what is the best bull for increasing weaning weights?

[Super Baldie]

I have a herd of perdominatly Super baldie cows(1/2 santa gertrudis and 1/2 hereford cows). I am currently running a real good black angus bull with them and producing some really nice heifers that i am keeping back to replace and add to the cow heard. I am getting close to maxing out on the number of cows i can support, don't want to bred the black bull back to his daughters and will be looking at buying a bull that will produce heavier calves at weaning. The black bull is great for producing heifers to keep, and his bull calves are real nice too, but I'd likesome heavier weights to sell at weaning. looking for good advise on what is the best terminal sire to run with this heard. My cow heard is young but I'd like to keep an exceptional heifer now and then to add to the heard. I know you can't have it all i.e. ( low birth weights, heavy weaning weights etc.) but that should't keep a guy from trying.
thanks for the advise,
Super Baldie

 

[farmwife]

I'd go with something without ear and from the exotic breeds -- Charolais or Limi -- of course then you are entertaining potential calving problems. Definitely go registered whether he's papered or not so you can have an ideal about his numbers. Yes, there are low BW and High WW/YW bulls out there.

 

[MountainFarmChar]

Charolais :nod:, and it can be done without calving problems ;-) .

 

[ALACOWMAN]

gert/ hereford make a great moma cow. charolais would make a great cross on em. but you could dig through all the numbers you want on bw epds and it's gonna be a crap shoot on those type cows

 

[Super Baldie]

Thanks, for the advise. I have been around some char. and limo. cattle and did not care for their dispositions. i know there are good and onery ones in every breed but the ones i was around just left a bad impression on me. I like the looks and heavy WW weights of the gelbvieh cattle, I have heard they combine the heavy weing weights with low birth weights with gentle dispositions. Has any one found this to be the case? Has anybody out there crossed any on Super badlie cows like i have with a continental breed?
Thanks,
Super Baldie

 

[bigbull338]

gert/ hereford make a great moma cow. charolais would make a great cross on em. but you could dig through all the numbers you want on bw epds and it's gonna be a crap shoot on those type cows

id breed them to a char bull.but since they are heifers id watch the calving ease.char calves hitt the ground growing if momma gives enough milk.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Thanks, for the advise. I have been around some char. and limo. cattle and did not care for their dispositions. i know there are good and onery ones in every breed but the ones i was around just left a bad impression on me. I like the looks and heavy WW weights of the gelbvieh cattle, I have heard they combine the heavy weing weights with low birth weights with gentle dispositions. Has any one found this to be the case? Has anybody out there crossed any on Super badlie cows like i have with a continental breed?
Thanks,
Super Baldie

well have you thought about fleck simmental ?

 

[Super Baldie]

Thanks, for the advise. I have been around some char. and limo. cattle and did not care for their dispositions. i know there are good and onery ones in every breed but the ones i was around just left a bad impression on me. I like the looks and heavy WW weights of the gelbvieh cattle, I have heard they combine the heavy weing weights with low birth weights with gentle dispositions. Has any one found this to be the case? Has anybody out there crossed any on Super badlie cows like i have with a continental breed?
Thanks,
Super Baldie

well have you thought about fleck simmental ?

What is a fleck Simm.?

 

[Angus In Texas]

You could breed them to the black angus bull that I am willing to sell you ;-) . Except you will have to wait to get your bull seeing as how I don't have anymore to sell untill this fall's calf crop is a year old which would be fall of 2008.



Shameless plug I know but noone else had said anything about their own cattle yet.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Thanks, for the advise. I have been around some char. and limo. cattle and did not care for their dispositions. i know there are good and onery ones in every breed but the ones i was around just left a bad impression on me. I like the looks and heavy WW weights of the gelbvieh cattle, I have heard they combine the heavy weing weights with low birth weights with gentle dispositions. Has any one found this to be the case? Has anybody out there crossed any on Super badlie cows like i have with a continental breed?
Thanks,
Super Baldie

well have you thought about fleck simmental ?

