Shorthorn heifer/Aust. National Shorthorn Bull Sale

[Anonymous]

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

Interesting question, and I think you'd probably get a different answer from everyone. In my personal opinion, I don't think colour has anything to do with quality. I've seen some very good roans and whites, and a decent number of them. I guess the reason you'd tend to see the reds as being higher quality is because alot of people to tend to select for colour, and don't give the time to the coloured or white animals. That's the case here anyway, where most buyers want a solid red or red little white, so breeders are aiming to produce good quality reds. Then whenever a good animal of another colour comes along it might happen to get a bit of notice, but there's no effort made to promote coloured animals.

I don't know, just my opinion!!! Maybe some other people will have different ideas?

 

[Anonymous]

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

mnmt

I think it would be a good idea to add a few Shorthorns

 

[jenran]

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.

I think your heifer looks great--and it is totally your choice as to when to breed her--on that note I have seen that heifers that are over fed (esp. show cattle) do not milk as well and will have more calving difficulty due to the amount of feed (esp. in the last month--you are just growing that calf) and the lack of exercise assoc. with "show" cattle. As far as calving difficultiles go I have calved approx 450 hfrs is the last 4 years with very little trouble at 24 months-- on pasture not locked in the barn---good cattle should be able to calve like that in my opinion. BUT this is you're program and she's a great hfr if this works for you stick with it---she whould have an awesome calf--just wonderign who's her sire ???? As for her aborting etc. because she is a show cow --I know what this means !!! BAD LUCK !!!! never love anything cow too much !!!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your input jenran.
I don't have any concerns as far as calving with this heifer other than the usual you'd have with any heifer. She's never been pumped with feed for showing and trust me, she's always been very energetic and had plenty of exercise!!
As far as her breeding, she is by Broughton Park Baron 3 (by HWS Baron (imp USA) out of a TNT Fastrak 4U (imp USA) cow. Her dam is by Polldale Nashville (who is by Wyarama Vicar (a bull I've really wanted to add)) and out of a Spry's Zambesi 2nd cow.
Don't know whether all that means much to you, but there you go!!

 

[Australian Cattleman]

What about the $75,000 Shorthorn at the National sale at Dubbo? Good on the girls from Calrossy School in Tamworth who sold him.

 

[Anonymous]

You heard about that already hey? Just got back this arvo, was going to mention it somewhere!!
Yes, those girls did a good job- I'll bet Ridley's are kicking themselves right about now tho!! Couldn't believe the bidding myself- we had 2 bulls in the ring straight after which was a bit hard. The bidding went from $60,000 to $70,000 in about 30 seconds, just amazing.
New Australian record for a Shorthorn bull, bought by some friends of mine- bull has already been booked in for collection!
Grand Champion bull, SPringwood Station Hercules, was impressive, thought he might bring a bit more than $18,000 but. His mother is a paternal sister to my heifer (pictured).
There were a few high prices- $24,000, $18,000, $16,000 and another $20,000 I think, but it was a hard sale with not many buyers and lots of good bulls going cheap.
A very good line up of elite females brought some good prices following judging on Tuesday.
Sale average was about $5700, clearance was 76%. Quite a few bulls were sold post-sale however.

 

[Brandonm2]

We used to have both a spring (~feb-April) calving season and a fall (~Sept-Nov) calving season. It was not uncommon at all for my Grandfather to hold a few heifers that would have turned two in a calving season to be bred in the next calving season if he felt they were a little lite too breed. Sometimes a heifer did not settle in one 60 day calving season and got to retry six months later. I got no scienfic data to back this up; but according to my memory we had a lot less calving problems with the 30 m.o. heifers than we did the 24 m.o. heifers. Now we weren't raising grain fattened show heifers either so that might make a difference.