Some heifers I retained

[HOSS]

Here are some cell phone pics of some of the heifers that I retained this year. They are all March / April calves and should be ready for breeding about June.

My favorite heifer this year

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Good looking heifers Hoss.

 

[Nesikep]

I see a jersey back there too, that one doesn't look that beefy

 

[bigbull338]

goodlooking set of heifers you have there.

 

[HOSS]

Thanks all. This is the last calves from my old RA herd bull. I love the way his daughters turn out so I kept this last group of heifers to keep some of his genetics around.

That Jersey cow in the background is one we keep for any potential emergency like an orphan calf or if a cow refuses her baby. We hate bottle feeding. We have not had to use her for that purpose yet but it is best to be prepared. She always raises her own calf as well as a Jersey bull calf that we pick up from a dairy for 40 bucks. This more than pays for her keep.

 

[grannysoo]

Good looking girls!

 

[jcummins]

I've had a few heifers I would like to keep….but how do you do it? Are you large enough to pasture with a different bull? Or do you rotate out your bull regularly?

 

[HOSS]

I've had a few heifers I would like to keep….but how do you do it? Are you large enough to pasture with a different bull? Or do you rotate out your bull regularly?

I just have one bull. If I like his heifer calves I will keep the last crop born and when the cows are bred back sell the bull and buy another. The new bull breeds the current retained heifers as well as any heifers that I decide to keep once the bred cows calve. I don't do this until the last year I plan to keep the bull. I also keep the bull separated from the heifers by putting the heifers on a 15 acre lot about a mile from the house along with the nurse cow. When I pull the bull out of the pasture of cows I swap the heifers with the bull. Meaning the bull goes to the 15 acre lot to rebreed the nurse cow.

 

[jfranseen]

They look nice to me. I would like to see that Jersey cow with a 600# once orphaned calf sucking on her. That would be a sight.

 

[grubbie]

I've had a few heifers I would like to keep….but how do you do it? Are you large enough to pasture with a different bull? Or do you rotate out your bull regularly?

I just have one bull. If I like his heifer calves I will keep the last crop born and when the cows are bred back sell the bull and buy another. The new bull breeds the current retained heifers as well as any heifers that I decide to keep once the bred cows calve. I don't do this until the last year I plan to keep the bull. I also keep the bull separated from the heifers by putting the heifers on a 15 acre lot about a mile from the house along with the nurse cow. When I pull the bull out of the pasture of cows I swap the heifers with the bull. Meaning the bull goes to the 15 acre lot to rebreed the nurse cow.

Good plan! As long as you use a low BW bull of course, but a good solid plan. Good lookin heifers too.

 

[jcummins]

I've had a few heifers I would like to keep….but how do you do it? Are you large enough to pasture with a different bull? Or do you rotate out your bull regularly?

I just have one bull. If I like his heifer calves I will keep the last crop born and when the cows are bred back sell the bull and buy another. The new bull breeds the current retained heifers as well as any heifers that I decide to keep once the bred cows calve. I don't do this until the last year I plan to keep the bull. I also keep the bull separated from the heifers by putting the heifers on a 15 acre lot about a mile from the house along with the nurse cow. When I pull the bull out of the pasture of cows I swap the heifers with the bull. Meaning the bull goes to the 15 acre lot to rebreed the nurse cow.

Good plan! As long as you use a low BW bull of course, but a good solid plan. Good lookin heifers too.

So, you only retain heifers when you get a new bull. How often do you do that? I really like the bull I got. Perhaps there are others that would be better, but he's as gentle as they come, and that goes a long way with me.

 

[HOSS]

Yes I really only retain heifers when I get a new bull but the way I work it is I can retain heifers from the last two calf crops from each bull. I switch bulls about every 3 years. Now that Tennessee has the cost share program and will reimburse me for 1,000.00 on bull purchases it makes switching bulls more attractive.

 

[HOSS]

I've had a few heifers I would like to keep….but how do you do it? Are you large enough to pasture with a different bull? Or do you rotate out your bull regularly?

I just have one bull. If I like his heifer calves I will keep the last crop born and when the cows are bred back sell the bull and buy another. The new bull breeds the current retained heifers as well as any heifers that I decide to keep once the bred cows calve. I don't do this until the last year I plan to keep the bull. I also keep the bull separated from the heifers by putting the heifers on a 15 acre lot about a mile from the house along with the nurse cow. When I pull the bull out of the pasture of cows I swap the heifers with the bull. Meaning the bull goes to the 15 acre lot to rebreed the nurse cow.

Good plan! As long as you use a low BW bull of course, but a good solid plan. Good lookin heifers too.

grubbie, I do use low BW bulls but not extreme. No higher than a +2.5 (angus). I also look at how the bull is built along with CE for heifer retention. I like some decent weaning weights as well.

 

[cypressfarms]

Nice heifers Hoss. I'm partial to the red goggle eye.

Remember that if you want to keep replacements, you have over a year from when they are born to act. (That is as long as the heifers are kept seperate)

My dad and I do the "heifer swap" every year. We bring his "keeper" heifers to my place, and I will bring any I want to retain to his place. He normally has the big brangus bull I posted pics of before. This gives us both 2 years to determine if a heifer is really worth keeping before considering buying another bull.