Newest Addition To The Herd

[usernametaken]

Her topline is more level than this picture shows however she still could be better in the area right behind the shoulders. But you will never find the perfect cow so we will just try to breed her to bulls that will help to improve that without hurting elsewhere.

I am sure you can breed her to the right bulls and do very well with her. Thank you for the information.

BTW, I love the Gretsky quote.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

This is a bred heifer we purchased a couple weeks ago from Dreamcatcher Ranch in San Marcos. Her sire is Rito 1I2 of 2536 6I6 and her Dam is a donor for Maddox Twin Lakes and Southern. Her dam is the $47,000 top selling female of the 2005 Dreamcatcher sale, DRMCTR 1407 Design 2B85. She is 1407 daughter out of a Precision daughter of G A R Ext 614. She is a January 2006 bred for a January 2008 calf by G A R New Design 5050 sexed as a bull.

Her registration number is #15546131

Let me know what you think.

-Angus in Texas-

WOW! I hope that every Beef Cattle Breeder - particularly Angus Breeders - will study this thread VERY carefully! What we have here is the potential one of the most interesting debates that I have seen on these pages since I have been reading them!!

The answer to your request that we opine about this heifer opens up a Pandora's box of great proportions! We have a dichotomy of design and purposes in this 22 month old heifer in that on the sire's side of the pedigree we have DHD Traveler 6807 breeding stressing desirable phenotype, strong functional traits, deep. thick hindquarters - edging into GAR Precision 1680 as the 3rd generation on the sires side - -HOWEVER - - these matings produced G A R Precision 2536 - the most desirable carcass female in the Angus Breed!! What an achievement of optimal matings!

Now - on the dam's side of this little girl we find - an example of cross-purposes in the mind's of some producers in the mating of Bon View New Design 1407 (some breeders consider 1407 as walking on water considering the Growth, Maternal, Carcass and Ultrsound packages he carries), but at the same time producing progeny with Funnel Butts, lack of muscle and balance, too high milk EPD, and too fine-featured to be an optimal choice for Angus TERMINAL selections.

This heifer's pedigree is an example of "Antagonistic Genetic Selections" - and is criticized by some breeder's and lauded by others! It causes a breeder to really concentrate on his Beef Breeding Philosophies and to KNOW what his breeding purposes are, both now and in the far future.

In my opinion, this is a beautiful and very desirable member of the Angus Breed to be a part of the herd of ANY seedstock producer! Any assumed negative traits or characteristics which may appear to be undesirable in the careful perusal of her Phenotype and Genotype can easily be countermanded by prudent and judicious selection of future matings and bull selections. It is crucial that faultless and scrupulous priorities be employed in all future matings of this heifer in order to capitalize on her potentials, and not waste the terrific opportunities for advancement of your seedstock genetics which are present in this individual.

The evaluation of this heifer is similar to comparing a Rolls Royce automobile to a top-of-the-line Cadillac. Having said that, I must comment on a few of the negatives which I perceive obvious in her appearance and EPD's. This particular picture was taken several months ago, so what she may be now is not as she appears in this picture, which is the only image that we have to go by. She exhibits (in this picture) too shallow a body, a slight lack of spring-of-rib, a narrowing of the rump (even in this side view), and a typical "New Design" tendency of lack of hindquarter muscling, which I call 'funnel butt'. She is very smooth, which visually compensates for some of the structural weaknesses which she will display at a later date in her life.

Here is one factor which I seldom read in the Analysis of "pictures" of livestock: if you will look VERY closely at the TOP LINE of this heifer, you may be able to detect "retouching" of the photo, at the withers, along the mid-back area and at the tail head. It may be very well done - but it IS re-touched, and that , in effect, is lying to a potential buyer! It falls, IN MY OPINION, in the same catagory as over-doing show dressings and "fault-hidings"! The progeny that are produced by individuals that possess phenotypic and genotypic faults will display those faults as their genetics dictate! Like Begets Like! Retouched photo's notwithstanding!

My suggestion to you, Angus In Texas, is to let this little gem have her first calf, and then firmly establish her as a Donor, and judiciously select bulls (AI) to exacerbate her GOOD qualities, and carefully and minimally correct her minor weaknesses - of which she has very few!

As I mentioned above - PRIORITIES are important here, and you don't want to throw out the baby with the bathwater!

DOC HARRIS

 

[Avalon]

DOC how would you like a job coaching the Texas Junior Angus Sales Talk team at the National Junior Angus Show next year.
You are truly a word smith.

 

[Nebraska Sandhills]

Angus in Texas--nice looking heifer you purchased. Congratulations. How was her scan data?

 

[edde_1]

Angus in Texas.
I don´t usually comment specifik cattle in this boards.
But this one is probably the most beutifull heifer i ever have seen.

 

[Angus In Texas]

Nebraska,

She scanned well.... nothing earth shattering. Don Meador doesn't sell the heifers that scan on the top end .... they stay in the herd and are donors for him. I know there are only two full sisters to this heifer and both of them have been retained by Dreamcatcher and their EPDs are very very close to this heifers.

edde_1,

Thanks for the comment.

 

[ArrowHBrand]

An overall visually appealing heifer! She may not be perfect to the breed standard or to someone else's opinion, but I think she is a great heifer!

 

[CopeMan]

Thats a real nice heifer

 

[mnmtranching]

Angus In Texas, Take my word if you want. She's 1 fine critter!

 

[goddy]

Funnel Butt, decent length, little to no depth and capacitance, no muscle, she does have a feminine head, I say mediocre heifer at best.

"Capacitance " ??????????? is that even a word ?

If she's " mediocre at best " I can't wait to see the pictures of your cattle - they must be out of this world.

I think thats are really good heifer and would do any herd proud.

Goddy

 

[KMacGinley]

Angus in Texas: She is not the kind that I appreciate, but she is the kind that the majority of Angus breeders today are after, so I think you will do well with her. Congratulations. Mac.