BK9954
Well-known member
Looking for something besides longhorn or jersey that has good low birthweight. I sm going to AI a black brangus 750 lbs. and have to order the semen by Friday
Whats a low birthweight breed?
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Lucky_P
Well-known member
Probably could find reliable calving ease bulls in almost all breeds.
Angus/Red Angus have long had a reputation for a good selection of easy-calving bulls.
There are some Shorthorns that I'd use on any heifer.
We're using mostly high CED Simmental sires on our heifers, these days.
Some folks are using Wagyu on all their virgin heifers...thinking the premium for carcass grade makes up for less growth...I dunno, but I've toyed with the idea.
Angus/Red Angus have long had a reputation for a good selection of easy-calving bulls.
There are some Shorthorns that I'd use on any heifer.
We're using mostly high CED Simmental sires on our heifers, these days.
Some folks are using Wagyu on all their virgin heifers...thinking the premium for carcass grade makes up for less growth...I dunno, but I've toyed with the idea.
Workinonit Farm
Well-known member
dun":hxcyisak said:
Yeah, that certainly wouldn't be a large & heavy calf. I hadn't thought of Dexters.
B&M Farms
Well-known member
Do you want to lose some ear on the calves or keep them Brangus? An Angus or Brangus bull with better than breed average CE and negative BW numbers should do.
branguscowgirl
Well-known member
Her age is just as important as her weight IMO. How old is she? (Some of my Brangus heifers have wean weights over 700.)BK9954":2ocs1x65 said:
I agree with the others. You can find a low BW, calving ease bull in many breeds. But if she is 14 mos old (common breeding age), and only 750 she is small!
Son of Butch
Well-known member
I would define a low birth weight breed as any breed who's average b.w. is lower than the black angus breed average.BK9954":2g7wxy32 said:
And that would include Proven Black Angus sires whose birth weight epds are below breed average.
Where are you looking?
What options do you have available from where you are ordering?
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BK9954
Well-known member
bovine-elite.com. They do have low line available but no dexter
OP
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BK9954
Well-known member
the problem is I see bulls with -1.7 BW but I dont have an average birthweight in pounds
Son of Butch
Well-known member
Lucky_P":irlrrt11 said:
The catch is finding a market that will pay a premium for Wagyu.
Because on the hoof a lot of them don't look like they could even grade low choice.
When in fact on the rail Wagyu have the highest % of any breed in the world grading High Prime.
Son of Butch
Well-known member
BK9954":1f5gjfnr said:
In 2013 the Black Angus average birth weight was 76 lbs.
78 lbs for bull calves and 74 lbs for heifers
Current black angus breed average epd is +1.7 BW meaning -1.7 bw would actually be 3.4 lbs below breed average
I see Bovine Elite has GAR Integrity 6002 reg# 14222612 on close out special for $10 per straw and No Minimum
He's +.7 bw with 97% accuracy which would be minus 1 pound actual or 75 pound average
He is a DD carrier and that is why they are closing him out cheap.
They also have Wagyu sires available.
Wagyu are calving ease and I would recommend them for your own personal freezer beef if that is the route you take.
I sure as heck would go Wagyu before I would ever use a lowline.
Best of Luck on whatever you end up choosing. :tiphat:
BK9954":1834qoce said:
On the brangus website, you can look at a bull's calves avg. birthweight, and see the bw on every calf he's ever had. Tons of good info. One bull that I would highly recommend for heifers that bovine elite carries is MC Strike Zone. His bw epd isn't negative anymore, but we've been using him for years on our comm. heifers. The daughters are super producers, too. We had one this year out of a registered heifer we turned commercial...he was a bruiser so we weighed him in case we wanted to register him. He was 77# and definitely the biggest we've ever had, out of a Cahill daughter (Cahill is super high BW). We just bought 100 more straws.
Branguscowgirl, 750# is just about perfect for a 14 month old commercial heifer. I've seen registered guys push them to 1000#, then have trouble breeding them. I wonder why???
branguscowgirl
Well-known member
I guess that I don't see many "commercial" Brangus. Mine are grass fed with grass hay in the winter. (Defiantly not "pushed".) My donor cow weaned her heifer at 748# this year. I realize that they won't all be that big, just seems light to me. But again, I am not a "commercial" breeder.
branguscowgirl":utsgqqpz said:
That's why she's a donor cow! :nod: I think in general "good" registered cattle perform better, which they should! Our registered heifers, grown up with the commercials, usually end up 50-100+# heavier.
I AM going to get some pictures for you!!! It's been insanely busy....or raining. :bang:
Rafter S
Well-known member
branguscowgirl":2ubt2xwr said:
None of my Brangus cows are registered, so I guess that makes them commercial. And most of my heifer calves will weigh over 600 at 8 months old, on grass and milk. I creep feed a little, but it's very little. Just enough so when I wean them they know what feed is.
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BK9954
Well-known member
ricebeltrancher":2yirtani said:
My question is how many of his calves did you have to pull?
Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
I wonder why ricebelt would recommend a bull as a low birth weight bull they had to pull calves from? I bet they didn't have to pull calves from him. Low birth weight does not mean you will never pull a calf.
branguscowgirl
Well-known member
BK9954 I am still curious as to how old your heifer is? I don't believe that you have said......
