Misc Yearling Photos

[jhambley]

 

[Gators Rule]

Top to bottom, those are some fine heifers!!!!

 

[denvermartinfarms]

what is the address of where these are and when are you not around.naw can't even insinuate that as a joke but they are very fine looking heifers that i would not mind having in any of my fields.

 

[KHereford]

I cant wait to come see your cattle. Dont give up on me, Im still coming.

 

[A.J.]

Nice. I bet you will get some really good calves from that bull and those heifers.

 

[bigbull338]

as always you hav some fine looking well bred cattle.

 

[AllForage]

Question,

You have been posting pics here and elsewhere of a combination of 3 different seemingly linebred lines for a couple years. Do you plan on fixing any one of these combos and making a line of your own? Also since you have obviously been selling bulls as a result of this line cross, how tru have the bulls bred? Which parent stock have their "get" most resembled? I am also curious as to how much of their "performance" do think is a result of the heterosis of the line cross?

 

[jhambley]

It would be difficult to express, in a single post, all I feel I've learned in the relatively short period of time I've been breeding Herefords. I'm certainly no expert and I don't mean to sound "preachy". I'm just sharing a few of the things I've learned from some great mentors and witnessed through personal experience.

You have been posting pics here and elsewhere of a combination of 3 different seemingly linebred lines for a couple years. Do you plan on fixing any one of these combos and making a line of your own?

Honestly I stopped looking at pedigrees about 4 years ago. As a "rookie", I tried to "analyze" my way to better cattle using registration papers and %blood contributed, etc. I failed miserably! Lesson learned...Just critically evaluate the animal standing in front of you and his/her offspring. Pretty is as pretty does. As Tom Lasater wrote in his book "Cattle breeding is a relative simple endeavor. The only difficult part is to keep it simple"

Also since you have obviously been selling bulls as a result of this line cross, how tru have the bulls bred? Which parent stock have their "get" most resembled?

I didn't feel any of the bulls I bred in the past were worthy of being sold/used as registered breeding bulls. My first bull sales were made this year. Are the bulls I sold this year any good? Only their first calf crops can answer that question. Lesson learned...Correct your mistakes as soon as possible and don't knowingly pass them onto others.

I am also curious as to how much of their "performance" do think is a result of the heterosis of the line cross?

I don't believe I've seen a great deal of "Heterosis" in crossing these lines. Now remember that all of my bloodlines would be considered "old style" Herefords. Some lines simply performed better in my environment and management style. Lesson learned...Identify what cattle "Type" work in your program. Notice I said "Type", not bloodline, although some bloodlines may contain more animals of a particular "Type". Even selecting for "Type", (you can't see inside the cattle) you WILL make mistakes. Refer to above lesson on correcting your mistakes as soon as possible.

Just my humble opinion (and God knows breeding cattle will make a man humble):

1. You can't make Chicken Salad out of Chicken !@^%$# (George D Queener)
2. The cream ALWAYS rises to the top. Level the playing field and observe the results
3. Correct your mistakes at all costs
4. Keep it simple...observe the "Type" that work for you, cull the rest

 

[AllForage]

Good enough, thanks for the answer/explanation. I am also involved in "old style Herefords" and am well aware of the challenges. Seems to me there are a few options to get to the goal. Pick a "bloodline" that you like and mire through the adaptation process and hope for a type that fits your environment and select for it. This can be long and frustrating. Or try out as many as it takes to find the one that fits your type, environment, and end use.

Either way find the one you like and close it, so your customers get their money's worth in prepotency and predictability.

I know I have a lifetime's worth of breeding ahead.

Have a good one.

 

[jhambley]

This can be long and frustrating

Not to mention expensive!

 

[vontrapp1]

Jerry,

Those heifers continue to develop nicely. Glad to see they are coming through the drought without any issue. Do you have another Hatchcock bull to breed them to?

Darren

 

[jhambley]

Do you have another Hatchcock bull to breed them to?

Thanks Darren. I did purchase a 1/2 interest in a paternal half sib to the Hodge bull called "Boom Boom" (pictured below). I'm using him on the cows this year.

The heifers, both straight Hathcock and Hathcock X Brookview crosses, are being bred to my long yearling 18W bull (pictured below). He is a Hodge son out of a Brookview cow.

On the horned side of things, a gentleman in Missouri bought an interest in my 6V bull. He's using him on some heifers this year. 6V is a Deewall X Brookview cross bull (pictured below). He is a frame 4 bull weighing 2,000 lbs. as a three year old.