New to the bussiness- need suggestions

[Standing Boy]

We run about 100 head of semital angus; we are actually in the hay biz, and last year we put four bulls with the heard and had a lot of problems. We admitt that was probably not the way to do it. Two of our older bulls (about six years old) had hip problems and were only able to last half of our breeding season. We only had about 63 calves this year. This year we bought two new bulls (about 2 years old). With four healthy bulls we thought we would rotate them into the heard; only having two bulls with the heard at one time. We do not have the facilities or the education to AI. Are we on the right track or not? ANY suggestions are welcome.[/b]

 

[msscamp]

Depending on your pasture size and the length of your breeding season, 50 cows might be a little too much for one bull to cover. Plus you have the disadvantage of knowing which bull bred which cow for evaluation purposes. If you have the acreage to do it, I would sort the cows into groups, match their bloodlines, strengths and weaknesses to each individual bull - thereby maximizing progress of the overall herd - and put them in different pastures. That way you would know who bred what cow and it would make things much easier come time to put a bull on any replacement heifers you might keep and you would know which calves are out which bulls (might want to think about an earmarking system to identify each bulls progeny, as well), and would allow you to better evaluate each bulls usefullness to your program. I hope this helps.

 

[KMacGinley]

The facilities to AI would be the same facilities to preg check cows and semen test bulls. I would have decent facilities built before I got the cows.

Two mature bulls could have handled your cows as long as one of them wasn't shooting blanks. Never turn out a bull that you don't know is fertile. I would guess that one of your surviving bulls is sterile.

Are the two new bulls fertility tested. I would test all 4.

Preg checking your cows would have told you last fall that you were heading for a train wreck. You could have gotten the new bulls then and went to fall calving with the open cows.

Just a few thoughts. Good Luck

 

[Brandonm2]

We run about 100 head of semital angus; we are actually in the hay biz, and last year we put four bulls with the heard and had a lot of problems. We admitt that was probably not the way to do it. Two of our older bulls (about six years old) had hip problems and were only able to last half of our breeding season. We only had about 63 calves this year. This year we bought two new bulls (about 2 years old). With four healthy bulls we thought we would rotate them into the heard; only having two bulls with the heard at one time. We do not have the facilities or the education to AI. Are we on the right track or not? ANY suggestions are welcome.[/b]

Ok, let me see if I get this right......you had four bulls on 100 cows but two of the oldest bulls got where they couldn't get up on the cows so you had to pull them half way through the calving season???....Normally 63% calving rate is a nutrition problem so that is the first thing I would look at. If two bulls in their prime were out with 100 cows and two crippled bulls, I would still expect 90-95% of the cows to settle, especially since they were alone with the cows for the second half of the season. Those two bulls will still do the lion's share of the work over two young bulls so you better get them checked by a vet for breeding soundness. I would also get everything on a comprehensive vaccination program. You could have Lepto, vibrio, or some other nasty disease. If an 85% calf crop weaned is "normal" then you lost $13,200 (@22*~$600 a calf)last year so I would get this problem FIXED no matter what it took.

 

[mnmtranching]

What body score or condition are your cows in? Did you have any aborts? Sounds unusual to have 2 out of 4 bulls go lame. Did some of the cows also go lame? Hoof rot can be a big problem. Seems to me without seeing what you've got your having some sort of health problem. Have your bulls semen tested. I would use some lick tubs and Hi-mix TM salt. Good Luck.

mnmt

 

[Standing Boy]

Thanks everybody. It seems we probably have a lot more problems than just bull problems. We inherited a herd that was poorly managed for years. Looks like we need a lot of time and education if we want to turn this around.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Vaccinate for lepto, test for bangs or neospora. If you don't find any of the nastys as was mentioned above. Find a mentor to look over your program. Age the cows, fertility check the bulls. If the bulls are hot cull open cows, it's costing you 400 bucks a head to maintain a cow that is not producing anything.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

A bull, cow, or heifer that is not in good condition will have problems breeding, settling. Ensure that all of your stock is current on vaccinations, de-worming, have quality minerals. If any of these items are missing, then breeding can be hit or miss proposition. Also, as others have mentioned, any bull placed in service should be fertility tested (i.e., semen test & analysis by a lab that does those things.)