What would you do?

[southernultrablack]

I bought a Balancer cow that calved before I got to pick her up and I was unable to weigh her calf for about a day and a half. When I got them home and weighed the calf he tipped the scales at 105 pounds! Would you cull this calf based on his birthweight? Would you hesitate to use him or sell him to a customer? He has a great set of EPD's but I do not want to sell a problem to someone. The calf is a registered balancer. I know that he might not make the cut based on other factors later on, but would you cull him just on birthweight?

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

No, sell him as a cow only bull. Some folks would appreciate the potential for a larger calf. I would for sure.

 

[Ohrmundt Simmentals]

No, sell him as a cow only bull. Some folks would appreciate the potential for a larger calf. I would for sure.

Agreed... Just be honest about what your selling. You never know. This calf may never sire anything over 90. I like to give what ever info I have on bull. There's always a market for good bulls.

 

[Muddy]

I wouldn't use him on heifers that's for sure. And sometimes it's not good thing for his daughters when they're calving for first time.

 

[Supa Dexta]

I'm normally a proponent of BW, but I'm on the fence here. Thats getting too big for me in a bulls own bw - and epds aren't worth jack when you're pulling and losing calves.

And a calfs weight doesn't change in the 1st day. It has a drink, takes a crap and evens out basically.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I've read countless times on these boards that a hundred pound calf is perfectly fine for northern cattle.

 

[Muddy]

I've read countless times on these boards that a hundred pound calf is perfectly fine for northern cattle.

Yes that's true, but with that BW, you'll most likely have few 110+lbs calves out of that bull. 80-90lbs is perfectly acceptable. But I still won't use that bull on the northern heifers.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

That's why I said "cow bull" to start with.

 

[Supa Dexta]

100 is usually fine, and he was 105. Most hundred lb calves come from sires in the 90s up here. Starting at 105 just puts your avg size risk up that much more.

Just have to ask yourself how much grief you want down the line. My biggest so far this year has been 125. But that bull is now hanging upside down without his skin. The blaze face bull I've posted here before, Could have passed him off on the next guy, he was a beautiful well mannered bull, but his calves were just too big.

 

[Muddy]

Yup, that's why most northerners preferred bulls with a BW of 80-95lbs than a BW of 100+lbs. A bull with a 100+lbs BW tends to throws some calves heavier than him. There's not much market for bulls with that BW.

 

[southernultrablack]

Thanks for the replies. I was afraid that he was too big but hated for cull him if not necessary. I would not even consider him for heifers and like TT said he would be a cow only bull. I also agree that EPD's don't matter at all if a bulls offspring don't turn out well. Thanks again for the input and if anyone else has an opinion keep them coming.

 

[Hunter]

Was the gestation period a long one? If he were born a week or two late would that have added 5-8 lbs?
Or, does that even matter.

 

[southernultrablack]

I am not certain if she went over her due date, but have been told that they can grow quite a bit each day that they go over.

 

[Ebenezer]

How old was the cow? Some cows will have bigger calves after the first 4 or 5. A higher BW from an older cow will usually moderate downward for the bull when you use him. Calf shape is more important to me than the actual weight: snake or basketball.

 

[Supa Dexta]

pound, to pound and a half a day in the late stage of gestation is a good ball park.

 

[southernultrablack]

The cow is 6 and this is her fourth calf. And the calf was born easily- more like a snake than a basketball.

 

[Hunter]

What are his EPDs in regards to birthweight?

 

[southernultrablack]

Here is a pic of the pair.

 

[Muddy]

How old is the calf in picture? He looks big to me.

 

[southernultrablack]

How old is the calf in picture? He looks big to me.

He is 2 weeks old in the pic.