Looks vs Performance - unexpected new calf (pics)

[SRBeef]

I have been traveling this past week. Yesterday I checked on my cattle, put out some hay, limited the grazing area for the bulls, fix some old fence damaged by the snow plowed onto it (and finally accessible) and give the cows a grain treat.

Last thing was the grain treat for the cows. I went down to the corral around 6 pm and was surprised to see one of my registered heifers had evidently just calved this afternoon while I was in another field fixing the fence. This one was not supposed to calve for a week or two yet.

This is a Schu-Lar heifer I bought as bred that is not much to look at but she sure knows how to have a first calf. I think its a heifer calf but wanted to leave them alone. Calf just got up and nursed colostrum as she was being cleaned.

It was funny to watch some of the other new calves take a break from their running around the calving pasture and come over as a group to see what all the fuss was about. Here are a couple pictures.

I bought this registered Hereford bred heifer at the Schu-Lar dispersal sale sight unseen. Frankly I was a bit disappointed when I first saw her. Not very impressive looking although she has put on some weight and looking a bit better lately.

However the surprising (to me) ease which she had her first calf, the obvious very strong mothering tendency and the spunk in this newborn calf got me thinking about appearance vs performance.

Have we got so wound up in shows and awards that we forget about performance in the field? I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by this heifer. Not much to look at but has adapted well to my system and obviously knows how to have a calf on her own. Just a thought. Particularly since my very impressive looking Tundra heifer had quite the opposite time of calving her first calf. It really got me thinking about registered heifers and what are we selecting for.

Calving ease is for me priorities #1, 2, 3 & 4..... Here are a couple pictures.

FWIW. Jim

 

[Kingfisher]

Looks good to me! Nice that you got to get a pic of the other ones checking out the scene!

 

[Herefords.US]

Particularly since my very impressive looking Tundra heifer had quite the opposite time of calving her first calf. It really got me thinking about registered heifers and what are we selecting for.

What happened with the Tundra heifer?

George

 

[SRBeef]

Particularly since my very impressive looking Tundra heifer had quite the opposite time of calving her first calf. It really got me thinking about registered heifers and what are we selecting for.

What happened with the Tundra heifer?

George

She had a gorgeous but huge and very dead heifer calf. She is gone. Same T21 bull as the rest of my heifers and cows so it was not the bull's fault. I had a couple other first calf heifers that had T21 calves like it was their 4th or 5th calf instead of their 1st. I was pleasantly surprised by this Schu-Lar heifer. I have a Huth heifer to go yet. Neither of them is really a "show" heifer like the Tundra heifer but if they can calve like the one above I will be very happy. Maybe I should just stick with my home grown heifers. The calves out of the Huth U070 bull look great and. Easy calving. Jim

 

[CPL]

Did you have the calf posted? Was it dead on arrival or died as a result of a difficult birth? How big is huge? Sorry for all the questions, just would like a little more information as the tundra bull is pretty popular right now and she looked like she would make a nice cow for you.

 

[TexasBred]

Don't give the heifer too much praise yet. So far all she's done is give birth. After she raises a great calf then you can talk abotu "performance".

 

[SRBeef]

Did you have the calf posted? Was it dead on arrival or died as a result of a difficult birth? How big is huge? Sorry for all the questions, just would like a little more information as the tundra bull is pretty popular right now and she looked like she would make a nice cow for you.

I thought she'd make a nice cow too. The calf died as it was being born, could not deliver, too big. My vet says calf was big, got turned a bit and got stuck, died before he got there. I probably will just leave it at that. Maybe something I did wrong. Not a pleasant subject right now. Jim

 

[SRBeef]

Don't give the heifer too much praise yet. So far all she's done is give birth. After she raises a great calf then you can talk abotu "performance".

In my particular operation being able to give birth to a live healthy calf and get it started with minimal assistance from me is about 2/3 of what I need a cow or heifer to do. I'm selling beef not breeding or show stock. And they need to make it on my grazing system. This Schu-lar heifer therefore passes the 2/3 test. I am surprised at how active the calf is at sucking and how 24 watches out for and takes care of the calf.

Sure stuff can happen from now to processing but a lot of that is my responsibility. The main thing I need from 24 now is a good weaning weight to cow weight at or above 50 percent. We'll see. Jim

 

[TexasBred]

Don't give the heifer too much praise yet. So far all she's done is give birth. After she raises a great calf then you can talk abotu "performance".

