When can i turn the bull in with the heifers?

[baylorbear]

How old do heifers need to be before you can put a bull in with them?

 

[denoginnizer]

Heifers should be about 65% of there mature body weight before breeding. I am thinking 14-15 months but dont quote me on the age.

 

[Ryan]

We put our heifers with a bull at at time where they will calve right at 2 yrs. That means they are with a bull at the time they are 15 mo old. That seems to work well for the heifers and for us.

Ryan

 

[farmer rich]

I think the answer to this question depends on wether you are farming commercially or not. From a business point of view, when they are big enougth they are old enougth. You dont want to feed an unproductive animal any longer than you have to. For me this would be 60% of their mature weight. I serve holstein heifers at 15 months weighing 350kg upwards. If you are doing this for a hobby or maybe for breeding show or high value animals you can wait a lot longer. I aim to calve my limousin heifers at 21/2 years. Calving them that little bit later means I dont have to worry so much about the bulls I use, gives me a wider choice, I also think that those heifers make better cows as a result of being allowed to grow on.

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

Guest....pretty heifer....if she is 1100 lbs,she is definitely ready to be with the bull.... ;-) :cboy:

 

[greenwillowherefords]

I haven't had to worry about mine being heavy enough. We average around 800# or better at 12 months on the heifers I try to wait until 14-15 months, but sometimes will let them breed at a year if the heifer is exceptionally growthy.

 

[NY-JB]

I WOULD HAVE TO SIDE WITH RYAN AND FARMER RICH WITH OUR HOLSIENS WE PUT THEM WITH BULLS AT 15 MONTHS SO THEY CALF AT 2 YRS IT WORKS GREAT WITH MY HERFORDS WE DO IT ABOUT THE SAME BUT HAVE DONE IT EARLIER AT 13 AND 14 MONTHS NEVER HAD A PROBLEM

 

[NY-JB]

I WOULD HAVE TO SIDE WITH RYAN AND FARMER RICH WITH OUR HOLSIENS WE PUT THEM WITH BULLS AT 15 MONTHS SO THEY CALF AT 2 YRS IT WORKS GREAT WITH MY HERFORDS WE DO IT ABOUT THE SAME BUT HAVE DONE IT EARLIER AT 13 AND 14 MONTHS NEVER HAD A PROBLEM

 

[msscamp]

The bull goes in with the yearling heifers the middle of June, as we start calving in March. The herd bull goes in with the cows about the first of June.

 

[SF]

With good growth, about 14 months works for us.

 

[Jake]

anywhere from 13-15 months, if they don't weigh 875-1000# they aren't gunna be bred. plain and simple if they have growth issues we don't keep them back. Our 1000 pounders will mature at around 1250-1300 and a 6 frame or lower.

This year we pelvic measured for the first time. Our own cattle averaged around 16 x 15.5 at 14 months so they could calf now and have no problems, which two of them have done :roll: the boughten heifers had 3 fail the pelvic and weren't anywhere near as large as our home raised. The largest home raised was 17.5 x 17

 

[rwtherefords]

14 - 15 months old, so they calf @ 2 years old.