Making decisions

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

Banded several calves saturday, will wait a few weeks and band some more based on what develops. Have one I am watching that got spared. Heres the deal. He looks good BUT he has a feminine looking head right now. Don't know what to think of him. I guess his head to become masculine, maybe it is just longer than I am used to. Would you cut him based on his head? Too young to have any type of crest or other masculine characteristics.

 

[Isomade]

One of the best looking Char bulls I have seen in a while body wise was down the road from me. He is an AI bull, but has the most feminine head I've ever seen. I had no idea "cow head" could be that bad. I wish I had pics. He got hauled to the barn.

 

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

One of the best looking Char bulls I have seen in a while body wise was down the road from me. He is an AI bull, but has the most feminine head I've ever seen. I had no idea "cow head" could be that bad. I wish I had pics. He got hauled to the barn.

You mean he wasn't a good bull? As in his calves or what?

 

[Caustic Burno]

Banded several calves saturday, will wait a few weeks and band some more based on what develops. Have one I am watching that got spared. Heres the deal. He looks good BUT he has a feminine looking head right now. Don't know what to think of him. I guess his head to become masculine, maybe it is just longer than I am used to. Would you cut him based on his head? Too young to have any type of crest or other masculine characteristics.

I think you already answered your question. When I was culling bull calves for seedstock, or salebarn always went with the first impression. You are selling your name as well as a potential herd sire.

 

[Isomade]

One of the best looking Char bulls I have seen in a while body wise was down the road from me. He is an AI bull, but has the most feminine head I've ever seen. I had no idea "cow head" could be that bad. I wish I had pics. He got hauled to the barn.

You mean he wasn't a good bull? As in his calves or what?

They never used him that I know of. The owner was very excited about him as a calf, and was so very disappointed with his "cow head" that he went to town. Imagine a big, deep, thick muscled, masculine bull with the most feminine cow head you have on him.

 

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

Banded several calves saturday, will wait a few weeks and band some more based on what develops. Have one I am watching that got spared. Heres the deal. He looks good BUT he has a feminine looking head right now. Don't know what to think of him. I guess his head to become masculine, maybe it is just longer than I am used to. Would you cut him based on his head? Too young to have any type of crest or other masculine characteristics.

I think you already answered your question. When I was culling bull calves for seedstock, or salebarn always went with the first impression. You are selling your name as well as a potential herd sire.

I probably have. I really like the cow he is out of but I am probably just looking for a reason not to do what I feel I need to do.

 

[bigbull338]

theres nothing wrong with a bull having a female looking head.if they dont grow out of it it just means you may misstake them for a cow.i see no reason to cull him for that if he grows out to your bull standards.i have a herd bull that has a mean looking head an look about him.but he isnt mean at all.

 

[Isomade]

CONFORMATION AND STRUCTURAL SOUNDNESS -- No matter what records and performance data a bull has, there are still some things about him you can only judge by looking at him, including conformation and structural soundness. Breeding soundness and fertility are very important. Choose a masculine looking bull. Bulls should look masculine and cows should look feminine, for best fertility.

Cows should look like females, not steers. Swanson wants heifers that show femininity; a steer looking heifer is generally not as fertile, and has less fertile offspring. A steer headed, beefy type female is often not as good a mother or producer as the more feminine individual and the cow headed bull is rarely as good a producer as the more masculine bull.