What is a fleck Simm.?

well the term is german for spotted cow. but they are a more meaty breed than some of the older traditional simmentals,. check out buzzard hollows site youll be impressed with em im sure ;-)

 

[Frankie]

I have a herd of perdominatly Super baldie cows(1/2 santa gertrudis and 1/2 hereford cows). I am currently running a real good black angus bull with them and producing some really nice heifers that i am keeping back to replace and add to the cow heard. I am getting close to maxing out on the number of cows i can support, don't want to bred the black bull back to his daughters and will be looking at buying a bull that will produce heavier calves at weaning. The black bull is great for producing heifers to keep, and his bull calves are real nice too, but I'd likesome heavier weights to sell at weaning. looking for good advise on what is the best terminal sire to run with this heard. My cow heard is young but I'd like to keep an exceptional heifer now and then to add to the heard. I know you can't have it all i.e. ( low birth weights, heavy weaning weights etc.) but that should't keep a guy from trying.
thanks for the advise,
Super Baldie

How much "heavier?" What do your calves weigh now? There are Angus bulls available that will compete with most Continental bulls in pounds. Before you jump into a Continental breed, be sure your market likes them and be sure of calving ease on those heifers. Good luck....

 

[SEC]

Use a bull with some bwt in him, nothing silly. If you want muscle you GENERALLY have to have a little birthweight. The bulls that are born at 65lbs and have YWT's of 1500 are 99% guts and you won't find any butts.

Why do you need higher weaning weights?

BWT and calving ease aren't neccesarily related, that's what gets the commercial breeders discounting bulls that have that "certain" bwt.

We breed our keeper heifers to just about anything and they have worked just fine. We had a bull that was 98lbs at birth and had a bwt EPD of 4.5 calved heifers like a damn.

Rather than protecting our herds from some birthweight we shold expose them to some and make sure they still know how to calve. I am not talking 120lbs calves, but the calves that are born at 95-105lbs are 99% impressive in the fall.

 

[farmwife]

You could breed them to the black angus bull that I am willing to sell you ;-) . Except you will have to wait to get your bull seeing as how I don't have anymore to sell untill this fall's calf crop is a year old which would be fall of 2008.



Shameless plug I know but noone else had said anything about their own cattle yet.

As for my own cattle, I would love to sell hima bull, but it would be waste of my time to advertise a Reg Hereford in this case.

 

[Super Baldie]

I'd like heavier weaning weights because I sell all of my calves (except for the heifers i've been keeping back)at weaning- more lbs. means more cash in my pocket. Right now most of my steer calves will weigh in the 425-475 range. I've heard tell of 600 lb. weights at weaning and out of black angus bulls. I like the black angus, they sell well here- black angus cross- but i've never seen one that weighed say 80-90lbs at birth produce a 600lb. weaned steer at 5-6mo. old, that was in the real world- pasture conditions and no fancy feeds. I really don't care what they do after weaning as i do not retain ownership. i'm just concerned about weight gains from day one to 5-6mo. old. by the way i feed fescue hay with clover, with protien licks in the winter. Of course spring and summer they are on pasture. I have both fall and spring calvers.

Use a bull with some bwt in him, nothing silly. If you want muscle you GENERALLY have to have a little birthweight. The bulls that are born at 65lbs and have YWT's of 1500 are 99% guts and you won't find any butts.

Why do you need higher weaning weights?

BWT and calving ease aren't neccesarily related, that's what gets the commercial breeders discounting bulls that have that "certain" bwt.

We breed our keeper heifers to just about anything and they have worked just fine. We had a bull that was 98lbs at birth and had a bwt EPD of 4.5 calved heifers like a be nice.

Rather than protecting our herds from some birthweight we shold expose them to some and make sure they still know how to calve. I am not talking 120lbs calves, but the calves that are born at 95-105lbs are 99% impressive in the fall.

 

[SEC]

Angus bulls will do that without a doubt. Don't be afraid of a bull with a +5 bw EPD.

The first black angus bull I had brought our weaning weights up about 75lbs. Lots of growth, not very maternal. It was pretty neat selling 670lb steers that were born from end of Feb with the calves sold in mid-late October. He was remarkable in his servicing ability as we never calved any longer than 24 days with him in the pasture.

