Shorthorn heifer/Aust. National Shorthorn Bull Sale

[Anonymous]

This is my heifer... registered Shorthorn, 4 months in calf to Canadian bull. Be nice!!!


Sorry bout the fuzz here, I can't seem to fix it.

These pics aren't that great, and make her look terrible, but you get an idea. I wish she'd stand nicely!! The 2 heifers to the right and behind her are 3 months older... she's just 23 months, and still growing like crazy. I'm pretty happy with her.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Nice heifer, but I would be EXTREMELY disappointed in her fertility. She should be bagged up & ready to calve at 23 months old. Did you buy her bred or did you "purposely" keep her open?

 

[Anonymous]

Fertility is not a problem... I deliberately waited to AI her until later, just my personal opinion. I feel it gives her a better chance to grow out... don't like my heifers calving at 2.

 

[cypressfarms]

Nice heifer!

 

[Anonymous]

Nice heifer!

Thank you!!! Like i said, I'm pretty pleased with her. She's been shown and so far, won all her classes. Can't believe how she keeps growing and growing... knew she was gonna be big and right now there doesn't seem to be any stopping her!!

 

[Caustic Burno]

I like Durhams good cows. I have seriously considered a Durham for my next herd bull. Those Durhams can pack on the pounds.

 

[Anonymous]

Caustic, I'm real impressed with this heifer. She's one of the best doers I've come across. In fact I've had her on a diet because she was just getting too fat on bugger all. I'm hoping that what she produces is as good, if not better, than herself.
If you know what you want, and use the right breeders, you can get yourself a pretty handy bull. I reccomend it!!

 

[Caustic Burno]

Caustic, I'm real impressed with this heifer. She's one of the best doers I've come across. In fact I've had her on a diet because she was just getting too fat on bugger all. I'm hoping that what she produces is as good, if not better, than herself.
If you know what you want, and use the right breeders, you can get yourself a pretty handy bull. I reccomend it!!

I have been toying with the idea of AIing some of the older comericial girls V8 ranch in Texas has some impressive Short Horns.

 

[Anonymous]

I have been toying with the idea of AIing some of the older comericial girls V8 ranch in Texas has some impressive Short Horns.

I've seen a few of these guys, they're not bad. Haven't had a look at their site for awhile. Couldn't really offer much help on cattle over your way I'm afraid!! But from the point of promoting my breed, I'd say give them a shot!!

 

[DOC HARRIS]

Fertility is not a problem... I deliberately waited to AI her until later, just my personal opinion. I feel it gives her a better chance to grow out... don't like my heifers calving at 2.

Killala- Impressive heifer, as are the other cattle in the pics. My personal opinion regarding letting them extend their calving time for an extra five months - financially speaking it ties up your money longer than would be necessary, especially since today's cattle, for the most part, are bred to calve at 24 months, and to tie up your investment for an additional 5 months multiplied by the number of breeding cow (heifers) in your herd unnecessarily costs you money. They are genetically bred to produce at 24 months + or - and to deprive yourself of that income 5 months earlier seems to me to be an unwise investment decision - particularly with her being a show winner, and her successes would be fresh in the eyes of potential buyers of her progeny. A delay of five months could potentially cause an interested buyer to satisfy his needs elsewhere. This is not just a mercenary point view, but a physiological consideration as well.

DOC HARRIS

 

[jaydill]

Caustic, I'm real impressed with this heifer. She's one of the best doers I've come across. In fact I've had her on a diet because she was just getting too fat on bugger all. I'm hoping that what she produces is as good, if not better, than herself.
If you know what you want, and use the right breeders, you can get yourself a pretty handy bull. I reccomend it!!

I have been toying with the idea of AIing some of the older comericial girls V8 ranch in Texas has some impressive Short Horns.

Have you seen any of them in person? His females sure are nice. Was a little disappointed with his steer stock, though.

I sure do like those Canadian Shorthorns. I wish our Shorthorns down here still looked like that. Nice girls Killala.

Jay

 

[Anonymous]

Fertility is not a problem... I deliberately waited to AI her until later, just my personal opinion. I feel it gives her a better chance to grow out... don't like my heifers calving at 2.

Killala- Impressive heifer, as are the other cattle in the pics. My personal opinion regarding letting them extend their calving time for an extra five months - financially speaking it ties up your money longer than would be necessary, especially since today's cattle, for the most part, are bred to calve at 24 months, and to tie up your investment for an additional 5 months multiplied by the number of breeding cow (heifers) in your herd unnecessarily costs you money. They are genetically bred to produce at 24 months + or - and to deprive yourself of that income 5 months earlier seems to me to be an unwise investment decision - particularly with her being a show winner, and her successes would be fresh in the eyes of potential buyers of her progeny. A delay of five months could potentially cause an interested buyer to satisfy his needs elsewhere. This is not just a mercenary point view, but a physiological consideration as well.

