Spring Pictures - Calves and Bred Heifers

[jscunn]

AI calves First All early to mid October calves


heifer calf out of Deer Valley Total Recall (Select Sires)


Heifer calf out of Sydgen Rockstar (ORIgen) out of a two yr old.


Bull Calf out of Sydgen Rockstar (ORIgen)


Bull Calf on left is by Sydgen Black Diamond (ORIgen); bull on right is out of Sydgen Rockstar


Bull calf by Oneills Lucky Boy

 

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Calves out of the Natural Service Sire (Sydgen Process 4648)


Late November heifer Tag 639


Mid November Heifer Tag 636


Mid November Bull Tag 631


Mid November Heifer Tag 637


Early November Heifer Tag 620

 

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:hat: Bred Heifers


Sydgen Black Diamond Heifer


Sydgen Trust Heifer


Connealy Courage (left) Sydgen Trust on right

Even with a mild winter, mild by North Florida standards even.. Precip was inconsistent for sure this year.
Tough winter for us grass wise, cows spent alittle time on ryegrass earlier in the winter for just a couple of weeks but now they have been out for a couple of more weeks and the calves seem to be taking off, finally.

 

[gizmom]

JSCUNN

All of them look good, but you know your doing something right when your NS calves look as good or better than the AI group. Your NS calves are as good as the AI group and in some cases better. Very hard to pick a favorite, I can say my least favorite would be the Rock Star sired calves the rest are just jam up good.

gizmom

 

[jscunn]

GM,
I agree with your opinion on the calves, especially the rockstars. I used Rockstars on heifers so those calves will be alittle weaker overall normally.
I will defend the Rockstar calves alittle.
1. The heifer is out of a first calf heifer born early and is really coming on but still greener than the other heifer calves. She might be the best one by the time they are a year old.
2. The bull was born 35 days early at 46# so I am happy he is still alive. He isnt bad, dont think he will make the cut as a bull but, will make a good steer.
3. I didnt picture the best rockstar heifer also out of a 2 yr old. Thick and deep.

Of the calves pictured the best heifers in my opinion are 620, 636, and 613(Total Recall), but that said the 602 rockstar is coming on really well. The bulls the best one is the Lucky Boy, followed by the 631 bull out of the natural service sire, then the 614 black diamond. The 614 is so correct and athletic in his movement, just like his sire. As of today those three would be the ones that make cut (technically that dont get cut).. There are a couple more in the running so things can change between now and weaning..

 

[gizmom]

That explains it we never get as much power out of a first calf heifer. It looks like your first timers have done a mighty good job. Those bred heifers are just good.

gizmom

 

[jscunn]

Thanks.The bred heifers have a ton of potential. I hope that they can live up to that potential. As big a group of bred heifers as we have had in a few years and all look really solid. Looking forward seeing we did on AI conception percentage.

The rockstar heifers will be pretty good I think they just need the time since they are out of two year olds. The Rockstar heifer I pictured is out of my favorite two year old that I bet you would fall in love with. She is the right sized with a ton of rib and a really pretty udder.
I used Traction and All in this year for my mainstream bulls for comparison. I would use Rockstar again, size, volume, and muscle work for me would probably use him in cows to see how much power he can really put in them. You should look at Conneally Courage 25L, have the look you like and the frame would be ideal for your eye I think.. You can come see ours anytime.

 

[wbvs58]

I like them all but I just love your bred heifers. With mine the bred heifers are my favourite group. When will your heifers calve and who are they bred to? Mine start calving the end of June, I've bred them to Sydgen Black Pearl and GAR Prophet. I get real excited when my heifers calve, just the miracle of life how they get it all sorted with no previous experience. They also represent my latest genetics.

Here is a video of my bred heifers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lYrtrB0pKI&t=5s

Ken

 

[jscunn]

Your bred heifers are great. I love how they are just right in terms of condition for development and calving. Who are they out of especially the last one and the one at the 2:00 mark on the video? We have one Sydgen Black Pearl two yr old and her calf came upside down this fall and just never really got straightened out this year. I hoping next year her calf will be much better. I like the Prophet calves I have seen but I have alot of white on the cattle here and Prophet will make that worse not better.
5 of the heifers were AI Bred to Sydgen Wake up Call (Contact x CC&7's dam). I have a couple of wake daughters, including the dam of the rockstar heifer pictured above. They seem to be doing a good job with their first calves. Wake is a high marbling bull with the rib, volume, and muscling you dont see in those high marbling bulls. Actually kinda line breeding some heifers to Sydgen Contact by using Wake up Call on the Black Diamond heifers.
1 heifer to Deer Valley All in Heifer needed EPD boost on WW and YW.
1 heifer to Sydgen Black Diamond. Heifer needed to keep her phenotype but in a bigger package, frame wise.
2 heifers to Conneally Cool. Used Cool on bigger framed flatter made heifers kinda like you would use most Conneally bulls to add shape and reduce frame.

 

[elkwc]

Very nice calves. I agree with your assessment. Will be interested in how the Traction calves do for you. The bull was raised about 100 miles from where I live. I know the breeders well. Have never bought anything from them and it seems he is way more popular away from here.

