raising replacement angus heifers

[Central Fl Cracker]

I know if I use any of these bulls GAR Retail Product, Mytty in Focus,GAR Preeminent and GAR Predestined I can get good calves. What cow do I have to use to get good Heifers to sell as replacements. Do I have to use a registered Angus cow or will any of my current cows produces good replacements.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Just how is it that you no you will get good calves out of those bulls. Have you already tried them. It is likely you will get some cood calves but don't be surprised if there are not what you think. I would rather use them on cows that i knew would raise a good calf in my conditions, than have money in cows and the cost of AI.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

RED Bull

A lot of people that are selling replacements are using these Bulls, but what I do not know is what Dams they are using. Do you have to buy a registered Angus dam to accomplish this.

 

[jscunn]

CflCracker,

I have only seen a few Retail Products but I liked them. They could get alittle small frame wise (depending on what you like). My guess is that Preeminent calves will not grow with the other 3 bulls, but they might make fine replacement females. The In Focus calves have alittle extra leather in the neck and sheath but other than that they are pretty good. I hope this helps.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

But with what cow?

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I don't no about the angus dam i would think that in Fl a little ear would be better. You should go look some of those peoples operations and see just what they are doing. I would still use the cows you already have to start with. Breed the best cows you have to one or two of those bulls and see what happens.

 

[bigbull338]

i dont know much about angus.but i do know this you need tobuy reg cows with good bloodlines.if you start with good mommas the good calves will come.talk to angus seedstock producers an see what type of cattle they reccommend.but do not let them talk you into buying those super high dollar cows.

 

[1982vett]

What are your current cows. Many on this board might know, some of us don't or in my case, if I know I don't remember. :dunce: :lol2:

 

[Brandonm22]

What are your goals here??? If you are trying to raise a set of commercial replacements for your herd, then those bulls crossed to your best cows SHOULD be an improvement. WHY spend thousands of $$$s buying registered Angus females UNLESS you want to get in to the registered Angus business? If you are trying to produce replacements to sell to other people, I think you are going to be disappointed with that market. I have been mightily underwhelmed by the Alabama replacements market in the last ~18 months. I don't know enough about the Florida replacement female market (or your existing cow herd) to advise you whether you need to switch mama cows or not. Maybe somebody with the Florida Beef Cattle Improvement Association (or it's Florida equivalent) could advise you about what kind of females sell in central Florida. I hesitate to give advice about what will or won't work in Florida; but if I were THAT far south, I probably wouldn't want to purchase purebred Black Angus females for a commercial environment (and I do like Angus).

 

[greenwillowhereford II]

If I weren't raising registered Herefords, I'd want baldies, black or red. Some nice, big bodied Hereford cows that will milk would fill the bill. However, since you are a long way south, maybe some tiger stripe cows would be the ticket to breed to those Angus bulls.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

But with what cow?

CFL Cracker-

When you inquire "...but with what cow?", I have to assume that you mean what "Type" of cow, or what specific traits or characteristics should the "COW" (or cow herd) possess, not a single, particular, individual COW.

Now - we harken back to the many threads that have been presented on these Boards, and I would suggest and recommend that you prepare yourself for an 'ongoing' educational program by using the internet SEARCH Engines (Dogpile, Google, etc) and by typing in the SEARCH BOX questions such as "Desirable Beef Cow characteristics" or "Recommended Beef Cow Expected Progeny Differences for Replacement Heifers", or any of a thousand different subjects that will inform you what is necessary for you to consider to balance the Phenotype and Genotype of the particular bull which you decide to use - and the traits of the cow(s) should BALANCE those of the bull so that the progeny will be the type and kind that you are seeking.

You see, Cracker, Beef Cattle breeding is not like plugging in a formula and out pops the desirable result like a Las Vegas Slot machine. You take just as much of a chance on getting what you are looking for in a replacement calf as you would if you flipped a coin, or closed your eyes and threw a dart at a target - with the exception being if you have an idea of what you are seeking by studying and learning Phenotype characteristics and EPD results and figures and their Accuracies, you improve and enhance your chances of getting what you are looking for because you KNOW that the odds are in your favor.

