Moderating cow size

[Muletrack]

Off to Dickinson, N.D., tomorrow morning to pick up a bull bought on the Colorado Pharo Cattle Co. sale. Could be interesting. But I just can't find any smaller-framed cows so I submitted a Sight Unseen bid for $4200 on a sort of 28 grass efficient, easy fleshing DNA. Almost didn't get a bull at all for that bid. If I like him I'll up it by about a thousand for next time. Well, it's 200 miles to Dickinson, so time for some zzz's. Project shrink the cows is in force.

 

[SBMF 2015]

If you breed low birth weight to low birth weight for enough generations you will shrink your avg frame size.
You can also pelvic measure replacement heifers. Don't keep the top 10%. Typically the hfrs that measure the largest become the biggest framed cows.

 

[BFE]

How big are your cows now and where are you wanting to get them to?

 

[pdubdo]

interesting thread...I'd also like to know the answer to BFE's question, as my first heifers/now mammas are former show cattle that were a little, "under-framed" for their program. But so far, just right for me.

 

[Brute 23]

I like it. Not a fan of great big cows either. I try to stay away from monster calves or tiny calves. Just want to breed moderate birth weight, growthy calves. No extremes either way.

 

[BC]

What is too big for some people is just the right size for others. It all depends on your environment.

 

[daneg]

The approach that I took to reduced my mature cow size was to choose a moderate sized breed with attributes that would complement my cow herd, then choose middle of the road birth weight bulls from that breed. Keeping replacements from that cross has reduced my cow size considerably. As stated above I try to stay away from extremes.

 

[Son of Butch]

choose a moderate sized breed

Which breeds do you rate as moderate sized?

Last week shipped steers and rang the bell with 1500 lb Angus x Hereford steers.
1500 lbs = 682 kg
Seems to me there is more variation within a breed that off sets selection
as to the choice of breed.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Last week shipped steers and rang the bell with 1500 lb Angus x Hereford steers.

JACK POT! Those are the kind of strs that make money.

 

[daneg]

Which breeds do you rate as moderate sized?

Last week shipped steers and rang the bell with 1500 lb Angus x Hereford steers.
1500 lbs = 682 kg
Seems to me there is more variation within a breed that off sets selection
as to the choice of breed.

Are you ready for this ..... "Luing" is the breed that I used.

 

[Jet]

If you breed low birth weight to low birth weight for enough generations you will shrink your avg frame size.
You can also pelvic measure replacement heifers. Don't keep the top 10%. Typically the hfrs that measure the largest become the biggest framed cows.

If you breed low BW to low BW for generations, pay attention to MCE or consider not keeping bottom pelvic numbers either. Could see heifer calving issues.

 

[SBMF 2015]

If you breed low BW to low BW for generations, pay attention to MCE or consider not keeping bottom pelvic numbers either. Could see heifer calving issues.

Exactly. Continually using the extremes will cause unexpected problems. Some worse than others.
When pelvic measuring became a thing. A group of ranchers in Montana started only saving the top 10% of measures hfrs. After a couple generations of that and they added to frame scores to there cow herd. That's ok in the mid West. Kinda hard to feed those big cows out west.

 

[JParrott]

Are you ready for this ..... "Luing" is the breed that I used.

Like what I read but I'd think that it gets a little too warm in the summer months for them here this far south.

 

[daneg]

It may well get a little warm for them in the summer, although they do slick off pretty well in the summer.