Opinions

[Dave]

I have been putting together a group of Angus and Angus cross heifers that I plan to breed in May and sell next fall. Part of my plan is to sync them breed them AI to a calving ease bull. I want to use a recognizable name bull because I feel that this is an additional selling point for the heifers. I will be using Select Sires as they provide the best service in this area. I have two Image Maker 0417 sons and a New Day son to use as clean up bulls.
So the question is given this information which bull would you use? Or which bull is highly recognizable as a calving ease bull?

 

[jerry27150]

your breeder should have a book on the bulls they have, if not contact select sires personally

 

[I.C.Angus]

I don't have my book in front of me right now to look up the pedigrees on Newday etc. I can tell you that I went with Thomas Top Hand as one of mine last spring. His first prodigy are due here in the next week or so. His CED is currently +20 and BW of -3.3, but still carries a WW of +66 and YW of +116... I'm really interested to see what these calves look like when they hit the ground... what are you breading to??

 

[I.C.Angus]

Part of it would have to do with the blood lines of the heifers and their own EPD's... I bred a few heifers lat year to Thomas Top Hand (+20 CED and -3.3 BW with a +116 YW) and Prophet (+14 CED and -.6 BW with a +140 Yw) because they seemed to have a great spread and would average out some of the short comings of the heifers they were bred to... The first calves are due next week, so I should have a better idea of how that worked out, but just remember... it's not always about "name recognition" the cow has to perform on her own to be "worth the feed"

 

[ousoonerfan22]

Not a select sires bull but have you looked at Accelerated Genetics Really Windy 4097?

 

[cowgirl_jenna]

but have you looked at Accelerated Genetics Really Windy 4097

I've used really windy on many heifers, great calving ease, and we kept one of his heifers from last year for a replacement, nice looking calves in my opinion.
jenna

 

[Luckiamute]

Without knowing what kind of bloodlines your heifers have, two Select Sires bulls you might want to consider using are Coleman Regis 904 and Connealy Confidence 0100. Coleman Regis is a little more proven and might have more name recognition when you sell. He is out of SAV Final Answer 0035, who pretty much everyone who knows Black Angus cattle has heard of. Connealy Confidence looks really good to me. He has outstanding calving ease and very strong carcass numbers and was used extensively in 2012 -- was Select Sires top semen seller of 2012 -- meaning a lot of his calves are hitting the ground right now. Maybe someone here on this board has seen his calves. Good luck!

 

[Dave]

your breeder should have a book on the bulls they have, if not contact select sires personally

The breeder has ideas. I have ideas. I was just asking opinions

Part of it would have to do with the blood lines of the heifers and their own EPD's... "

I know this is heresy but I have no idea on the blood lines on the majority of the heifers. They are for the most part that famous breeding..... out of salebarn by truck. I realize that is the down side of these heifers I am putting together. On the flip side I am doing everything I can to upgrade their value. They are being vaccinated to the hilt. They will all be tested PI negative. They are being handled a lot so they will be calm easy to be around cows. And AI bred to a calving ease bull.

The Select Sires guy is pushing Danny. I am thinking about Taylor Made. He is an Image Maker son which makes him a half brother to two of my clean up bulls.

 

[pdfangus]

I used Danny when he was a young bull.

the calves were pretty decent and certainly no calving problems....

I recall that the danny calves were really eye appealing...decent growth.

those calves were still on the cows and approcahing weaning when we sold the cows. So I don't have any mature daughters.

 

[3waycross]

Have you looked at this bull. He seems to have it all.

http://selectsiresbeef.com/index.php?op ... reed=Angus

 

[pdfangus]

Have you looked at this bull. He seems to have it all.

http://selectsiresbeef.com/index.php?op ... reed=Angus

I bred my cows to him this fall....one seems to have stuck and the other didn't...she was subsequently served by the nieghbors red angus bull.

have eight more units in the tank and going to use him again this fall...

i went to college with the guy who bred him and Bobby Grove is a good cattleman.

 

[3waycross]

Have you looked at this bull. He seems to have it all.

http://selectsiresbeef.com/index.php?op ... reed=Angus

I bred my cows to him this fall....one seems to have stuck and the other didn't...she was subsequently served by the nieghbors red angus bull.

have eight more units in the tank and going to use him again this fall...

i went to college with the guy who bred him and Bobby Grove is a good cattleman.

I ike the heck out of him especially for making Balancers. The only thing that would concern me is the Travelors are known to not PAP very well. but he is worth taking a chance on for me!

 

[Dave]

I had glanced at him. Now looking closer he is in the running. His numbers look good. I like his looks too.

One thought I just had was that although I plan to sell these heifers. I am shooting for a pot load. As a result I will have more than a pot load to allow for some that don't breed and some that are cut off. Well I wouldn't mind having some heifers bred to him even if they are the cut offs.

 

[cow pollinater]

I have not seen a big boost in price for pairs where the sire of the calf was a big name bull. Instead I've always heard "AI genetics" as the selling point. I think I'd save as much as I could and still provide a quality AI calf and not worry so much about paying for a big name.

 

[robert]

7HP107 is a calving ease bull I like the look of a lot.

 

[kdhansen]

I have 3 Confidence bulls getting ready to wean here this weekend (I calve August/September). All three came really easy, and up and going fast, 5-6 days early. I wouldn't call them "peas in a pod", you can tell which one came from which cow, but all three have nice flat toplines, wide backs and hips, and LOTS of "tush" : ) Hormonal little buggers! Have more coming this year. I used Vindicator once, so far, really nice heifer, fancy, thick (in the right places), FANCY head and neck. I will use him again. I will post some earlier pics of the calves.