Sire breed of choice

[Ky hills]

In conjunction with the cow topic I thought it appropriate to discuss bulls. Along the line of bull breed or breeds of choice, do you place more emphasis when selecting bulls for feeder calf sale or for replacement heifers.
Most times lately I have went about it with heifers in mind, but maybe soon will start focusing some on more performance. The exception was the Limousin bull I had a while back. I bought him mid season to get cows bred after an issue with another bull. His calves impressed me and I did keep a couple heifers out of some Hereford Brahman cross cows. My choice for bulls are Angus and then Hereford, for replacement heifers. If I were going to select for feeder calves I think it may be Limousin.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Bull choice definitely depends on what your looking to do with the calves. If you have the feed, time and market breeding for prime or high choice results in some nice calves. I have a good friend that breeds that way using GAR genetics and sells his bulls and replacement heifers for top money. All his culls are sold to Brasstown Beef for a premium and if they grade high choice or prime he gets another premium. The only problem is he's married to his cattle and his inputs are so high he averages less than a $100 dollars a head more than us.

 

[Warrior2154]

We do both in commercial herd. We AI certain cows to maternal oriented sires for replacement heifers. We also have some cows we AI to terminal type bulls, knowing whether they have heifer or bull that it's a feeder calf. Cleanup bulls we sell their calves unless one heifer or heifers really performs with AI heifers

 

[Midtenn]

Commercial herd: We use A.I. Maternally oriented Bulls for replacements. Timed A.I. once on our most fertile, docile, and productive cows, then clean up with terminal (carcass) bulls. It's easier that way and we THINK a little more profitable in the long run. We usually AI about 20-25 cows out of 100. The other 80 get the terminal bulls. Carcass traits are not quite where we want yet, we're working on it.
Best thing i like about AI , I can use a brangus on my angus, angus on brangus or a hereford on my ultrablacks and at the same time AI the registered cows. This year we also AI'd 12 heifers simply because we didn't have a heifer bull at the time.
Exception is occasionally there's a really fertile, easy calving, small frame cow, that always raises a big calf.... we may keep her heifer out of the terminal bull.

 

[Nesikep]

Since I have a small herd and have one bull (usually), I select for maternal traits... If you get the maternal side right, you'll have good calves no matter what, though you could improve a little with a terminal bull
If you don't have the maternal side right, a terminal bull won't help you at all.

 

[elkwc]

Since I have a small herd and have one bull (usually), I select for maternal traits... If you get the maternal side right, you'll have good calves no matter what, though you could improve a little with a terminal bull
If you don't have the maternal side right, a terminal bull won't help you at all.

I agree. And why we select for a good over all balanced sire in all traits and not one that is extreme in another.

 

[elkwc]

In conjunction with the cow topic I thought it appropriate to discuss bulls. Along the line of bull breed or breeds of choice, do you place more emphasis when selecting bulls for feeder calf sale or for replacement heifers.
Most times lately I have went about it with heifers in mind, but maybe soon will start focusing some on more performance. The exception was the Limousin bull I had a while back. I bought him mid season to get cows bred after an issue with another bull. His calves impressed me and I did keep a couple heifers out of some Hereford Brahman cross cows. My choice for bulls are Angus and then Hereford, for replacement heifers. If I were going to select for feeder calves I think it may be Limousin.

I feel that the two good hand in hand. My sire choice is influenced by my cowherd and the direction I feel it needs to go. Like I've stated we experimented for a few years with a Balancer. Now back to Angus and bought one Hereford bull this year. Angus will always be our base. May try to add another Hereford in the future and at some point may try a Simm Angus or some other continental breed. At this point I'm saying it will likely be a Simm/Angus but might go the Balancer route again as the heifers are looking ok that was docile enough to keep. But if I do I will contact some reputable breeder before selecting bloodlines. The reason is the feeder buyers and feedlot managers I know keep saying they prefer no more than a 1/4 continental influence. And at the sale that is what brings the most money. So my plan is to keep an Angus base and use mainly Hereford bulls for outcross and to make baldie cows and then will let the cowherd tell me what route to take. So sire selection will be mainly based on cowherd. This still produces a nice steer to sell and a nice replacement heifer to either keep or sell.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I have a large herd for NY, but a small herd in comparison to all over. LOL
Most of you know, I have a registered Simmental herd. I am back to 100% AI, so I pick "a" bull for "a" cow, shooting for the best phenotype animal, mainly focusing on structure & easy keeping. (Yes, I show, but bottom line, they have to make a cow)
All males are sold in fall. They are my "cash flow". Even though I breed everything "HOPING" for a heifer (maternal), I have a feedlot that buys all my males sight unseen at the highest current market price. He says he is willing to pay high dollar because they make him money each & every year - purebred Simmentals. Loves my health program also.
So, you can have your cake & eat it too. Don't go extreme, unless all your calves are earmarked to be feedlot calves, and you buy your replacements.
Having an option to AI your best for replacements, then turning in a terminal bull is the best of both worlds for many breeders. IMO.

 

[WalnutCrest]

A bull for replacements (or AI for replacements) then a terminal bull.

The most fertile are bred for replacements... the least fertile are bred for terminal.