Keeping a calf as a bull

[Hpacres440p]

We have AI'd for the past 3 years, 100% conception (lucky-very small herd). Bred to a bull I really like and got a bull calf I would like to hopefully keep to use as a yearling, then sell him or eat (we ate an 18 monold bull and he was quite tasty.) how do you KNOW? We had a nice calf last year that has made a really nice steer, but I'd like to actually use the genetics I'm buying for more than just a steak… if I could get 2 calf crops out of a single AI breeding…if he falls apart at 5 months, how terrible is banding in June in Texas (flies, etc)? I also have not figured out the magic of taking pictures of black cattle. He is currently 6 weeks old, 75% Aberdeen/25% Brangus.

 

[MurraysMutts]

I've banded in August.
Had no issues. Like 7 calves I guess.

I band at birth now. Or as close as I can

 

[Hpacres440p]

We usually have them cut, but last year's 5 mom old had more issues with swelling and draining after cutting (new vet?), other calves are getting cut this week

 

[moses388]

I'd like to actually use the genetics I'm buying for more than just a steak…

Unless you are a seedstock producer, we are all raising just steaks. What specifically are you trying to do? Expanding the herd? You could flush your best cow and use sex-sorted semen.

The bull calf would not be able to fertilize cows until at least 1-year-old. Is it cost effective to house & feed a bull for less than 20 cows? I don't know the size of your herd. If less than 12 cows, I think it's manageable to watch for heats and AI. Especially since you have a great conception rate. Congratulations!

I think the bull calf would grow up and manage to get the breeding done. Raising bulls for myself, sometimes at 1-year-old one can develop a foot problem or abscess. A visit from the hoof trimmer and the bull gets over it and does fine. Have a good bull pen when it's not breeding season. A bull will break stuff to get back to his harem. If the bull is in all year, your calving season will spread. Not good. Eventually you will be calving all year long.

 

[Hpacres440p]

I should clarify that we have someone else AI for us, and he's great, but it's one of those expenses. I would be keeping this calf to 18 months regardless of steer or bull-that's processing age. There are no heifers around, and the current open cows are being AI'd again in May, so he would be around bred cows or steers only until calves hit the ground next spring. My goal is raising beef animals. At what point does it make sense to keep a bull calf to use for a one and done kind of situation though?

 

[Allenw]

If you want to keep him and use him go for it. I'm waiting on the first calves out of a bull I raised.

 

[Ky hills]

I have AI'd in the past and early on had good success, in more recent years it's been a waste of time, money, and effort. I keep back a bull or two most years now just in case. Currently are using 2 home raised bulls, coming 2 and a 3 year old.

 

[kenny thomas]

Many of you either AI or buy bulls from what is supposed to be the best bulls out there. You have kept heifers from those for years.
At what point should you feel good about keeping your own bulls that were raised in your environment, on your grass, with your management. Kinda seems like it would work pretty well.

 

[WFfarm]

You can run your bulls with the rest of the herd for most of the year, take out when the first cow calves until you're ready to breed. You just have to cull any cows that haven't calved within your window. However this only works if you don't have retained heifers with the rest of you cow herd.

 

[Bestoutwest]

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The bull calf would not be able to fertilize cows until at least 1-year-old. Is it cost effective to house & feed a bull for less than 20 cows? I don't know the size of your herd. If less than 12 cows, I think it's manageable to watch for heats and AI. Especially since you have a great conception rate. Congratulations!

I did it one year for 5 cows (we're super small). Saved me AI costs of over $100/head, and I made money selling him as freezer beef, which would have been the plan had he been a steer anyway. I feel like using him to breed cows makes him MORE cost effective b/c not only do you get the freezer beef out of him, but you get a calf crop.

 

[Hpacres440p]

I did it one year for 5 cows (we're super small). Saved me AI costs of over $100/head, and I made money selling him as freezer beef, which would have been the plan had he been a steer anyway. I feel like using him to breed cows makes him MORE cost effective b/c not only do you get the freezer beef out of him, but you get a calf crop.

I'm in your same situation. How did you handle breeding back to his dam (and potentially other related cows)? Just consider everything terminal and go from there?

 

[J+ Cattle]

How did you handle breeding back to his dam (and potentially other related cows)? Just consider everything terminal and go from there?

Yes, if you have a closely related mating, like a father to a daughter, or a son to his mother, half-brother to half-sister, etc. all of those offspring should go to slaughter. It isn't a preferred way to do things but sometimes it happens.

 

[Bestoutwest]

I'm in your same situation. How did you handle breeding back to his dam (and potentially other related cows)? Just consider everything terminal and go from there?

I had a heifer out of his dam (and she's beautiful!) that will go to the freezer. I'm really disappointed b/c I think she's the best calf he threw. But the breeding is way too close for me to feel like breeding her and retaining her.

 

[gcreekrch]

I've banded in August.
Had no issues. Like 7 calves I guess.

I band at birth now. Or as close as I can

You are learning Grasshopper!

 

[Gobbler'sKnob]

Many of you either AI or buy bulls from what is supposed to be the best bulls out there. You have kept heifers from those for years.
At what point should you feel good about keeping your own bulls that were raised in your environment, on your grass, with your management. Kinda seems like it would work pretty well.

We did it once, on accident, or from having too much heart. He was mangled badly in a hay ring (long story, but he managed to get hung upside down and skin most of his leg. We kept him "too long" trying to figure out what to do with him and he flowered into a real bruiser of a bull. Perfect shoulders, very well-muscled, grade A derriere, and a set of troublemakers swinging on him like two big river rocks in a tube sock. Good neck, too. He bred in a cycle or two and produced as good or better a calf crop than his progenitor. Little spooky about hay rings, though.

 

[MurraysMutts]

You are learning Grasshopper!

When I sold my reds, I had to correct the auctioneer. Comment was made, he's a steer, got a tag, that means he should have had a round of shots!

No sir!
All natural.
Birthdays in their ears.

Perhaps I should just keep my mouth shut, but that ain't right.
They did well anyway

 

[gcreekrch]

No

When I sold my reds, I had to correct the auctioneer. Comment was made, he's a steer, got a tag, that means he should have had a round of shots!

No sir!
All natural.
Birthdays in their ears.

Perhaps I should just keep my mouth shut, but that ain't right.
They did well anyway

Nothing wrong with honesty.