You have to know WHAT you are doing - - - and WHY you are doing it. No one on this Board or any other Board can tell you to use "Cow A" or "Cow B" and "Perfect Calf C" will be the result. But by narrowing your "Selection Targets" as close as possible, you can have a better chance of being successful.

That is called Intelligent Mating Selections. The more facts you know and are familiar with, the luckier you will be in the Beef Business!!

DOC HARRIS

 

[ANAZAZI]

Hear! Hear!

 

[jscunn]

Good Post Doc.
I am not singling anyone out just wanted to hop up on the stump this morning!


The other problem especially here in the south is some people dont make sure they can meet the nutritional needs of their cattle. You cant raise/sell replacement females without good pasture. You may need to supplement the cows at certain times (drought,winter,etc).You can use hay, grain, DDG, etc.
The biggest downfall of quality of the southern beef cow is not the cow but the person taking care of the cow. If you are not going to maintain your pastures, implement a good mineral and vaccination program, get yourself some pineywoods cows and sell at the auction. Please dont buy good cows and treat them that way.

 

[double v]

Good post Doc, very sensible way of looking at one's cattle. There is a chart on the gelbvieh web site that shows What type cow A,B,C x what type bull A,B,C you should pick to obtain the traits you are looking for. Hope it helps.

 

[Frankie]

I know if I use any of these bulls GAR Retail Product, Mytty in Focus,GAR Preeminent and GAR Predestined I can get good calves. What cow do I have to use to get good Heifers to sell as replacements. Do I have to use a registered Angus cow or will any of my current cows produces good replacements.

I hate to burst your bubble, but while these are apparently good bulls, they're not even half the equation on raising "good" calves. There aren't any "magic" bulls or cows out there, in any breed.

First you need to identify what makes a "good" calf in your market area. Second, replacement heifers need more than good sires, they also need good mommas and proper management. Then you need a marketing outlet to sell those good replacement heifers.

If you're raising commercial heifers, you don't need a registered Angus cow. But at the female replacement sales I've attended over the last few years, being able to tell the buyers who her dam is sired by has had some value. Good luck.

 

[highvoltagecattleco]

Cracker, Your pretty vague on your question. What type of cow, is your question. This is my lame attempt to answer your question. If your making replacements with these bulls. In Focus is a nice bull with solid EPDs. He is not going to improve a poor or average cow. He's really not a cow maker. If your making commercial replacements. The EPDs aren't going to have much value. Predestined and Grid Maker are better cow makers. Grid Maker wasn't on your list. I like him far better than Retail Product or Preeminant. Both Predestined and Grid Maker can and will improve cows. These two bulls transmit a lot more capacity and volume than the other bulls you listed. If you don't like the birth weight of Grid Maker. Take a look at Rito 1i2.

 

[birdog]

Had a neighbor use Angus bull over Beefmaster cows and got some really nice replacements. My 2 cents worth.

Good luck.

 

[angus9259]

i dont know much about angus.but i do know this you need tobuy reg cows with good bloodlines.if you start with good mommas the good calves will come.talk to angus seedstock producers an see what type of cattle they reccommend.but do not let them talk you into buying those super high dollar cows.

I just sold some bred commercial angus cross cows for $750 - pretty close to meat price. They were good cows, but not the creme of my crop. They would not "increase your odds" as DOC would say. I got rid of them because they weren't increasing my odds. If someone wanted something to increase their odds, it would cost $1000 if I was willing to part with them. If someone wanted some registered stock, the price would start at $1500 - but wouldn't guarantee a better calf than the $1000 cow out of the commercial herd. I guess what I'm saying is most people selling cows already know which cows in their herd will increase your odds of getting a good calf and will want more money for those. Not sure what "super high dollar" cow means but find a person in your area you can TRUST and do what bigbull said.