DOC HARRIS

Fair enough, but this is my personal opinion.
I don't believe she'd have problems calving but for what I have invested with this heifer I don't wish to take any chances. Yes, you may get your investment back sooner if they calve at 24mths but I still feel my heifers shouldn't calve that soon. I prefer to aim for 30mths, and I know of several other breeders who do the same.

 

[dun]

I don't believe she'd have problems calving but for what I have invested with this heifer I don't wish to take any chances. Yes, you may get your investment back sooner if they calve at 24mths but I still feel my heifers shouldn't calve that soon. I prefer to aim for 30mths, and I know of several other breeders who do the same.

I'm just curious why you think calving at 30 months vs 24 months is better. On decent forage a heifer can calve at 24 months, raise a repectable calf, breed back to calve at 36 months and still grow out to her full mature size potential. I don;t know about at 30 months but heifers that calve at 3 years have a higher incidence of dystocia then those that calve at 2. If the forage base isn;t adequate then you would need to supplement. Supplementing also increases the possibility of fat deposits in the udder or an over conditioned heifer.

dun

 

[Australian Cattleman]

Good heifers. Most Shorthorns here in Australia are pretty good. I don't join our heifers till 2 years. South Devon cattle keep breeding for a long time so it doesn't hurt to leave them that little bit longer. It does stunt their growth if joined too early. Theres no problem with SDs fertility the liitle tarts will go in calf at 7/8 months if you aren't careful. We can't afford to join females too early. We don't have them that close to watch them all the time when its calving time.
Colin

 

[SEC]

Killala, I would say you want to do nothing more than spoil this heifer and fuss about her. I am not sure if Mr. Murphy lives over there or not, but he has these laws that seem to bite a person in the ass and it really hurts. Breed the heifer and get her in calf, if you think she is going to die because she not as fat you would like her to then feed the hfr like crazy when she calves. Remember, these show animals seem to have worse luck once you stick that leather halter on them once. Don't ask me why the show heifers are always the ones to abort their calves, whether it's a bug, stress or whatever and this is after they finally catch a month after they should have.

 

[Anonymous]

SEC, you certainly have a bee in your bonnet. This heifer is by no means spoilt, and there is no intention to do so. She was bought to breed from and that is what she is doing. I have no concern whatsoever about her 'dying from not being fat enough', in fact, my only concern would be that she is too fat (which she isn't by the way). I don't know about your show heifers but we certainly don't have any more problems with them than any other heifers- it's much of a muchness.

dun, I know a heifer CAN calve at 24 months and still do well, but that doesn't necessarily mean that is when they NEED to calve. There is nothing to say which is better, I feel calving at 30months gives the heifer the best possible start to their breeding life and I do believe that they will not grow out to their full potential if they calve at 24 months. I have seen this in many instances and on the whole, heifers that calve at 30 months appear to perform better. There is also the advantage of not having to check heifers constantly for calving difficulties, as the extra six months growth the heifers have means their bodies are better equipped to getting that calf out.
I'd like to see some research into dystocia if you have it... certainly I don't think there is a higher incidence in 30 month calvers, as I've never seen this myself. I've even gad a few people comment that 30 months is too early for a heifer to calve.

Aust Cattleman, thanks.
S/horns are much the same fertility wise as SDs, we usually separate the bull and ehifer calves at about 5 months cause they're such a randy bunch! We've also had cows with breeding lives up to 18 years, which isn't bad I think!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks TTCLM... yeah she'd be prettier if she was roan 8)

 

[Anonymous]

most do, coz they're showier. when I bought this girl had a choice between a roan and her, the roan was a real show heifer but didn't have the substance this one does

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Killala,

Just out of curiosity, since I don't have much experience with Australian breeding stock, but do you notice a certain trend with color and quality in your breeding stock?

This is by no means a hard and fast rule, but a generalization: The red Shorthorns tend to be beefier, deeper, higher volume animals. Roans are certainly flashier, but its a hair tougher to find a good roan. And whites tend to be on the poorer side. I'm not sure if its because breeders have tended to eliminate the white SH from their herds or what it is, but I can only think of 2 white SH bulls that I thought were worth having around and only a handful of cows.

Decent heifer by the way. Just a hair leggy for my eyes, but then 99% of the animals I look at are too leggy for my tastes.

Rod

 

[mnmtranching]

Killala. Thats a nice looking heifer, I think maybe, I'm going to add a couple of shorthorns to my herd.

mnmt