Retaining Big Heifer Calves ?

[Stocker Steve]

I have some cows that typically have 100 to 110 pound wf heifer calves with no assistance. The calves I occasionally pull are chunky medium weight ones. Come weaning time the high bw heifers usually look good, especially when compared to a black low bw dink.
Any reason a person should not retain heifers 100 to 110 pound heifer calves?

 

[sizmic]

nope!

sizmic

 

[dun]

Those kinds of heiferss will typically grow into bigger cows. Depends on how important controlling frame size is

 

[Bigfoot]

I prefer them.

 

[KNERSIE]

Big BW come from both sides of the pedigree, but the dam also contribute the environment the foetus grows in. In short, if you continue with this practice you're not only going to get frame creep, but also breed bigger BW into your future herd.

 

[ANAZAZI]

Like begets like.

 

[Limomike]

No, guess that depends on what kind of bull your going to use on them, and what his EPD BW was.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Big BW come from both sides of the pedigree, but the dam also contribute the environment the foetus grows in. In short, if you continue with this practice you're not only going to get frame creep, but also breed bigger BW into your future herd.

On average, I agree. In specific, I still get > 100# calves from some Herf or Herf/Simi cows with negative BW BA bulls, as well as > 100# calves with positive BW Limi bulls. :shock: Must be a statistics thing? I am no longer scared of bigger BW (with these cows) since they have proved it is no problem for them. The calves just fall out. Not so sure about possible calving problems with their daughters?

Most of these bigger BW wf heifers seem to stall out at my typical frame size and start to get fleshy. A few do keep growing... and I sell a couple (that will be to big for me when they mature) bred heifers each year. They are the size many folks want to "avoid calving problems".

 

[KNERSIE]

As long as you remember BW is a quantitative trait so it adds up with every generation.

Your example illustrates the role the in uterine environment plays in BW, that is why there is no easy fix even in using proven calving ease bulls when you reached that critical point. I don't say cull every heavy heifer calf, just go into the future with the background knowledge...

 

[glacierridge]

If they weren't a problem calving, I don't see a problem. The shape of the calf is more important than the weight I think.
However they might also have bigger calves, so you will want to watch that you scale back or at least not increase on the size calves that they have and they will get to a big cow someday. Big cull cows do well in the market here, but you gotta do what's right for you.