Looking for suggestions on calves

Help Support CattleToday:

B

blackladies

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 28, 2022
Messages
152
Reaction score
320
Location
Southwest Missouri
Started out with cheap sale barn cows and a cheap bull from a neighbor. Just looking for input on how to get calves that the market wants. Selling a few of the older cows and the bull (kept his daughters). Thinking about a registered angus bull. A few examples of this years calves to show what the current bull and cows are doing.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3197.jpeg
    IMG_3197.jpeg
    1.7 MB · Views: 37
  • IMG_3196.jpeg
    IMG_3196.jpeg
    2.1 MB · Views: 37
  • IMG_3195.jpeg
    IMG_3195.jpeg
    2 MB · Views: 35
  • IMG_3194.jpeg
    IMG_3194.jpeg
    2.6 MB · Views: 34
  • IMG_3193.jpeg
    IMG_3193.jpeg
    2.3 MB · Views: 34
  • IMG_3192.jpeg
    IMG_3192.jpeg
    2.4 MB · Views: 38
  • IMG_3191.jpeg
    IMG_3191.jpeg
    4.6 MB · Views: 36
  • IMG_3190.jpeg
    IMG_3190.jpeg
    4 MB · Views: 39
They look like what the market wants here. As mentioned don't skimp on the bull.

A member here is Fire Sweep Ranch, though haven't seen them for a while. They're in your area and have fine Simmentals. They would be a good place to get a bull. Don't know any angus breeders in your area but I'm sure their are some to choose from.
 
blackladies said:
Started out with cheap sale barn cows and a cheap bull from a neighbor. Just looking for input on how to get calves that the market wants. Selling a few of the older cows and the bull (kept his daughters). Thinking about a registered angus bull. A few examples of this years calves to show what the current bull and cows are doing.
Click to expand...
Gotta say, I'm more impressed with the calves than when I saw the first picture of your bull. Maybe he was a better bull than I thought because he looked pretty poor at the time.

If you aren't raising registered stock there's no reason to worry about a registered bull, IMO. Paper doesn't make an animal any better than a commercial animal to someone buying calves heading for the feedlot. I'm not saying you should avoid a registered bull, but rather that I wouldn't pay a dime for papers if I could get a better bull for the same money without.

Some of those calve are pretty average and some look better than average. That calf in the 3192 picture is put together nicely and if he's as large as the rest for age that is the kind you want. For beginners you've done fine. Looks like you have some decent grazing too. Kudos...
 
Brute 23 said:
Upgrading you bull is an proven, quick, effective way to add value to your calf crop.

Number one would be nutrition in my book.

Number 2 would be genetics to maximize that nutrition.

Those two would be the foundation for any thing further.
Click to expand...
You're probably right on nutrition, never give the calves any feed, kills me to know what I would pay because I don't have enough animals to buy in bulk. Registered for the next bull? All the epds that are thrown around seem a bit overwhelming.
 
Travlr said:
Gotta say, I'm more impressed with the calves than when I saw the first picture of your bull. Maybe he was a better bull than I thought because he looked pretty poor at the time.

If you aren't raising registered stock there's no reason to worry about a registered bull, IMO. Paper doesn't make an animal any better than a commercial animal to someone buying calves heading for the feedlot. I'm not saying you should avoid a registered bull, but rather that I wouldn't pay a dime for papers if I could get a better bull for the same money without.

Some of those calve are pretty average and some look better than average. That calf in the 3192 picture is put together nicely and if he's as large as the rest for age that is the kind you want. For beginners you've done fine. Looks like you have some decent grazing too. Kudos...
Click to expand...
Appreciate you and everyone else taking the time to reply, it's easy just to look at something you're somewhat interested in and leave it at that with no response. Don't mind people being honest and giving criticism. Have less than $900 given per cow and for the bull, except the registered beefmaster and bull calf I bought last year. Still waiting to see how he fills out.
 
blackladies said:
Started out with cheap sale barn cows and a cheap bull from a neighbor. Just looking for input on how to get calves that the market wants. Selling a few of the older cows and the bull (kept his daughters). Thinking about a registered angus bull. A few examples of this years calves to show what the current bull and cows are doing.
Click to expand...
Trying to produce what the market wants is one thing. The bull is likely going to be the biggest influence on your herd for that for the least expensive input PER CALF. I emphasize the per calf from the bull because you can - and should - invest a little more time and expense in selecting a bull that throws the characterisitcs you are after in calves. The total expense per calf coming from the bull, even if the bull himself is more expensive and of quality, will still be considerably less than the expense per calf coming from the cow.