In my particular operation being able to give birth to a live healthy calf and get it started with minimal assistance from me is about 2/3 of what I need a cow or heifer to do. I'm selling beef not breeding or show stock. And they need to make it on my grazing system. This Schu-lar heifer therefore passes the 2/3 test. I am surprised at how active the calf is at sucking and how 24 watches out for and takes care of the calf.

Sure stuff can happen from now to processing but a lot of that is my responsibility. The main thing I need from 24 now is a good weaning weight to cow weight at or above 50 percent. We'll see. Jim

That's the part I was talking abotu Jim. That will tell you how good she and the sire are.

 

[Herefords.US]

Did you have the calf posted? Was it dead on arrival or died as a result of a difficult birth? How big is huge? Sorry for all the questions, just would like a little more information as the tundra bull is pretty popular right now and she looked like she would make a nice cow for you.

I thought she'd make a nice cow too. The calf died as it was being born, could not deliver, too big. My vet says calf was big, got turned a bit and got stuck, died before he got there. I probably will just leave it at that. Maybe something I did wrong. Not a pleasant subject right now. Jim

Sorry to hear that! From reading these boards, it's been a tough year for a lot of folks calving.

Sometimes, it doesn't make any difference what YOU do. Sometimes, stuff just happens. And, too often, it seems it happens to the one you have the highest expectations from.

I had a heifer have one breech(back feet first) the other day. Luckily, I was around and caught it early. Mama and baby are fine. I was fortunate. :nod:

George

 

[JHH]

In my particular operation being able to give birth to a live healthy calf and get it started with minimal assistance from me is about 2/3 of what I need a cow or heifer to do. I'm selling beef not breeding or show stock. And they need to make it on my grazing system. This Schu-lar heifer therefore passes the 2/3 test. I am surprised at how active the calf is at sucking and how 24 watches out for and takes care of the calf.

Sure stuff can happen from now to processing but a lot of that is my responsibility. The main thing I need from 24 now is a good weaning weight to cow weight at or above 50 percent. We'll see. Jim

That's the part I was talking abotu Jim. That will tell you how good she and the sire are.

i wouldnt worry about the performance. I would bet she will be just fine. Jim has an excellent system for grazing and has a green thumb for making grass grow. As long as there is not a drought.

 

[TexasBred]

In my particular operation being able to give birth to a live healthy calf and get it started with minimal assistance from me is about 2/3 of what I need a cow or heifer to do. I'm selling beef not breeding or show stock. And they need to make it on my grazing system. This Schu-lar heifer therefore passes the 2/3 test. I am surprised at how active the calf is at sucking and how 24 watches out for and takes care of the calf.

Sure stuff can happen from now to processing but a lot of that is my responsibility. The main thing I need from 24 now is a good weaning weight to cow weight at or above 50 percent. We'll see. Jim

That's the part I was talking abotu Jim. That will tell you how good she and the sire are.

i wouldnt worry about the performance. I would bet she will be just fine. Jim has an excellent system for grazing and has a green thumb for making grass grow. As long as there is not a drought.

I'm sure he does...not questioning that at all....but scrubs are sold off everyday from registered cattle utilizing tremendous grazing operations. If the quality is not there it is not there. Time will tell and hopefully she raises calves that perform AND are better looking than her.

 

[rocket2222]

In my particular operation being able to give birth to a live healthy calf and get it started with minimal assistance from me is about 2/3 of what I need a cow or heifer to do. I'm selling beef not breeding or show stock. And they need to make it on my grazing system. This Schu-lar heifer therefore passes the 2/3 test. I am surprised at how active the calf is at sucking and how 24 watches out for and takes care of the calf.

Sure stuff can happen from now to processing but a lot of that is my responsibility. The main thing I need from 24 now is a good weaning weight to cow weight at or above 50 percent. We'll see. Jim

That's the part I was talking abotu Jim. That will tell you how good she and the sire are.

i wouldnt worry about the performance. I would bet she will be just fine. Jim has an excellent system for grazing and has a green thumb for making grass grow. As long as there is not a drought.

I'll bet Irrigation on his "to do" list ;-)