommended getting a bull that had a little jersey for the ease of calving the first year, I did not ask him so much as find the best price for what was recommended to me.

 

[T & B farms]

Sit down and do the math. By the time you feed that bull pretty hard for a year, and have to deal with him you won't be any money ahead.
There are decent angus bulls for $2000-2500 all over the place.

I know it would be hard to justify a bull for that many cows, but to think you can buy a random bull calf, feed him for a year, and be money ahead isn't very rational. I would find someone who rents their leftover bulls, or find a friend who would loan you one

 

[Redgully]

I would be extremely concerned if he has Holstein in him as he could throw massive calves and cause you no end of problems. Jersey is a good way to go and any heifers retained would have some extra milk and produce nice calves. Personally i would castrate him and eat him and get a technician in to A.I. your heifers, would be your cheapest, safest way and give you your best results for your herd.

 

[Brute 23]

This is trainwreck waiting to happen.

Have you checked in to renting a bull in your area? That would be a much better option. Paying some one to AI for you also would be good.

 

[OzssieDave19]

It costs the same to feed poorly bred cattle as well bred cattle. I wouldn't use a bull I don't know the breeding of. You may well put a Holstein Angus over your heifers and stuff up your heifers. One vet bill for a ceasarian will blow your budget. Maybe take some of the good advice given here. Especially if your starting out. We may know more than you. You can have enough problems with well bred and managed stock

 

[regolith]

If your bull has horns he wasn't sired by a straight angus.
First, I'm going to agree with all who said don't use this unknown bull over your heifers.

Secondly, he may not have any beef in him at all. If he came from a dairy, Jerseyholstein cross will throw those markings, with horns. I've had calves go to sales mixed in with angus-sired calves that were 3/4 Jersey 1/4 Friesian, straight black and near enough as beefy as the crosses, and make the same price as the angusx and I can guarantee you that even though I told the agent exactly what breeds were in which calf, it makes not a jot of difference to how he sells them.

edit: nothing wrong with an easy first calving and Jersey influence will give you that... but you're risking the possibility that this bull could have Holstein, Swiss or who knows what else behind him, and damage your females? Jerseycross calves be good eating but slow growing.

 

[Hereford2]

You'd be further ahead to AI your cows. Also that bull sounds like a Holstein Jersey cross,. Holstein's can be Bad news for first calf heifers. Big calves..... also, Beef Dairy cross calves are generally sold as straight dairy calves, from my experience.. 60to80 cents a pound, compared to $1.20/ 1.60 plus

 

[skeeter swatter]

Oh yeah thats the plan just the first go around so they are small then off to market he goes. Thanks

First go round so they are small? I don't understand.