Herd bull or hamburger (Hereford)

[Chris H]

Our 5 year old herd sire. He did clean up for us for the last 3 years, we didn't keep many of his daughters because they didn't fit into our calving season. But we sold the calves to people we knew and the reports came back that they were really nice beeves. We have a handful of his daughters calving this year and they're nice looking girls.
This boy weighs in at 2400 lbs, and was grass developed.

 

[JHH]

I dont think that he is that bad. But does seem to be light in the flank and I would like to see a little bigger bone.

But I am not a judge and dont claim to be. Looks like you could use some grass and if he put on some weight he may look different. JHH

 

[la4angus]

Looks like a fairly decent bull to me, depending on how good a bull you want.

 

[Hill Creek Farm]

Is he a Registered bull? What is his registered name? I think that I will agree that he is light in the flank, but nice through the barrel and through the shoulders and in the front. Is he heavily scurred or horned? :cboy:

 

[certherfbeef]

Good top on him Chris. Might lack a little lower quarter though. He has a good leg and a square hip but is indeed a little fine boned for my taste. Not too shabby.
He is better than some bulls I've seen breeding cows.

Ya'll need to remember that you don't need a perfect bull in your pasture. What you need is a bull that compliments your cattle. A bull that can correct the faults in the cattle that he is covering and improve on those cows.

 

[Anonymous]

from looking at him...personally i'd probably say hamburger...but also i've never seen any of his offspring...he seems to be lacking in the hind legs but maybe his calves are different...but if he gives you good calves then keep him...I really couldn't tell you to get rid of him or not without knowing anything about his calves

 

[Chris H]

Right now he's in OK condition, he's with a group that is cleaning up some odds & ends for forage. He could easily put on 200 lbs if we fed him heavier. The field he's pictured in is cornstalks with volunteer fescue. It was fescue for years until last year. We'll plant some sudex in that field as soon as it quits raining and in the fall we'll plant an improved perennial forage mix. Figured the bull might as well graze the volunteer fescue until it dries up enough to till the field. I hate to get a bull too heavy this time of year. He'll actually put on weight when he goes out to the breeding pastures because we have higher quality forages in those pastures at this time.

There is a shadow on his hindquarter that misleads how thick his butt is. I tried moving him around, but take a look at the look he's giving me! I think he's annoyed that we put another bull and 2 cows I thought were in heat in a lot next to him yesterday. When the other bull bred one cow, and passed on the other I had to use this one to confirm the second cow was no longer standing. It's not nice to tease a bull like that. He is 5 years old and we've never had a problem with his temperment, but we try to maintain respect for each other.

His calves finish very well at 14-15 months. And his daughters have great udders, and are making great mothers. Can't ask for anything more from a bull.

The bull is horned, he was dehorned with paste as a baby.

I've never thought of him as fine boned, could be the angle his back legs are in the picture.

Hill Creek, he is sired by HB Horizon 4110. His name is HSC Bedrock 1420.

 

[msscamp]

I don't think I'd make hamburger out of him. I'm thinking there are a lot of cows out there that he would do well on if you're done with him. He appears to be lacking a little in the rear, but that might be due to the way he's standing. Appears to have a pretty decent top line, a good front end, and a nice head. FWIW.

 

[Ned Jr.]

He looks a little to straight in the front sholder and rear legs to me. Does he travel OK?

 

[topsquar]

hamburger :shock: look at how long those legs are looks like a hereford/chianina :shock: long legs no beef maybe fresian/hereford, maybe a mcdonalds quarter pounder on the way with an upsized coke to wash the bone down :roll: maybe a bull to use on really short cows with no legs, where do you people buy these bulls from? maybe to many discount barns around selling some 10 ha ranch prize bull that has been creep feed all its life and with a claim to be the best hereford bull in the US of A with chia/maine/simm/angus/braun/bram/pied/tarentaise in its genetics / hereford purebred and gauranteed/ lol :idea: ;-)
maybe its the new improved long legged/tall hereford that has been developed to compete with the all new improved black hereford :lol: :lol: .maybe with longer legs you can spend more time shampoo and fluffing up the fure on them for the club calf seen :cboy: :cboy:

 

[Chris H]

He looks a little to straight in the front sholder and rear legs to me. Does he travel OK?

