SRBeef
Well-known member
KNERSIE":oryva9lu said:....T21 has taken your herd to the next level, which may not have been too difficult compared to the rent-a-bulls you've used in the past. Get a few more calving seasons behind you and you might not be as high on T21 anymore. The same bulls that excited me 3 years ago's calves look like labrats compared to the bulls I'm using now's calves. Contrary to popular believe you don't need to sacrifice muscle and ruggedness or even milk for calving ease, you just need to identify the right bull for your situation.
Knersie, You really got me chuckling on this one! Thank you (and George) for taking the time to make a detailed reply. I think your statements above are finally getting me to understand and appreciate your view points a bit better.
Since I don't use AI it will longer for me to get there. I may have to do a bit of my own breeding to get to where I want to be. T21 is certainly a good place to start.
One thing that this whole thread ignores which is concerning me is the effect of the COW on the offspring. Didn't Aussie Girl or someone else suggest the cow is maybe even more important than the bull in a mating???
Why can't I use my cows to correct for the deepness or butt that I'd like to improve in T21. For example one of my cows seems to be able to correct for deepness. She also has an excellent udder. Here is a pic of 77:
A couple others (including the 1200 lb above) seem to be able to contribute butt. Isn't it asking a bit too much to have a perfect bull? Can't we use cows to improve the herd in addition to the bull? It may take a bit longer but by breeding T21 to 77 for depth and maybe one of those offspring to 66 for butt or a T21/77 offspring to a T21/66 offspring improve both issues?
A resulting off spring of these two would be 50% T21 (CE, SC, etc EPD's), 25% #77 (depth and udder), and 25% #66 (butt & 1200 lb).
I realize things are not always perfectly passed on but wouldn't this be one way to try over a couple years in a small operation?
Thanks again, Jim