Why wouldn't you?

[nathan arizona]

I know about 1/10th of 1/100th of most folks on here, but I'm getting ready to use my own bull next year. He's the son of a rented bull that I really liked and one of my best mommas, and I think he looks better than anything I could afford to buy on my budget. I intend to breed him to his mom and his half sisters. I won't keep any of those calves if they turn out to be heifers,(since my understanding is that more than 50% genetic "contribution" is what leads to inbreeding depression,) but I will keep any I like from cows he isn't related to until I get to my goal of 20 cows.

If I make a little money of his off-spring and can afford to buy a better bull later, I will, but right now necessity is the mother of invention for me. And he might turn out to be a total dud, but for now, I'm rolling the dice.

Edit: OK, I bit. Didn't even look to realize this was 7 years old!

 

[WalnutCrest]

Don't be afraid of keeping those heifers - heck, keep all of them that grow and breed up!

 

[Muddy]

I would be wary about keeping heifers out of half sibling matings, especially if the individuals are just average and not quality animals.

 

[Ebenezer]

I would be wary about keeping heifers out of half sibling matings, especially if the individuals are just average and not quality animals.

If the half sibs matings are questionable then the parents are the problem. On half sibs matings they only have one common grandparent which has the same genetic linkage as the common grandparent (assumed bull) being the sire. If you keep your entire crop of heifers for enough years you will find that the average heifers will generally make the best cows in the long run.

If you don't linebred and use your own bulls you will never know what you have and will always be dependent on somebody else to make the breeding decisions on your foundation animals. Try a closed line of you own stock and see if you have made the right decisions in the past. Some of the "rules of linebreeding", such as Lents, are mere opinions.

 

[msplmtneer]

Howdy Folks my :2cents: on a old discussion when you think about it all the separate breeds of cattle were inbred and/or linebred when the breed was first started. :tiphat:

 

[TexasBred]

Howdy Folks my :2cents: on a old discussion when you think about it all the separate breeds of cattle were inbred and/or linebred when the breed was first started. :tiphat:

When I was a kid it seemed there was only one old bull in the whole community, a big hereford, and everybody there would lead their old cow up there to be bred and go back and get her the next day. Any heifers retained would also go up the hill to the same bull as well as her heifer calves. Guess the old bull died happy after siring hundreds of calves.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Raising a angus/brangus x bull right now, to breed to some older cows..

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Howdy Folks my :2cents: on a old discussion when you think about it all the separate breeds of cattle were inbred and/or linebred when the breed was first started. :tiphat:

When I was a kid it seemed there was only one old bull in the whole community, a big hereford, and everybody there would lead their old cow up there to be bred and go back and get her the next day. Any heifers retained would also go up the hill to the same bull as well as her heifer calves. Guess the old bull died happy after siring hundreds of calves.

least the community we're willing souls, around here the bull does the traveling..