What do you think?

Gather App
Before you spend to much time mating each individual cow to a different bull, keep in mind that semen is sold in quantities of at least five units so it's cheaper to have a few cows mated to the same bull rather than a different bull for each cow unless you're set up to hold the semen until next year and use the same matings again.
Also, consider that if you're going to be producing either commercial cattle or registered bulls for commercial cattlemen, there is an advantage to having groups of similar cattle and using the same bull across the board will help you do that. Hand picking a bull for each cow will most likely give you better individual cattle in the long haul though. On my registered cattle I try to limit my choices to two bulls so that I can have uniformity and also have some leeway as to who gets mated to what. Commercial cows all get bred to the same bull.
 
cmf1":cl93terg said:
Would a simple formula for matings be, cow minuses x bull pluses, and resist extremes?
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I tell customers to breed to the ideal. Instead of breeding a short cow to a tall bull in hopes of getting a mid-sized cow, breed the short cow to a bull that you consider to be of ideal height and then breed her daughter back to a bull of ideal height and repeat.
Corrective matings tend to swing your cattle back and forth. We like to think that every calf will be a perfect average of sire and dam but in reality they can tend heavily towards one or the other and still have the genetics of both and you never know when and where it will pop up. It's best to average towards where you want to be progressivly with each generation so that the genetics of what you consider to be ideal are dominant and more likely to hold true.
 
May have missed it somewhere but are you retaining heifers or selling bulls or are they terminal? If your retaining look for something with lots of maternal, if your going to sell bulls look for low BW seems most commercial folks want low BW. If there terminal go with something high #s if you sell at weaning high WW if you sell later look for high YW.JMO i think most everybody is to scared of BW we keep going lower and lower a mature cow should be able to handle some BW.
 
Kathie in Thorp":3sf6n0uz said:
3waycross":3sf6n0uz said:
I like him......I also agree with Hillsdown.....of course :cowboy:
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Glad to see you back, HD! :)
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So Kathie how about some ACTUAL COW WISDOM! Let's hear your assesment about the bull and how he should use him. Based on YOUR experience of course
 
What's the most effective way to go ordering semen just starting out.

Genex is about 20 minutes away from me here and I looked at storing there/shipping to there and that's a year round acct. As I recall that was about $180.00-$200.00 a year.$$
Buying a tank and keeping semen myself.$$
Buying just enough semen to go around with a few extra for security each season.$$

The tech I am going to use said he doesn't like the liability of storing for more than it takes to breed them in a season.
I can crunch the raw numbers on it. I'm just wondering about any advantages or disadvantages I might be overlooking.
Thanks
 
cmf1":3hpx65nf said:
What's the most effective way to go ordering semen just starting out.

Genex is about 20 minutes away from me here and I looked at storing there/shipping to there and that's a year round acct. As I recall that was about $180.00-$200.00 a year.$$
Buying a tank and keeping semen myself.$$
Buying just enough semen to go around with a few extra for security each season.$$

The tech I am going to use said he doesn't like the liability of storing for more than it takes to breed them in a season.
I can crunch the raw numbers on it. I'm just wondering about any advantages or disadvantages I might be overlooking.
Thanks
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Honestly I would talk to the tech and look to him for a solution. A lot of them can even get a few straws here and there. If they are going to charge that much you might look to someone in your area who does a lot of AI and try to either ride with them on an order or see if they will storwe a few straws for you.
 
hillsdown":1fhuawdd said:
cmf1":1fhuawdd said:
Hey HD,
He is probably getting too much feed and not enough walking right now. Should go to pasture this month with bred heifers then I will check his feet. He is about an hour away right now and I do not have complete control over the situation.

I am guessing if you are asking about terminal you are not seeing much?
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Actually I think there is potential in him, but he looks to be a later maturing bull.

I think he will be a small brith weight bull, and I do know many folks that use a terminal ,low BW bull on heifers just to get a healthy ,live calf and a healthy first calver .
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I didn't realize the MG were a terminal breed?
 
Massey135":1evqwmc6 said:
ALACOWMAN":1evqwmc6 said:
theres terminals in about all beef breeds ......
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sad, huh? :cry2:
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Sad? Absolutely!!

In light of the information available today, and the ability to change the protocols (that means "ways of doing the beef business") of our producing PROFITABLE AND DELICIOUS beef products, it is not only sad - it is disgraceful and stupid to continue to ignore facts that are right in front of the faces of beef producers! :dunce: :deadhorse:

DOC HARRIS
 
DOC HARRIS":2u5kbcg0 said:
Massey135":2u5kbcg0 said:
ALACOWMAN":2u5kbcg0 said:
theres terminals in about all beef breeds ......
Click to expand...
sad, huh? :cry2:
Click to expand...

Sad? Absolutely!!

In light of the information available today, and the ability to change the protocols (that means "ways of doing the beef business") of our producing PROFITABLE AND DELICIOUS beef products, it is not only sad - it is disgraceful and stupid to continue to ignore facts that are right in front of the faces of beef producers! :dunce: :deadhorse:

DOC HARRIS
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:tiphat:
 

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