Yes, never had a foot or leg problem in his life. And even though he weighs 2400 at this point we still use him on heifers. He gets the job done without taking a nap on the heifer.

 

[cfpinz]

To me his front end doesn't match his back. If you take your hand and cover up the front, then the back, he looks like two different animals. That being said, I've seen a whole lot worse bulls. If he's doing what you want and you are satisfied with his calves, then keep him awhile longer. If you feel you need an improvement, there's no time like the present.

 

[mnmtranching]

I think sometimes people get used to looking at yearling and two year old bulls. This guy has the look of a grown up bull on roughage. No not a show bull, if he was he'd been used for AI.
I would say he has served you well.

But I would say 5 yr old at 2400 lbs its time for burger, time to shop for a yearling.

mnmt

 

[redfornow]

Looks like a pretty good clean up bull and if he is low BW and easy on heifers more the better.

He isnt perfect by any means, but alittle grain some time in the chute to have his hair done and he would look a heck of a lot better. But last I checked looking better doesnt have one thing to do with the calfs he puts on the ground.
Sell him as a breeder, he will make a hobby boy real happy.
There are worse unproven bulls out there.

MD

 

[tapeworm]

Cert hereford beef :"Ya'll need to remember that you don't need a perfect bull in your pasture. What you need is a bull that compliments your cattle. A bull that can correct the faults in the cattle that he is covering and improve on those cows."

AMEN!!! To many peopel always look for the perfect bull and pass up a bull that could really help them out. This little bull would make a nice range bull..id like to see more hindquarter and bone on him but hes better than a lot of bulls Ive seen here


Dont waste to much time looking for the perfect flawless bull...this business wasnt built with showbulls

 

[Ned Jr.]

I agree with some of the others that he looks a little fine boned, high in the flank and yes long legged. What is his frame anyway? But all I have to go by is pictures and things you have said about him. He looks like he has a very long hip. I have seen a lot of herd bulls that looked far worse than him that were great breeders. You like his calves, his daughters have good udders, he has the equipment and I sense a fondness for him so I say use him.

 

[JHH]

Hill Creek, he is sired by HB Horizon 4110. His name is HSC Bedrock 1420.

Looked him up on herfnet Chris and I dont think I would of ever tried him on heifers with a +7.0 for birth weight. Glad you had good luck with him. JHH

 

[Bullbuyer]

2400 !?!?!?! That picture ain't doin' him justice or somebody is waaaaayy OVER GUESSING his size.
Can we get a scaled weight on him when you move him ?

 

[Chris H]

2400 !?!?!?! That picture ain't doin' him justice or somebody is waaaaayy OVER GUESSING his size.
Can we get a scaled weight on him when you move him ?

You caught me on that, I should have said he weighs 2400 when at top form. Right now he's transitioning from stockpiled fescue all winter to the better grass in the breeding pastures. He's down about 200 from his top weight. He's carrying enough flesh to be sleek over the rump, backbone, and into the shoulder, how much more do you want on a bull ready to see heavy use?

Birth weight...
EPD's versus Actual ... What throws a bigger calf, a bull from a herd with actual bw's of 90+ and has a BW epd of 1, or a bull from a herd with actual bw's of 75 and has a BW epd of 7? This bull was bred from cattle in the herd, and only used on cattle within the herd. Not much chance his EPD's will change, so this is a time when you need to know your cows.

He's definitely not perfect. But he complements the cows we use him on, and we are very happy with his daughters entering the cow herd this year.

 

[JHH]

Birth weight...
EPD's versus Actual ... What throws a bigger calf, a bull from a herd with actual bw's of 90+ and has a BW epd of 1, or a bull from a herd with actual bw's of 75 and has a BW epd of 7? This bull was bred from cattle in the herd, and only used on cattle within the herd. Not much chance his EPD's will change, so this is a time when you need to know your cows.

Guess I didnt look at it that way. If you are pleased with him then why change what isnt broke. Proven and gets the job done, Hate to change things like that. JHH