Dave":1nqk3b9g said:
If people would have read the comments that OT wrote you would notice that he wrote, "and when the old cows are brought in from summer pasture they go back with them- and are wintered with them thru the winter... Learn to rustle and survive right from the start... And I've found a heifer on the gain breeds up better then some of the fat ones wintered in the feedlots...' That is roughed through the winter in Northeast Montana. How many have spent time in that part of the world in the winter. I would be surprised if a heifer came through the winter up there all nice and fat. He also said that he would know 10 years from now how they worked out. He said he took a few picture so some of the heifers. I am certain he has a lot more heifers than what there are pictures of. He didn't say this was the top end. I have been raising 60 replacement heifers a year. No matter how you try there is always one that is ugly. And if you sell her another one becomes the ugly one. Lets be realistic looking at a few heifer in May is not the entire picture of his breeding program. That 406 heifer might turn out to be a great cow. On the other hand she might grow a set of wheels real soon. Time will tell.
I competed against OT in college rodeos way too many years ago. He has been running the ranch ever since so this is a long ways from his first set of replacement heifers. I imagine he knows a little bit about what kind of cattle work in his environment.
Thanks Dave... You are right- these heifers were roughed thru the winter- and the way they have been cycling once they got on green grass- I'll bet they are all bred up... I'm kind of used to rough wintered and non pampered heifers- because some of those we bought from Cole Creek were actually rougher then these as they don't pamper theirs either- and they grew into great cows... I found out that in the long run I think it pays off- as it makes them better range cows that will get out and rustle to survive rather than stand around the feedbunk bellering for feed... And still being all haired up makes them look even worse- but at the time I took these pictures we were still getting freezing temps at night on this pasture up by the Canadian line...(In fact we've had freezing temps up until last week-- altho this weekend they are predicting temps near 100- the joys of the diversity of living on the Great American Desert ;-)
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These double and triple Bannon of Wye granddaughters are kind of my experiment... From what I found from the same bloodline bull calves I saved is that they grow out much the same way... Fast growing calves- that put on frame til they are yearlings- and then stop growing frame but then start adding muscle ... If you're not used to forage raised maternal bloodline bulls they look gangly as yearlings- long and thin with less muscle then the other sired ones...I am hoping this slower maturing pattern is a sign of longevity and maternal traits... If you know Wye cattle this growth pattern and trait is common amongst those cattle... And with the old Bannon of Wye having shown his ability to produce some great maternal cattle- I'm hoping his bloodlines will show thru...
Gizmom- I agree with 406 being light in the rear end ... Like I said- I put some of this to the growth pattern of the Wye cattle.. 406 is the only one that has Bannon of Wye showing up 3 times on her papers... Hopefully in the years ahead we will see if this lineage clicks or not... Or like Dave said- she can always be culled.... Like the saying goes " The good thing about breeding cattle is you can eat your mistakes"... ;-)
Part of the reason we kept this heifer is because of the performance of her mother and grandmother..
406 mother - L B B Mary 01X last fall... She is a 4 frame cow that maintains her condition well..This picture was taken a month after weaning...
This spring with this years heifer calf sired by Juanada Rito
Her grandmother W C R Mary 845U #16175571 and another heifer calf that will probably go back into the herd.. 845U is a 4 frame cow that brings in one of the biggest calves every year.. She has a birth ratio of 96 and weaning ratio of 108... She is a Bannon of Wye UMF 8420 daughter.. Her last years bull calf has Bannon 3 times on his papers, weaned at 640, and was sold to a commercial ranch north of us- so hopefully I can see how he develops....
The Bannon daughters have pretty heads and great feet and udders....