 

[wbvs58]

JS that last one is a GAR Prophet, I haven't really worried about the white actually I quite like a little bit. That last one has a blob on its right side near the udder but she gets that from the cow family as well, I haven't seen any increase in the white with Prophet but I have heard he does carry a bit. The one at the 2.00 mark is a POSS Total Impact, he is a TC Total son, fairly big frame, they are a bit leggy at first but by weaning time they are looking good.

I have been making an effort not to have them too heavy, a pretty tough summer helped but nothing other than grass and hay will be going past their lips until they calve though they started grazing the forage oats today, I will have to limit them.

I would like to see a few more Sydgen bulls out here.

Ken

 

[jscunn]

elkwc,
I looked it up only used 3 straws of Traction, did a decent job of protecting him on frame. That is the only weakness I saw on the Traction yearlings that I saw. Looking forward to those calves.

wbvs58,
I hear Black Pearl is fairly popular in Austrailia. Rock Star would make them with the same look. Rockstar's will have more muscle the Pearl's will have more IMF.
I am using Black Diamond in the same way I would use Pearl and RockStar. BD was the most correct power bull I have ever seen on the move. Never took a bad step and just so deep and wide. Most really thick Angus bulls kinda waddle but he didnt. Saw him a year later at the sale he looked great, saw him that next summer at the owners place more of the same. Great set of feet to top it off. The same guy that owns Black Diamond owns Wake up Call which is why I have started using him some too.. Wake has really good set of feet for a mature bull, will put a big open rib on them and give them some muscle to boot.

What were the rest of the heifers in the video out of?

 

[elkwc]

elkwc,
I looked it up only used 3 straws of Traction, did a decent job of protecting him on frame. T[/b]hat is the only weakness I saw on the Traction yearlings that I saw. Looking forward to those calves.


Do you feel he has too much frame for you or too little? A breeder had a son of his last summer when we really needed a bull. All I ever saw was a pic and a video. Was concerned he didn't have enough frame and didn't see the muscling I desire. He is still for sale this spring. Looked at 6-8 in Feb that sold at a nearby sale. Really liked 3 of them. They had good muscling and were going to be at least frame 6 bulls at maturity. I don't want a bull under a 5.5 mature frame and prefer a 6.0 or just over. So curious what you've seen. Saw JMB only had maybe 4 sons in their sale. Not sure how they sold but know their average was way down. Around $3,500 I was told. I know many are seeking smaller framed cattle. They get docked here. I talk to feedlot managers and feeder buyers and try to raise what they want within reason. It don't cost anymore to raise one that will sell at the top.

 

[jscunn]

elkwc,
I saw some yearlings and the cows they came out of; my personal preference was that they were smaller than my ideal. The cows were the right size and the yearling heifers didnt look like they were gonna be anywhere near the size of their mommas in some cases. In some cases they were the right size, but I didnt see any that were too big frame wise. If they were all too small then I wouldnt have used him.

 

[wbvs58]

JS in the video the heifers in order are by Prophet, Total Impact, Total Impact, my bull whose sire was a very popular Papa Equator bull here, my bull and Prophet.

We should start to get the semen catalogues in the mail soon so I'll keep an eye out for some of those bulls you mentioned and see if they turn up.

In our area we have big weaner sales in autumn, the big buyers that background them do like the bigger frame calves that will put on good weight on forage crops over winter before going into the feedlot so you do have to keep frame in mind and not slip down in size too much.

Fortunately bull prices are fairly strong here, people have been asking and getting $4000 for paddock sales and most sale averages are up around the $6-10,000 mark, unfortunately I am down the bottom of the pecking order and would be happy with a $4000 average but that is cool it is just a full time retirement hobby for me.

Ken

 

[jscunn]

Ken,
In the Southeast US right now a $4,000 average would be reserved for the bigger reputation outfits. For a small timer, like me, $4000 would be like hitting the lottery this year. What a difference a year makes.. LOL. Papa Equator made some good cattle, so I am not surprised.

If you seen anything in the catalogs send me a pm or ask on the forum.. I have seen most of the Sydgen herdbulls multiple times so I have an opinion. Is my opinion any good?? Who knows..

 

[elkwc]

elkwc,
I saw some yearlings and the cows they came out of; my personal preference was that they were smaller than my ideal. The cows were the right size and the yearling heifers didnt look like they were gonna be anywhere near the size of their mommas in some cases. In some cases they were the right size, but I didnt see any that were too big frame wise. If they were all too small then I wouldnt have used him.

Thanks for the input. It seems many are wanting them small so wasn't sure which way you meant. I know the one last summer didn't have the frame I desire. Really like all of your calves and like others think those by your own bulls are as good or better than the AI calves. With that being said it looks like you use several SydGen bulls. You don't see many even AI around here. See a little of CC&7 but not a lot. And I like what I see from what you are using. Many times it is more how you mate a sire than the sire himself in my opinion.

 

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A different Rockstar Heifer than the one above, also out of a first calf heifer. This is alittle better than the one above.
She is the one on the right. I think her mother did a tremendous job for a 2 yr old.