Some of our fall calves...

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Fire Sweep Ranch

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I am super happy about our fall calf crop this year. In the Simmental world, many people seek after that pretty white blaze on the face, but it is not so easy to get. We have been lucky if we get one to two a year, even though we try to breed that way (of course, genetics and function is more important than that pretty white face!). Anyway, so far only ONE calf has not has some sort of white on the face! And several were a surprise, since the bull used did not have much white, or no white at all! So here goes...
This little bull calf was 86 pounds, sired by American Pride (solid black) out of this Steel Force 2.5 year old cow. This is her second calf. Her first calf was the cute Optimizer heifer calf I have pictured on here numerous times that ended up 19th overall at the Iowa Simmental Nationals this year. She will not be 3 years old until January, and is doing a fantastic job.
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This is a 3 week old ACW Ironhide sired calf. He has an outstanding hip on him, and his top is thick! He and his dam are consigned to our Fall Harvest sale in November. He was 84 pounds at birth.
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These are two heifer calves, about 3 weeks old. The one on the left is sired by ACW IronHide and the one on the right is sired by One Eyed Jack (out of a first calf heifer who is sired by Upgrade). Both out of solid black dams. These two are always together, and their face markings are almost opposite of each other. One has white eyelashes on the right eye, the other has white eyelashes on the left eye. Too cute!
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These two boys are cute! The little one on the left is our first Hooks Broadway calf and was 48 pounds at birth out of a first calf heifer who is SOLID BLACK. Broadway has just a small white spot on his forehead, so I was expecting a solid black calf. Nice surprise! The other calf is the ACW Ironhide pictured above. Both these boys are selling with their dams in our fall sale.
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This little cutie is sired by W/C Lockdown, and was 78 pounds at birth out of a first calf heifer (also Upgrade sired, solid black). This mama took a little bit to figure things out, but is doing great now. Each time he would try to nurse, she would spin around and want to lick him, not let him suck. After two days she now has no problems nursing, which is a good feeling!
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This last one is a heifer sired by Head's Up (Upgrade son). He is solid black, and so is her dam. Her dam is a Built Right that has only thrown white one time. I was not expecting color on this little girl. She was 84 pounds at birth.
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We have another one that was solid black, sired by IronHide. I was thinking of calling her "Plain Jane"... lol

The next two we have due are embryos, one is sure to be solid (angus x American Pride), the other who knows (Broker x Joys Shadow). Still a bunch more to go this fall, and I am loving every one of them!
 
Thanks guys! I sure like the chrome on the babies...
Gizmom, you could do better and run a white faced simm bull on those cows. Simm Angus run a premium just about everywhere, they make fantastic cows and the steer mates pound the scales.
Also, remember those embryos I was asking you about on the dam's side? The dam of the embryos was an angus I asked you about, and you had actually seen the sire of the dam? That is my next calf due! I am super excited about those... I will let you know when the calf is born. We just put in one embryo, so just expecting the one for now.
 
Very nice calves. I have always been partial to Hereford x Angus, BWF, but I wonder how a WF black Simmental would be on Hereford and BWF cows.
 
FS

I do remember talking about the embryo and the cow family, I hope the calf works out for you! Our ET calves are coming now we had a heifer today out of a mating I'm pretty excited about. I love calving season.

Gizmom
 
Nice calves I am always hoping for a heifer with some white on her face but haven`t had any luck since we had a Starpower heifer several years ago. I`m always hesitant to use a white faced bull on the cows that have a white face it seems sometimes you can get white socks and just too much white. The next cow we have due is a white face and bred to Card Uproar so I`ve got my fingers crossed on this one.
 
Fire Sweep Ranch":6yyxolct said:
Thanks guys! I sure like the chrome on the babies...
Gizmom, you could do better and run a white faced simm bull on those cows. Simm Angus run a premium just about everywhere, they make fantastic cows and the steer mates pound the scales.
Also, remember those embryos I was asking you about on the dam's side? The dam of the embryos was an angus I asked you about, and you had actually seen the sire of the dam? That is my next calf due! I am super excited about those... I will let you know when the calf is born. We just put in one embryo, so just expecting the one for now.

Simm's or Simm/Angus don't run a premium here. The Hereford/Angus cross still top the market and preferred by those seeking replacements and feeder buyers. There has been several issues with the Simm/Angus one being docility. I looked at that cross when I was looking for females last year. One breeder in our area and after talking to other breeders and buyers decided to go another route. I like your cattle. And would like to see your herd. But again what works best in one area don't in another.
 
Nice Calves, Firesweep! The blaze face can be hard to get sometimes. Have seen many matings deliver a solid calf when you think you might just get that bit of white you want. That was one thing I was happy about with my previous Packin Heat son he was pretty darn consistent delivering the blaze and he only had a blaze face no white on the legs and feet. Finding the individual bull that can deliver it with the EPD's and pedigree you want also with the phenotype you like can be difficult. Using a solid Dream Catcher grandson right now whom has a bit of Hereford in him and sired out of a blaze face Dream Catcher son. Just wonder if he'll sire out any chrome.
I sure don't see very many black baldy Hereford Angus calves around where I live anymore. I like them just don't see them like I did at one time. But heck there isn't many cattle around here to begin with.
 

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