How do you select replacements?

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Yes and you eventually end up with a bunch of heifers that breed up like feedlot steers-lots of fortunes made wiuth cattle in the middle. As we calve if we see an cow we'd keep a replacement off of we'll tag her that way. The ones whose mothers are unacceptable get sent to feedlot. I gueess if you have a management regime for big cattle by all means raise them-big extreme heifers usually weed themselves out here.
 
LazyARanch":ugcpj0fb said:
SRB,

are you breeding those 2 straight hereford?

How do you think they'd do bred to Angus or something else for hybrid vigor?

reading on some of the topics on here, I would think an outcross calf might wean off a bit bigger?

or am I on the wrong train of thought here?

I am going straight Hereford, except for a few BWF heifers out of cows that were bred to Angus bulls when I bought the cow.

I guess I like the Hereford traits so much that I am not interested in "hybrid vigor" for my operation. Mine have plenty of vigor for me.

What I want is more like this pair: (66/6609 April 12/October 03 2009 comparison)

IMG_0038_trimmed.jpg


IMG_1689_Cow66_and_spring_calf_1003.jpg


There is more to life (and net profit) than just "pounds". I'm hoping to develop a herd of 1200 lb full Hereford cows who wean 650 lb 205 day calves like #66 above and breed back to do it again in 365 days on a minimum of groceries. I'm not against cross breeds, the ones I've had so far however have not had the disposition etc that I have on most of my Herefords. Calving ease and disposition along with a 50% + calf 205 day ww... working toward low bf with good marbling... Looks like good selection within the Hereford breed will get me there over time. FWIW.

Jim
 
It takes discipline to keep your cow weights moderate-a cowherd with not much variation it's easier but when you start getting some 120-130 index heifers and retaining them your cowherd will start creeping up in size. I was a ROP weighman for years I saw it happen many times-I made the same mistake myself in fact.
 
SRB, I like the way you think. It all makes good sense and I think that's what most beef producers strive for. The one concern I have about your plan is the fact that straight Herefords just don't bring the money that yellows, blacks, reds do. You could have a very good set of calves and take considerably less money home than the guy down the road with crossbreds. Maybe the markets are different in you area.

Audie, if you are referring to Salem Sue, the world's largest Holstein (probably over 3000 pounds in case anyone is curious :lol2: ), yeah she's down the interstate a little way from me.
 
SRB,

I had remembered that you had BWF in the mix and didn't know if you were raising them off your herefords or how you came about to have them. I wasn't trying to suggest you breed other than Hereford.
Just asking a question as I like your stock, and you have good, thoughtful comments on topics in here.

I have some purebred hereford cows now, and some hereford X, and the couple of purebred herf heifer calves I DO have are not as big as the commercial mix at the same age. Not trying to start an argument or a discussion on this, just stating fact as it is for us. The one heifer is a daughter of Limited Edition, and the cow is bred back to him and due end of March.
The herd will be bred back to black Angus or possibly black Gelvieh or Balancer
 
Nova - thank you for the kind words. I sell mine frozen and vac packed so I don't worry about what color they are. My customers judge mine with a fork.

Lazy, I just bought my first registered heifer, a low, very wide-body Hereford, out of a bull named Tundra, from North Dakota as I mentioned earlier. She has modest EPD's but looks the way I want my cows to look. She is a complete outcross to my T-21 bull and should help me develop a small registered group.

I will keep my BWF heifers if they prove themselves by calving unassisted, raise 50%+ calves and hold to my 1350 lb mature wt limit on future cows. My overweight ones of any color will be sold as pairs or 3 fers this summer.

As I get further along in this I will be selecting replacements on carcass qualities also. Fwiw. Jim
 

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