twin bull calf question

[farmerD44]

is there any problem with keeping twins for use as sires? we have kept one and castrated the other and took it off the mother. any higher rate of twins in the offspring or any trouble with fertility? we wouldnt have kept it but it is out of our best purebred angus heifer. they weighed 66 and 68 lbs at birth!!! she is an awsome cow, one of our best and the gentlest angus we have ever seen.

Dan.

 

[1848]

Wouldn't think it would be a big deal. Sure you would increase your chances of twins , but I don't think you will see twins in every crop. I would watch blood lines for twins and not use him on heifers who might have this in their immediate background.

 

[mtnman]

Twinning is a function of multiple ovulation, hence a bull born a twin won't produce more, but his daughters might.


It would certainly be inherited through a bull, and if one wanted to select for twins, then a bull born a twin would be a good choice. Because he is a twin, he is proof his mother can do it, hence he can pass on her twinning ability, to his daughters, but he won't produce more just because he is one.


mtnman

 

[1848]

Twinning is a function of multiple ovulation, hence a bull born a twin won't produce more, but his daughters might.

I agree...although my post sounded different... :shock: :lol:

It would certainly be inherited through a bull, and if one wanted to select for twins, then a bull born a twin would be a good choice. Because he is a twin, he is proof his mother can do it, hence he can pass on her twinning ability, to his daughters, but he won't produce more just because he is one. mtnman

Are you absolutely sure about that!.... :lol:

 

[1848]

You might want to ask txag this question.

 

[Wewild]

You might want to ask txag this question.

I'd be surprised if he he's wrong.

Bull don't make the eggs.

 

[1848]

You might want to ask txag this question.

I'd be surprised if he he's wrong.

Bull don't make the eggs.

I must admit.....I'm wrong...(perhaps I jumped to quiclky).. :lol:

I think I got it mixed up with the male determines the sex thing!

Ya...that's it!

 

[MikeC]

Identical twins are the splitting of a single egg.
Unidentical twins are the production of two separate eggs.
Twinning is not very heritable.
Natural twinning happens about 1 in 4000 calves born and is not very desirable because of abnormal presentations, severely retained placentas, high mortality, breeding back, and freemartins.

 

[farmerD44]

well we only had 40 cows to calve this year and we had 4 sets of twins from 3 different bulls so i guess we are above average, lol.

Dan.

 

[preston39]

farmerD44,
That is a heck of a % of twins. Have any of these had twins before? Different breeds?

 

[farmerD44]

yeah- one of them had twins before- 2 of them were simmentals bred by our black simm bull and the other 2 were from purebred angus cows and 2 different angus bulls.

Dan.

 

[sidney411]

Why did you choose one over the other to keep intact? Why didn't you keep them both intact and choose which one was better after they got bigger/older? Just curious.

 

[farmerD44]

we kept the bigger one intact that we left on the cow- the other one is castrated and weaned and eating with the holstien feeders. We only left 2 bulls intact- that is all we have room to keep over winter- the other one we kept is just as good or better. they both have great pedigrees. one is sired by Rito 6I6 and the other is sired by New Design 208.

all the rest of them are castrated and go to the feedlot in the fall.

Dan.