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The - PERFECT - TERMINAL BULL!!
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<blockquote data-quote="DiamondSCattleCo" data-source="post: 189207" data-attributes="member: 2862"><p>Oddly enough, not all that far off from what I'd consider to be a good herd sire. Doc, I cut and pasted from the thread I started a few weeks ago:</p><p></p><p>- Good feet. Claws of similar size that point ahead. Should be some space between them. Hoof should have some depth on the back part, and the pastern needs to have some flex to it to provide cushion when walking. </p><p></p><p>- I want to see the legs under the bull. When he stands, I don't want to see the back legs sticking out at an angle like a show horse. I want to see the bull collect himself when he walks. It means he'll be able to breed a large variety of frame size cows due to balance. My herd sire is the best walking bull I've ever seen. He's weighing in around 2600 lbs now, and he's bred everything from a 500 weight heifer (accident on the ranch I bough him from) up to my biggest cow (about 1600 lbs, not large).</p><p></p><p>- Testicles need to be even, hanging straight in a large sac. The sheath should be close to the body, not hanging loose. I don't worry too much about testicle size on a terminal, as long as his sperm count and motility is good.</p><p></p><p>- A terminal bull needs to be masculine, and there needs to be a crest on his neck. If your cows can handle it, I don't mind seeing a coarser front shoulder. Of course, a heavy, extremely well muscled hind end is a necessity</p><p></p><p>- I want some rib, both width and depth. I won't let a bull on the place if his leg length is equal to his depth. There must be more rib. I actually prefer about 1/3 leg, 2/3 rib although some think this is excessive. If the bull has good length, I'll forgive a little bit of missing rib as my cows have plenty. I like to see a healthy amount of brisket as well. Since its cold up here, I need the rib for fat deposits for wintering.</p><p></p><p>What else am I missing? I want his calves to grow 7 lbs/day on a snowball and a promise and grade in the top 2% :lol: </p><p></p><p>Seriously, I'll look at the bulls weaning weight and compare that to his yearling weight. I check what he's been fed and how much and if I like the lbs/day gain, I'm happy. I consider the "feedlot performance" (weight gain on feed combined with feed efficiency) to be the most important indicator of a terminal bull. I don't worry a whole bunch about his actual weaning weight. </p><p></p><p>I don't finish my animals here but as far as grading, of course I'd want to see his calves grade up at the top. However, if I can get a bull that tosses out extreme growth calves (finish in 10 months or something along those lines) with a very high feed efficiency, I'll take a slight hit on the grading. What I lose on grade, I make up for on feed savings.</p><p></p><p>Rod</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="DiamondSCattleCo, post: 189207, member: 2862"] Oddly enough, not all that far off from what I'd consider to be a good herd sire. Doc, I cut and pasted from the thread I started a few weeks ago: - Good feet. Claws of similar size that point ahead. Should be some space between them. Hoof should have some depth on the back part, and the pastern needs to have some flex to it to provide cushion when walking. - I want to see the legs under the bull. When he stands, I don't want to see the back legs sticking out at an angle like a show horse. I want to see the bull collect himself when he walks. It means he'll be able to breed a large variety of frame size cows due to balance. My herd sire is the best walking bull I've ever seen. He's weighing in around 2600 lbs now, and he's bred everything from a 500 weight heifer (accident on the ranch I bough him from) up to my biggest cow (about 1600 lbs, not large). - Testicles need to be even, hanging straight in a large sac. The sheath should be close to the body, not hanging loose. I don't worry too much about testicle size on a terminal, as long as his sperm count and motility is good. - A terminal bull needs to be masculine, and there needs to be a crest on his neck. If your cows can handle it, I don't mind seeing a coarser front shoulder. Of course, a heavy, extremely well muscled hind end is a necessity - I want some rib, both width and depth. I won't let a bull on the place if his leg length is equal to his depth. There must be more rib. I actually prefer about 1/3 leg, 2/3 rib although some think this is excessive. If the bull has good length, I'll forgive a little bit of missing rib as my cows have plenty. I like to see a healthy amount of brisket as well. Since its cold up here, I need the rib for fat deposits for wintering. What else am I missing? I want his calves to grow 7 lbs/day on a snowball and a promise and grade in the top 2% :lol: Seriously, I'll look at the bulls weaning weight and compare that to his yearling weight. I check what he's been fed and how much and if I like the lbs/day gain, I'm happy. I consider the "feedlot performance" (weight gain on feed combined with feed efficiency) to be the most important indicator of a terminal bull. I don't worry a whole bunch about his actual weaning weight. I don't finish my animals here but as far as grading, of course I'd want to see his calves grade up at the top. However, if I can get a bull that tosses out extreme growth calves (finish in 10 months or something along those lines) with a very high feed efficiency, I'll take a slight hit on the grading. What I lose on grade, I make up for on feed savings. Rod [/QUOTE]
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