Cow quality, lots of grass, fresh water, minerals and a quality bull will all contribute to excellent growth.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I'd like heavier weaning weights because I sell all of my calves (except for the heifers i've been keeping back)at weaning- more lbs. means more cash in my pocket. Right now most of my steer calves will weigh in the 425-475 range. I've heard tell of 600 lb. weights at weaning and out of black angus bulls. I like the black angus, they sell well here- black angus cross- but i've never seen one that weighed say 80-90lbs at birth produce a 600lb. weaned steer at 5-6mo. old, that was in the real world- pasture conditions and no fancy feeds. I really don't care what they do after weaning as i do not retain ownership. i'm just concerned about weight gains from day one to 5-6mo. old. by the way i feed fescue hay with clover, with protien licks in the winter. Of course spring and summer they are on pasture. I have both fall and spring calvers.

Use a bull with some bwt in him, nothing silly. If you want muscle you GENERALLY have to have a little birthweight. The bulls that are born at 65lbs and have YWT's of 1500 are 99% guts and you won't find any butts.

Why do you need higher weaning weights?

BWT and calving ease aren't neccesarily related, that's what gets the commercial breeders discounting bulls that have that "certain" bwt.

We breed our keeper heifers to just about anything and they have worked just fine. We had a bull that was 98lbs at birth and had a bwt EPD of 4.5 calved heifers like a be nice.

Rather than protecting our herds from some birthweight we shold expose them to some and make sure they still know how to calve. I am not talking 120lbs calves, but the calves that are born at 95-105lbs are 99% impressive in the fall.

well if angus sell well in your area. [why trade more price per pound. by adding more pound's for less price. you can't blow smoke on the market. like has been said they are angus bulls out there that can work both end's

 

[Brandonm2]

I'd like heavier weaning weights because I sell all of my calves (except for the heifers i've been keeping back)at weaning- more lbs. means more cash in my pocket. Right now most of my steer calves will weigh in the 425-475 range. I've heard tell of 600 lb. weights at weaning and out of black angus bulls. I like the black angus, they sell well here- black angus cross- but i've never seen one that weighed say 80-90lbs at birth produce a 600lb. weaned steer at 5-6mo. old, that was in the real world- pasture conditions and no fancy feeds. I really don't care what they do after weaning as i do not retain ownership. i'm just concerned about weight gains from day one to 5-6mo. old. by the way i feed fescue hay with clover, with protien licks in the winter. Of course spring and summer they are on pasture. I have both fall and spring calvers.

The easiest way to get more weaning weight (IN YOUR SITUATION) would be to keep them on the cow longer. Your 5 to 6 month old calves at 425 to 475 lbs would be 480 to 595 pound calves easily if you left them on the cow another couple of months depending on pasture conditions.

 

[ROB]

although i wouldn't suggest a particular bull to fit your needs...i would suggest that for a particular breed you could reference an across breed epd table found at the following link

http://www.bifconference.com/bif2006/pd ... _Vleck.pdf

this could help you in a general breed search - determine an average weaning weight increase without sacrificing too much birth weight ... hope it helps

ROB

 

[Frankie]

I'd like heavier weaning weights because I sell all of my calves (except for the heifers i've been keeping back)at weaning- more lbs. means more cash in my pocket. Right now most of my steer calves will weigh in the 425-475 range. I've heard tell of 600 lb. weights at weaning and out of black angus bulls. I like the black angus, they sell well here- black angus cross- but i've never seen one that weighed say 80-90lbs at birth produce a 600lb. weaned steer at 5-6mo. old, that was in the real world- pasture conditions and no fancy feeds. I really don't care what they do after weaning as i do not retain ownership. i'm just concerned about weight gains from day one to 5-6mo. old. by the way i feed fescue hay with clover, with protien licks in the winter. Of course spring and summer they are on pasture. I have both fall and spring calvers.

We raise registered Angus and most years have 205 day weights of around 700 lbs on our bull calves. That's mostly on their moms on native grass. Depending on when they're born, they may be on feed for a while to get ready for test before we weigh for the 205 day weights.

You should be able to find an Angus bull to improve those weights. Pay attention to the WW EPD on any Continental bull if you intend to go that way. In the race to improve their calving reputation, many of them no longer produce the kind of weaning weights they did ten years ago. I'll post a link to the accrossbreed EPD table. Take time to study that before you go buy a new bull. Good luck....

http://www.ars.usda.gov/sp2UserFiles/Pl ... 06News.pdf

 

[Super Baldie]

thanks for all the advise. This will give me something to chew on.