Line breeding

[SRBeef]

The discussion below about genetic improvement and line breeding etc got me thinking again about bull assignments for the coming summer and beyond.

Every once in awhile i go back and read this page on line breeding, especially the chart near the bottom of the page, FWIW I find this very interesting:

http://www.witherspoonsherefords.com/WNHWEB11.HTM

Jim

 

[Bonsman]

Jim,

Thanks for posting, it was a very interesting read. I had Horned Herefords back in the 1970's. I had a line-one son out of the 197? Denver National Jr. Champion Bull owned by [Claxton] Cook Cattle Company in Stillwater. I was trying some line breeding with some daughters out of the Royal Saint. However, the market crashed in the early 80's and I sold my cows and went back to college. I had some really nice calves out of that line-one bull.

Mike

 

[SRBeef]

You are welcome, Mike. Aside from the link's discussion of Herefords, I think the PROCESS he describes may be useful in working from what you know if you have a standout bull. That's why I like the chart towards the end of the link page.

I guess one needs to be prepared for this not working also. we'll see. The problem with cattle is that there are two years between each of those steps in the chart!

As far as horned Herefords, I am going to let breeders like Jerry Huth deal with/breed around the horns. He has horned genetics in the background of some of his polled Herefords. In my situation I just do not want to deal with horns or dehorning.

Jim

 

[1914 Hereford]

That bull Cook Cattle Co. owned part of was a good bull. I think Barber's from Channing Texas bred him. I am pretty sure it was 1978. The bull could have been Reserve Grand. Bright's Lerch (5109) beat him. I remember this bull as being thicker and smoother and really more the same kind as The Grand Champion bull that year. Seems like the bull was sired by a Miles City Bull but I am not sure.

I cannot refrain from relaying a story on Claxton. When we were at Turner Ranch,and it was Winrock at the time,
we showed 3 Sr. Bull Calves one fall and they were all good calves . Claxton bought one in the November sale that had been Res. Champion at The Texas State Fair. He took him home and put him to work for fall calves. About this time of the year he brought him down to Sulphur to get Dr. Easley to collect him. Claxton had a big Oldsmobile 98 that he pulled a bumper trailer with. We were working on our show cattle to go to Denver with and had them tied to the fence south of the Show Barn. I looked up and here comes this big Oldsmobile and trailer. Claxton pulls up and unloads his bull who showed the effects of being out with cows at 15 months of age. He leads him right up and ties him between our two Sr. Bull Calves a week or so before The National Western. I am thinking "How am I going to handle this?" and still have a satisfied customer. Claxton says to me "Yep, I bought the best bull", loads him up and away he goes.

 

[1914 Hereford]

I was able to find the Barber-Cook bull in an old Hereford Journal. He was not by a Miles City Bull. He was by HH Advance C756 and out of an Anxiety 4th x Mill Iron cow. Mary Barber's family's name was Edlin and they were well thought of cattle people in The Texas panhandle.

 

[Bonsman]

Barber Ranch had the bull Hatchet (I think). That bull had some fantastic offspring. I enjoyed going to Barber Ranch sales when Hatchet was really popular; but I did not have the money to buy anything back then. Barber had another very popular bull as well and I cannot remember his name. Although I do not raise them anymore, I will always have a soft spot for Herefords. Cook was a character. The last time I heard of him, he was trying to start a new breed named the "athlete" but I do not think it got off the ground. Cook was a salesman, that is for sure. You had to like him, because he told you everything you wanted to hear!! I really liked him. I wish I still had all my old Hereford Journals.

 

[Dylan Biggs]

The discussion below about genetic improvement and line breeding etc got me thinking again about bull assignments for the coming summer and beyond.

Every once in awhile i go back and read this page on line breeding, especially the chart near the bottom of the page, FWIW I find this very interesting:

http://www.witherspoonsherefords.com/WNHWEB11.HTM

Jim

Jim,


What bull would you consider line breeding to?

FWIW, I am with you on wanting to avoid dehorning.

 

[Kingfisher]

I wish I still had all my old Hereford Journals.[/quote]
http://cgi.ebay.com/AMERICAN-HEREFORD-J ... 1c183b519c

 

[SRBeef]

The discussion below about genetic improvement and line breeding etc got me thinking again about bull assignments for the coming summer and beyond.

Every once in awhile i go back and read this page on line breeding, especially the chart near the bottom of the page, FWIW I find this very interesting:

http://www.witherspoonsherefords.com/WNHWEB11.HTM

Jim

Jim,


What bull would you consider line breeding to?

FWIW, I am with you on wanting to avoid dehorning.

Working from the chart in the witherspoonsherefords link above I was looking at doing two separate groups - a registered line and a commercial line, all natural service.

On the registered side it would not be a true line breeding to start with since a couple of registered heifers were bred when I bought them. Without getting too long winded I am hoping my Tundra heifer has a good Huth T021 bull calf worthy of using to start with.

On the commercial side, T021, even though I sold him in August, would be the start. I have a good candidate in a T-21 son from my best 1200 lb cow. These are both known quantities and the direction I want to go. Here is a picture of him (I think I posted this in another thread also), unfortunately at his gentling treat. He and the others really get very little grain.

The problem with doing this natural service is that there are TWO years between steps in the pedigree while a bull calf and heifers mature and calve the next generation. I am going to use my U070 bull in the years in between.

BTW, here is a picture of the Tundra heifer I took today while she was at the mineralyx tub. I am hoping she has a T021 bull calf which reflects both of their strong points.

i found I really need to lay it out on paper to understand the process. If it doesn't seem to be making progress toward the type of herd I want I will try something else. Basically though to get back to your original question, I think I have enough varied genetics and some animals with qualities I want to preserve in my herd now to give it a try internally.

jmho. Jim

edit: any pointers on how to get photobucket pictures to print the whole picture? Since the recent software changes here all of my 800x600 photos (when sent to photobucket) do not print full width.

 

[Bonsman]

I wish I still had all my old Hereford Journals.

http://cgi.ebay.com/AMERICAN-HEREFORD-J ... 1c183b519c[/quote]


Yes, but nothing like feeling the pages of the Journal with your hands. Especially, when you want to read them in places not exactly where you want to take your computer.