This may be a real newbee question but I'll ask anyway. If I breed my reg Hereford to some high quality Hereford bulls thru AI and one produces a bull calf, any way to tell if that calf will turn out to be a good bull also? If they need to be banded young then how do you know which calves will make good bulls or which need to be steers. Are there any indicators at that age? Is it just a crap shoot? And, does a young bull get one season to perform and if he doesnt do good get put in the freezer or do you give him a couple tries to see what he can produce? I know there are never any guarantees with animals but any way to spot a good young bull would sure help.
What wil make a good bull.
- Thread starter reece1962
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
deenranch
Well-known member
In my opinion. At a month old you should be able to tell if the calf is gonna be a keeper... He should already have adequate muscling and length... If he is narrow across the top and doesn't have much muscle, then he probably never will... Some of my calves have fooled me, but if he doesn't look the part at a month and hasn't shown growth, then cut/band him....
reece1962":3hzz3vzb said:
If you are going to TRY to raise a bull then have the patience to wait till he is 6 months old and then get someone who knows a bit more than you do to help you "HONESTLY" evualate him.
No offense to anyone but you had better be pretty good good judge of cattle to be able to cull a bull at one month of age.
alacattleman
Well-known member
the moma cow plays a big roll in it too just cause a bull calf looks good what potentail trouble is it hiding to show up down the road ????
Dave
Well-known member
Most people who raise bulls will be raising more than just one. They will go through them several times selecting the best and cutting the rest. The last sort is up around 8/9 months of age and maybe older.
3waycross":3ps2fvq8 said:
You can cull at a month old, if it shows flaws at a month it won't get better with age. I wouldn't go as far as saying you can make your final selection at a month old though.
At 2 months old I can pretty much tell which will be the keepers at weaning, but only time will tell who'll make it to a year. Scrotums, pasterns and to a lesser degree hocks you simply cannot accurately judge at that young an age.
vclavin
Well-known member
If you have one , not sure, raise him. They are still darn good eating as bulls ... still marble well and are leaner meat (less excess fat).
Valerie
Valerie
alacattleman
Well-known member
the thing about cull bulls is the tightwadds that will buy one of yours from the sale barn,, have a bad experiance from it and give you a bad name... you can still band em later on if they dont pan out but be sure to give a tetanus shot
GRTiger85
Well-known member
just my opinion, but you probably shouldnt be raising bulls if you have to ask this question
Mr. GRtiger85.
If you read my question I said I am a newbee and this IS the BEGINNERS BOARD. I asked the question because I am trying to educate myself about bulls and thought I could learn from people here with experience. If I new it all like you do I wouldnt be on here asking questions.
If you read my question I said I am a newbee and this IS the BEGINNERS BOARD. I asked the question because I am trying to educate myself about bulls and thought I could learn from people here with experience. If I new it all like you do I wouldnt be on here asking questions.
alacattleman
Well-known member
that comes with the territory..... theres folks been raising seedstock for years that need to ask more questions.. then you have your overnight success storyreece1962":360mg1dd said:
GRTiger85
Well-known member
Nobody knows it all, this site is a good tool but alot of stuff you have to learn hands on, it cant be picked up reading on a computer. As suggested I would find someone with experience to help you along.
novatech
Well-known member
There are many people that have seeming raised very good bulls and sold them for high prices. In my opinion there is no such thing as a good bull that came from a poor cow. Even though the phenotypic expression my be there and the bull could have been the international grand champion it is not a good bull unless he has a long genetic history of quality on both sides.
So basically to answer your question one must first know the quality of your cows. Once you think you have done everything right it still only gives you the potential for quality.
The real quality of a bull is judged by his progeny.
So basically to answer your question one must first know the quality of your cows. Once you think you have done everything right it still only gives you the potential for quality.
The real quality of a bull is judged by his progeny.
dcara
Well-known member
Another thing to consider is your definition of a "good bull" because it depends on what you are breeding for. Are you breeding to build a cow herd (probably since you are a beginner), or high weaning weight for the sale barn, or seed stock, or low birth weights because you might have mostly heifers, or higher milking, or even disposition. A lot of things go into the definition of a "good bull", most of which are determined by where YOU are trying to take your herd.
dcara":2dmapn8b said:
There are "good" bulls that does not really have a special feature, but rather are decent or better in every aspect. I would try to breed them like this if I was new to it. Also I suppose that the bull will be for sale if it passes all exams, and that the future buyers of these bulls are still unknown?