Learn what EPDs are and look at those for proven bulls. You might want to focus on low birth weights (in favor of), calving ease (correlated with birth weights usually), milk production, and some other useful characteristics. You might ask on here what EPDs other producers look at and why.
 
blackladies said:
Appreciate you and everyone else taking the time to reply, it's easy just to look at something you're somewhat interested in and leave it at that with no response. Don't mind people being honest and giving criticism. Have less than $900 given per cow and for the bull, except the registered beefmaster and bull calf I bought last year. Still waiting to see how he fills out.
Click to expand...
Pics of the Beefmaster and the bull calf? Side shots preferred...

Edit: I see @Mark Reynolds has left you some advice. Sorry Mark, but unless they are retaining heifers to breed I would not be concerned with low birth weights. If a cow can't deliver a hundred pound calf with a targeted weight of 90, then I wouldn't want them. These 40/60 pound calves are a terrible idea. Low birth weight bulls are only best used for first calf heifers.
 
blackladies said:
You're probably right on nutrition, never give the calves any feed, kills me to know what I would pay because I don't have enough animals to buy in bulk. Registered for the next bull? All the epds that are thrown around seem a bit overwhelming.
Click to expand...
Nutrition doesn't always mean feed. It may mean investing in you grass, rotating, lower numbers, or just matching the right animals with your forage. There are a lot of ways to boost nutrition with out feeding from a sack.

Epds are overwhelming to me also. I'm very simple minded so I basically buy the most growth we can afford out of a moderate sized animal and a moderate sized calf. Only thing else I watch for is high milking numbers which I stay away from. They always hurt me more than help me.

I do believe in registered bulls for the data to work from. It's not 100% but it's better than nothing. If a commercial producer can give me calf and growth data on their bulls I will consider them also.
 
Last edited:
Travlr said:
Pics of the Beefmaster and the bull calf? Side shots preferred...

Edit: I see @Mark Reynolds has left you some advice. Sorry Mark, but unless they are retaining heifers to breed I would not be concerned with low birth weights. If a cow can't deliver a hundred pound calf with a targeted weight of 90, then I wouldn't want them. These 40/60 pound calves are a terrible idea. Low birth weight bulls are only best used for first calf heifers.
Click to expand...
Will try to get an updated pic of the beefmaster cow and bull out of her tomorrow. Getting dark here now and haven't been able to afford to build a house out at the farm yet so I am still a towny.
 
Travlr said:
Gotta say, I'm more impressed with the calves than when I saw the first picture of your bull. Maybe he was a better bull than I thought because he looked pretty poor at the time.

If you aren't raising registered stock there's no reason to worry about a registered bull, IMO. Paper doesn't make an animal any better than a commercial animal to someone buying calves heading for the feedlot. I'm not saying you should avoid a registered bull, but rather that I wouldn't pay a dime for papers if I could get a better bull for the same money without.

Some of those calve are pretty average and some look better than average. That calf in the 3192 picture is put together nicely and if he's as large as the rest for age that is the kind you want. For beginners you've done fine. Looks like you have some decent grazing too. Kudos...
Click to expand...
I liked 3192 too
 
They look like pretty handy calves but it is hard to judge size and what the market wants from an individual photo. Do you have a set of scales to weigh them? You have tags in them so I assume you know what cow they are from. Weighing them as they grow gives you an idea of which cows are performing.

Ken
 
They look good but hard to determine if they are what you want without knowing the rate of daily gain. A good bull will make average cows perform better in most cases.

I've mentioned it before but I am okay with average cows that produce calves that sell at the average price for number one calves. I'm a low input operation and that will work for me. I run a decent Limo bull that puts some good butts on my animals and brings with it a acceptable rate of gain.
 
bird dog said:
They look good but hard to determine if they are what you want without knowing the rate of daily gain. A good bull will make average cows perform better in most cases.

I've mentioned it before but I am okay with average cows that produce calves that sell at the average price for number one calves. I'm a low input operation and that will work for me. I run a decent Limo bull that puts some good butts on my animals and brings with it a acceptable rate of gain.
Click to expand...
Where are you getting your Limo bulls? I can find a lot of lim-flex but having a hard time finding a full blood, especially in my area. I am not above traveling for the right opportunity for sure.
 
SmokinM said:
Where are you getting your Limo bulls? I can find a lot of lim-flex but having a hard time finding a full blood, especially in my area. I am not above traveling for the right opportunity for sure.
Click to expand...
Mine is not full blood. Black in color but not homozygous. 74% Limo. Bought from Brehm Farms in San Antonio.

There are a few full blood guys in Texas. Look at the Texas
Limousin Association for some ads.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

tcolvin
Calves
2
Replies
23
Views
1K
Travlr
Travlr
M
First calves - advice needed
Replies
11
Views
252
TexasJerseyMilker
TexasJerseyMilker
D
couple of poor performing calves
Replies
2
Views
282
aprille218
A
D
Weaned calves
Replies
6
Views
938
Dave
D
M
Jeans for Women Farmers?
2 3
Replies
50
Views
2K
bdcattle
B

Latest posts

Top