my first heifers! and help w/ BCS

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pdubdo

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Seems like forever but I finally got my first 4 commercial RA heifers! Had em since May on native grasses only. They aren't dead yet so I think that's a win! Gonna start supplementing so can y'all with more experienced eyes help me w/ BCS? I'd like to track it through the winter (or until I get a set of scales). Also, feel free to critique them. You won't hurt my feelings and it'll help me with future purchases. Appreciate all the help this forum has given me!







 
What's your plan for breeding? AI? Rent a bull? And yes they do look good. Hard to score from pics, but they look good.
 
I'd score your heifers BCS 6 - Good

Body Condition Score measures the energy reserves of the animal
1 Emaciated
2 Very Thin (rail thin)
3 Thin (can see the ribs individually)
4 Borderline (can't see ribs, but hard, sharp top line with no fat deposits)
5 Moderate (overall appearance good)
6 Good (slightly fat on tailhead and pins)
7 Very Good (spongy fat around the tailhead)
8 Fat (fat pones obvious around the tailhead)
9 Very Fat

Breeding Animals should be 5, 6 or 7
 
Son of Butch":sl2dj2ti said:
I'd score your heifers BCS 6 - Good

Body Condition Score measures the energy reserves of the animal
1 Emaciated
2 Very Thin (rail thin)
3 Thin (can see the ribs individually)
4 Borderline (can't see ribs, but hard, sharp top line with no fat deposits)
5 Moderate (overall appearance good)
6 Good (slightly fat on tailhead and pins)
7 Very Good (spongy fat around the tailhead)
8 Fat (fat pones obvious around the tailhead)
9 Very Fat

Breeding Animals should be 5, 6 or 7

I agree with your eye that they are a 6. Ideal BCS would be a 6. I would say a range of 5-7 is acceptable condition. I disagree with the description though, you will definitely see some ribs with cows in a BCS of 4.
 
I can live with that, perhaps better description of 4 is can't see fore ribs, but rear rib or 2 might be visible.
But there are some animals with rib covering that still fall a bit short of 5 if you feel for fat across their top line.
It's helpful to be able to touch the animal to verify a score of 4 or 7
Breeding bulls should be bcs 6 at the start of breeding season.
 
Coosh71":3rvnens2 said:
What's your plan for breeding? AI? Rent a bull? And yes they do look good. Hard to score from pics, but they look good.
Still working on that. prob rent-a-bull. I'm tempted to put them with a longhorn for first calf. I don't live on-site and it'll be hard to check them constantly when they calve. Want to maximize my chances of getting a live calf. Thanks to everyone for the info.
 
pdubdo":1vlh90cp said:
Coosh71":1vlh90cp said:
What's your plan for breeding? AI? Rent a bull? And yes they do look good. Hard to score from pics, but they look good.
Still working on that. prob rent-a-bull. I'm tempted to put them with a longhorn for first calf. I don't live on-site and it'll be hard to check them constantly when they calve. Want to maximize my chances of getting a live calf. Thanks to everyone for the info.

Angus throw pretty small calves too. Get a live calf first and then rebreed to a Simmental bull for second calves. You won't be disappointed.
 
The heifers look like they're in pretty darn good shape. Our cows range from 5-7 BCS.. I prefer heifers in the 6 range for first breeding... Don't want overly fat heifers...
 
Gators Rule":1vm5g6fh said:
Personally I wouldn't go LH even if it's a first calf heifer. You can easily go Sim, Angus or whatever, as long as LBW, and proven.
+1. You've kept them long enough and have too much money in them now to short yourself $ on some throw-away longhorn calves
 

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