Backbone Ranch
Well-known member
I hope everyone is doing well. Things have been relatively steady here for the last few weeks. We wrapped up our AI season in early June, turned out the bull, and are in the midst of hauling hay out of the river bottoms. The calves are developing really nicely, and I think we are going to be hard pressed to pick out our replacement heifers in the fall. This is normally the time of year when we castrate the bottom half of the bull calves, but with the heat lately, we are going to put that off until it cools down a bit. We AIed 19 cows this year to 10 different bulls, including our old milk cow to an Alaskan Guernsey sire. The remainder of the herd and clean-up duties are once again falling to BB Backbone's General for another year. He is 7 years old now, and this will be the last year that he breeds the entire herd. We have a two year old and a yearling coming on that will be breeding a portion of the herd in 2023.
BB Backbone's General
Two sons of AI sire, Victory Power Play, pictured at 4 and 3 1/2 months of age. Both bulls were 76 lbs at birth and are among the growthiest of our 2022 bull calves. With that being said, they still possess the depth of body and muscling that we like to see in our calves.
A 3 month old heifer calf by New Zealand Murray Grey bull, Ballee Thumbs Up.
This 136 heifer is a favorite from the fall calf crop. She is out of a first calf heifer and had only been weaned for two days here. Her grandsires include BB Uncle Tony and Ballee Thumbs Up. I am really thinking that we will like crossing these two bull lines over the next couple of years.
Two daughters of BB Backbone's General, pictured at 3 and 2 1/2 months.
BB Backbone's General
Two sons of AI sire, Victory Power Play, pictured at 4 and 3 1/2 months of age. Both bulls were 76 lbs at birth and are among the growthiest of our 2022 bull calves. With that being said, they still possess the depth of body and muscling that we like to see in our calves.
A 3 month old heifer calf by New Zealand Murray Grey bull, Ballee Thumbs Up.
This 136 heifer is a favorite from the fall calf crop. She is out of a first calf heifer and had only been weaned for two days here. Her grandsires include BB Uncle Tony and Ballee Thumbs Up. I am really thinking that we will like crossing these two bull lines over the next couple of years.
Two daughters of BB Backbone's General, pictured at 3 and 2 1/2 months.