Picking a Bull??

[t5j1h2]

Hey folks. I have been looking, studying, and researching EPDs on bulls. I grasp the concept of the idea and somewhat how to read and understand them but by no means am I a pro.

I am very new to the cattle world so bear with me. How do you pick a bull based on EPDs for crossbreeding?? From things I looked at, a low BW for one breed is not necessarily a low BW for breed next to it.

If a person was going to raise F1 tigerstripes. Say he was going to use a brahman bull on Herefords. I THINK I understand that you would want a low BW bull to put on the Herefords, because the different calf size. How do you know if a brahman BW is low enough for the Hereford mama?

Another question...In this type of cross would you be better off using cows vs. heifers for the calving ease part of it?

Maybe I asked these questions in a way they can be understood ha. Any comments would help I'm sure.

Thanks TJH

 

[dun]

When we crossbreed (Simmenthal Red Angus, Gelbvieh Red Angus or Polled Hereford on Red Angus or the results of the previous crosses) I select a bull that is in the upper percentile for the breed and and low for BW.

 

[JustSimmental]

Here is the Across Breed EPD Table from USDA MARC http://beefmagazine.com/selection-tools/marc-releases-2012-across-breed-epd-table

That should help you decide and it shows the differences in EPD's between the most common breeds.

 

[Jessica06]

Definitely go with cows if you are using a Brahman bull. In nearly all cases, using a Brahman bull on any type of heifer is suicide. When used in an F1 cross, the heterosis will make the calf heavier. As far as calving ease and birth weight go, it's usually a good idea to stay at or below breed average. Think curve benders! Low birth, high growth. And of course, don't pour a lot of really good feed to your cows in the third trimester. If you pick a bull that is good on his birthweight, use quality cows with good capacity and manage them correctly, you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[brihop]

If I was gonna produce F1s tigers I'd go with a good set of brahman cows and breed them to Herf bull. They'll take the heavier calf better than a herf cow would. also, you could change it up and do F1 brangus next year. just my 2 cents.

 

[t5j1h2]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Just trying to learn.

Thanks TJH