East Caney
Well-known member
What do you do to stretch your dollars to the limit when you're trying to establish a successful breeding program?
For me, I go to a friend and reputable breeder. I study his herd and talk to him about what he can stand to get rid of. I leave having purchased two of his three oldest cows (15 years old), one with her 15th calf (a very nice heifer) on her side and the other bred to calve about the first of March. I leave with a 3rd cow that has already seen her 13th birthday and has never missed a beat. She's due to calve around the first of February. Year after year, since I became associated with Beefmasters, I've watched the 13 year old raise very, very good bull calves that later made darn good bulls. By default, these girls will get a little extra care by the simple fact that the remainder of the herd is comprised of bred heifers. My goal in selecting these older cows was to select proven cows. They still have good udders and structural soundness to carry out the job. My hope is that I can get heifers from the two breds. I'm hoping that longevity will be passed along.
I think this option has provided a low risk, very high reward means of expanding my program. What do you think?
EC
For me, I go to a friend and reputable breeder. I study his herd and talk to him about what he can stand to get rid of. I leave having purchased two of his three oldest cows (15 years old), one with her 15th calf (a very nice heifer) on her side and the other bred to calve about the first of March. I leave with a 3rd cow that has already seen her 13th birthday and has never missed a beat. She's due to calve around the first of February. Year after year, since I became associated with Beefmasters, I've watched the 13 year old raise very, very good bull calves that later made darn good bulls. By default, these girls will get a little extra care by the simple fact that the remainder of the herd is comprised of bred heifers. My goal in selecting these older cows was to select proven cows. They still have good udders and structural soundness to carry out the job. My hope is that I can get heifers from the two breds. I'm hoping that longevity will be passed along.
I think this option has provided a low risk, very high reward means of expanding my program. What do you think?
EC