What goes into a bull?

[Nesikep]

Well, I was looking through one of my old Simm bull catalogs and found some numbers like these

BW = 105
205 = 970
1 year = 1600 lb

I mean OK, it's a Simmental, known for good milk and gain.. but when the numbers work out to over 4 lb a day gain over the course of a year, I really start to question how hard that bull was fed to achieve those numbers, as well as if he was given steroid implants, grain, etc etc

if the buyer told you it was fed "A bit" of grain and no steroids, would you believe it? would you buy that bull? *cough*

in my experience, if I have a calf at 750 at weaning time I'm a smiling man... looking at some of my measurements, etc, I can say my BEST steers gain 3 lb a day over the course of a year, the best heifers maybe a 1/4 lb less.

I'd say maybe you'd want this bull if you were going to (read "willing") to feed his offspring that way to get that kind of gain, but I think if I saw a bull for sale that grew 3 lb a day for a year (and similar in build, structure, etc), and I knew it was on grass/hay alone, I would feel more confident.

Thoughts?

 

[houstoncutter]

Nesikep, you better look out, You done told 'the king he has got no clothes on'! " Some of those seedstock producers are gonna want to hang your hide on the barn door! Dont you know, that big ol Simmy bull got that way, from all that outstanding genetics.... :tiphat: :hide: :hide: :hide:

 

[cattleman99]

What I consider a nice moderate birth weight. We saw this year at the sales that the bigger they were the more money they brought in general. If you didn't feed as hard you got less money and bulls passed for the most part. Not saying this is right but it's what happened. The Red Simmentals came under a lot of pressure towards the end of the sale run but the Blacks and Fullbloods held up well for the most part. It was good to see a few Fullbloods marked up a bit or lot of with white sell and bring good money. (3000-8500) on about a 1/2 dozen I saw sell this spring. If there would have been more white ones they would have sold. If they were 1600 lbs or a couple up over 1700 at 14-15 months they sold really well. Up to 110 lb birthweight didn't seem to matter. Over that and the bull had to be pretty spectacular to sell.

The smaller framed bulls and light ones (under 1300) had difficulty getting sold at some of the sales. I think I watched around 400 or so sell this spring in person and another couple hundred on line. The vast majority of these bulls sold to commercial cattleman. There is a definate reversal in what guys want happening on the Canadian Prairies right now. They want more performance back into the bulls.

The Charolais had a heck of a run as well this year. Never got to any sales but was talking to a neighbour who did and the sale averages were $4000 and up. Looking on line pretty much confirmed that. Again performance bulls selling to commercial cattleman.

 

[Lon]

Well, I was looking through one of my old Simm bull catalogs and found some numbers like these

BW = 105
205 = 970
1 year = 1600 lb

I mean OK, it's a Simmental, known for good milk and gain.. but when the numbers work out to over 4 lb a day gain over the course of a year, I really start to question how hard that bull was fed to achieve those numbers, as well as if he was given steroid implants, grain, etc etc

if the buyer told you it was fed "A bit" of grain and no steroids, would you believe it? would you buy that bull? *cough*

in my experience, if I have a calf at 750 at weaning time I'm a smiling man... looking at some of my measurements, etc, I can say my BEST steers gain 3 lb a day over the course of a year, the best heifers maybe a 1/4 lb less.

I'd say maybe you'd want this bull if you were going to (read "willing") to feed his offspring that way to get that kind of gain, but I think if I saw a bull for sale that grew 3 lb a day for a year (and similar in build, structure, etc), and I knew it was on grass/hay alone, I would feel more confident. Thoughts?

750 lb weaning weight if ya wasnt smiling id have to call you greedy. :lol2: :lol2:
and yes i would always feel more confindent in buying a bull that was raised on grass and hay like my own cattle would be specially if keeping hiefers. Like that bull 3 way just posted for instance. just grass and hay. but in the end they are trying to make money and big number impress. i wouldnt buy that bull no matter what the numbers said if i couldnt trust the word on wiether or not he was givin steriods grain or how hard was pushed. although i imagine a 970 lb WW there was some more than just hay and grass.

 

[Nesikep]

yeah, that's exactly what I thought... our neighbor had simm cows that would go out on scrubby range and come back with 700 lb average calves, but they were on steroids...

I'm actually smiling when my steers are in the 675-700 range and heifers in the 625-675 range, that is leaving out a couple shrimps from the first time heifers or really late ones

 

[JustSimmental]

I think you may be talking about Fullblood Simms........ they tend to have some BW of 105+

JS

 

[Nesikep]

It's possible, I can't remember exactly... the birthweights weren't really my concern on this though, more the astronomical weaning and year weights, which are unlikely to be seen in any of their offspring without unbelievable pampering

 

[spear B]

Well if that bull could grow calves like that on my alkali salt grass and weed patch then we would have something, but he probaly would be skin and bone by the end of the year I would wager.