The Star Heifer

[inyati13]

This is a recent picture of Star who has been the star of some previous posts directed by yours truly. I worry about her being big enough to breed. You cannot tell from pictures but I measured her from the ground to the top of her back just at the projecting part of the forward part of the pelvis. She is only 45 inches tall so she is still short. But she is stocky. I would say she is about 850 pounds now. She was 14 months old on Feb 3. Here are the pictures:

 

[Bigfoot]

She is pretty fat. She'll be old enough in May to breed. I to question if she is big enough frame wise. Have you had her pelvis measured?

 

[Black and Good]

I had one last spring that looked just like her from what I can tell. I A.I.ed her 5/5/12 did'nt take bull bred 5/24/12 shes due to calve 3/2/13. She'll weigh bout 1050# now. If she was mine I would breed her. B&G

 

[inyati13]

She is pretty fat. She'll be old enough in May to breed. I to question if she is big enough frame wise. Have you had her pelvis measured?

She is too fat, no doubt. She was 137 sq cm at 9 months. If I were stictly business, this heifer would have gone as a feeder calf because I am convinced she will always be a threat to suffer having calves. But I don't have the heart or desire to sell pet.

I know, I know, Bez says we raise them to be killed and eaten. I know that. But I cannot help it. I got attached to her when her mom died. And yes, Bez, I am 62 years old and have killed more than my share of ungulates, including two Cape Buffalo in Zimbabwe, but I cried when I saw her mother's legs sticking up in the air. It was sad and the little calf (Star) was running back and forth between me and her dead mom's body out in the pasture looking for some order to her life. I had a hard time dealing with some ugly images in my head. Regarding hunting Cape Buffalo, I have hunted with the guy on the left in the photo, Richard Brebner of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Been to his place and almost everywhere else in Zimbabwe. I last hunted with Richard Brebner in the Zambezi Valley. He turned the Land Rover over. Didn't hurt me but it separated the shoulder of his tracker. Guess how long that took to get him out of there and to the nearest doctor in Harare? Not me in photo.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Breed her. One of my best cows is my littlest, and might weigh 1050 if she is lucky. She just had her third calf Friday, all three unassisted and all high 70's to low 80's. breed her to a calving ease bull, Ranch Hand throws little calves and is a Simmental. There are a bunch out there, Built Right (he tends to throw white faces), Amigo, so many.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I would breed, i have a small heifer right now that is the same kind of deal, i worry about her but i am not going to sell her.

 

[dun]

Do another pelvic on her. 137 at 9 months should put her well over the minimum for breeding. The adjustment is something like .27 cm squared per day of age so she should be well over the 140 miniumum at yearling.

 

[inyati13]

Thanks to everyone for the good response. I plan to do another measurement at breeding.