This years bulls

[oakcreekfarms]

I tried to get some pictures of this years bulls, most failed, but some worked decently well. This bull is a SHF progress P20 son out of a Boomer P606 x Stockmaster female. The female is a tremendously nice uddered female. She is pictured under the bull. We started feeding our bulls the day after Christmas, this bull is a May 3 bull that we are keeping for fall sale. What do you think?

We also tried to get a little video don't know if this will work. The one larger bull is a M326 son, he is a 4/5ths brother to SHF Rib Eye. The smaller bulls start at April 20th - May 31. The younger bulls will stay until fall, the other yearling bulls are out of the picture and our spring sale bulls. We only kept 7 this year.

http://s95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/ ... I_5681.flv

Hopefully you enjoy

 

[Aaron]

I like the cow. The bulls are way too fat....I mean...wow....you must be having a real good year. I don't care for how a lot of those bulls carry themselves either. Seem quite stiff in the back legs when walking, could be from post legs and could be from overfeeding.

I do like the cow though. She would be a welcomed addition to the herd any day.

 

[oakcreekfarms]

I appreciate your comments. Like I said they have only been on feed for less then 60 days, must be converting pretty well. I don't think they are too fat at all, in fact I felt they didn't weigh enough. I never noticed anything with the back legs. They are gaining well, they are going to be weighed and scanned March 21, at that time they will be cut down to 12lbs of grain and free choice prairie. Right now they are fed grain free choice and 5lbs of alfalfa. Maybe I should take them down from free choice before the scanning period. We wanted to do a 90 day test on the bulls to see what their ADG would be. It's cheaper then sending them to a test, and I like being able to watch them grow. I have been contemplating only doing a 60 day test and cutting them back the first of March.

By the way, the grain is a 14% 4% performance bull grower.

Also if you look at the video most take long strides, and put the back feet right where the front were. I guess that is what I look for as far as strides go.

 

[KNERSIE]

Matt,

I also had a look at the video and agree with Aaron that you probably got them a little too fat too quuickly, next time you can start with a little higher proteien and lower energy at the start and gradually increase the energy value while decreasing the proteien till you reach about 12%. You won't be the first one not to get your first attempt at feeding out bulls perfect, it seems that there are so many variables, including the season that play a role that its very difficult if not impossible for the inexperienced to get it right everytime. I am no big expert at feeding out bulls, but have fed out a few in my life and from personal experience I can honestly say that after everytime I can sit down and think of quite a few things I should have done differently.

All that being said, they seem to be the right kind, easy keeping herefords will tend to get fat quicker than the taller, leaner higher maintenance types. I think the hereford breed needs more animals that are stronger in the traditional strengths of the breed.

I don't think they are postlegged, if anything one or two seems slightly sickle hocked. You are right, if the bull's hind feet tracks in the tracks of the front feet he is sound enough. I'd like to see more bulls with the muscle of the one pictured in your first post and there are one with a high tailset, but in general I think you can be very proud of that bunch of bulls. :tiphat:

I'm not sure about privately done feed tests in the USA an if the data gained is acceptable or not, but it would be better to find out what the duration of a standard feed test is and stick to the same length of test. Over here its 84 days.

 

[tlmcr]

Oak:

I like the cow, and you have a nice set of bulls. They are fat, but you have plenty of time to grow them into their frame by fall. Good luck with them. We used M326 for fall calves with very nice results.

 

[iowahawkeyes]

I really like the pics. What was the birthweight on the bull and does the cow have higher BWs? She looks like a decent frame size.
What are the other bulls out of?

 

[oakcreekfarms]

I guess pictures can be misleading. The cow is probably a mature frame 5.5, she weighs 1250-1300lbs and am waiting for her calf to drop, BW in the 4's it will be going down however. The calf came at 70lbs and has shown that good rear definition since he was a couple of months old. I really like him.

Thanks for the comments

 

[CPL]

Wow those look like really nice bulls! I really like the Progress son. Nice thick little guy. His dam also looks like a speacial one, Congratulations.

 

[Elder Statesman]

I appreciate your comments. Like I said they have only been on feed for less then 60 days, must be converting pretty well. I don't think they are too fat at all, in fact I felt they didn't weigh enough. I never noticed anything with the back legs. They are gaining well, they are going to be weighed and scanned March 21, at that time they will be cut down to 12lbs of grain and free choice prairie. Right now they are fed grain free choice and 5lbs of alfalfa. Maybe I should take them down from free choice before the scanning period. We wanted to do a 90 day test on the bulls to see what their ADG would be. It's cheaper then sending them to a test, and I like being able to watch them grow. I have been contemplating only doing a 60 day test and cutting them back the first of March.

By the way, the grain is a 14% 4% performance bull grower.

Also if you look at the video most take long strides, and put the back feet right where the front were. I guess that is what I look for as far as strides go.

How many lbs. of grain do you estimate they are eating per day with free choice?

 

[oakcreekfarms]

I would estimate that the larger bulls have been eating 20lbs and the smaller bulls eat 15lbs, and then the alfalfa. They are in a pasture so they forage the old dead grass a little as well. I am adjusting the amount of forage given to them to cut down on the grain intake. They have slowed eating this month by a substantial amount, we should get an extra week out of the feed. In past years we hand fed the bulls, this is our first year on a gravity feeder, so we have been playing with the numbers to get it right.

 

[JHH]

Nice looking bunch of bulls. I like the looks of them. JHH

 

[oakcreekfarms]

Thanks for the comments.

For a previous question, the first bull is an m326 son, the steer is in the back, then the next bull is the dark red bull in the picture, the next bull is another progress, the hind bull is a Prideline son, and the bull walking beside the others that you can't really see is another progress. not pictured is another m326 son and a bull calf we kept out of our Revolution bull.

 

[Wild Cattle]

Yes to fat, sorry...Good looking set of bulls...not post leged at all, actualy I would like them alittle straighter. Good job.

 

[El_Putzo]

Looks like they know where the feeder is. Hard to get a good look at them with all that hair, but this time of year, I like to see them wooly too. I like the bull in the pic and the last bull in the video. The rest seem to be lacking masculinity, even for being 9-10 months old. JMHO.

 

[oakcreekfarms]

They sure do know where the feeder is, at least for the last 60 days that is. We will see how they scan and weigh on the 21st.