You just never know!

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

I bought a set of embryos two years ago for two reasons; I liked the pedigree and was hoping to get some white faced heifers (even bulls, since they typically sell well, but really wanted heifers). Anyway, the sire of these embryos is Remington Lock N Load and the dam is SS U Nights Misty (a Lazy H donor). Pictured is the sire and dam of the three embryos I bought:

Well, we were fortunate enough to have all three embryos stick. Out of three, I got ONE heifer. And, she is the ONLY one with white! Who would have thought with that much white on sire and dam that TWO of the calves would be SOLID black!

This is our Feb 14 SOLID BLACK bull calf, 82 pounds:

Our September 14 Heifer, 70 pounds:

And the one born today, bull calf, SOLID BLACK, 90 pounds

So is our luck with trying to breed, and buy, genetics with a white face!!! At least I have three live calves! :heart:

 

[Williamsv]

Three pretty calves. A lot to be thankful for!

 

[Dale L]

They look like nice calves. We are excited to get our first crop of calves out of our Lock N Load son starting in January. I would have expected a little white on all three also. But like you say you just never know.

 

[inyati13]

Kris, I got that same picture of Misty. You took that the week I was there. Here is my version of the same shot:

I sure do like her.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

You stalker Ron!!!! :lol:

Yep. Same time, just different phones. She is one nice little calf, and will likely make it to the show string next year. All three Lock N Load calves are super nice, big bones and lots of meat. That Feb bull calf will be one to recoken with when he gets shown next year. They do seem to have one fault I would like to change, at least the two older ones, they seem a little straight off the rear wheels. Not extreme, but enough for me to notice.
At least I got one heifer to keep back, and we will likely use the Feb bull to clean up in January all the Falls we do not stick to AI or embryos. Just wish they had white faces.... I know, I know... picky picky!
Now two more recips to calve in the next week... one was due yesterday! Likely a bull calf (Club King x Dream On cow), seems a majority of our embryo calves are always bulls.

 

[inyati13]

You stalker Ron!!!! :lol:

Yep. Same time, just different phones. She is one nice little calf, and will likely make it to the show string next year. All three Lock N Load calves are super nice, big bones and lots of meat. That Feb bull calf will be one to recoken with when he gets shown next year. They do seem to have one fault I would like to change, at least the two older ones, they seem a little straight off the rear wheels. Not extreme, but enough for me to notice.
At least I got one heifer to keep back, and we will likely use the Feb bull to clean up in January all the Falls we do not stick to AI or embryos. Just wish they had white faces.... I know, I know... picky picky!
Now two more recips to calve in the next week... one was due yesterday! Likely a bull calf (Club King x Dream On cow), seems a majority of our embryo calves are always bulls.

BTW: the calf behind Misty is one of your Upgrades, right? See, I paid attention!
Notice: Your pictures make them look better than mine!!! What is your secret? :cowboy:

 

[gizmom]

Wow 100% who can complain about that! I sure like the heifer she should make a nice show heifer for you.

gizmom

 

[3waycross]

BTW: the calf behind Misty is one of your Upgrades, right? See, I paid attention!
Notice: Your pictures make them look better than mine!!! What is your secret? :cowboy:[/quote]

Better angles more patience!

 

[hillsdown]

Luv that white faced heifer, she sure is pretty and very fancy. :D

 

[fitz]

They all look good, but I really like the Feb. Bull calf.

fitz

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Wow 100% who can complain about that! I sure like the heifer she should make a nice show heifer for you.

gizmom

Gizmom, we do pretty good with our embryos. I just had calf number 4 of 4 embryos born today, Club King x Dream On cow. I bought 5 embryos, have put in 4, and so far have 1 heifer and 3 bulls to show for it. We seem to get mostly bulls from our embryos we purchase, but bulls are OK for income! Just hard to keep those genetics when they do not come in a heifer package.

Ron, yes that is an Upgrade heifer calf, Bell (out of a Pacesetter x Built Right cow). I just love my Upgrade calves this year, they are really bellied down right now for 90 day old calves! And 3 way is right, it is all about angle and location.

 

[Nesikep]

you think that heifer will lighten or darken with time?

If you want white faces, there's always Wite-out.
I know a little bit of markings make them easier to tell apart.

 

[3waycross]

you think that heifer will lighten or darken with time?

If you want white faces, there's always Wite-out.
I know a little bit of markings make them easier to tell apart.

If i was betting i would say that she will be jet black by the time she's a year old. I have had many homo black Gelbvieh calves that start out that chocolate color and by the time they are weaned they turn jet black. Usually you can look at the hair aroung their muzzle and see it, also their tail switch will tell you.

 

[Till-Hill]

Wow 100% who can complain about that! I sure like the heifer she should make a nice show heifer for you.

gizmom

Gizmom, we do pretty good with our embryos. I just had calf number 4 of 4 embryos born today, Club King x Dream On cow. I bought 5 embryos, have put in 4, and so far have 1 heifer and 3 bulls to show for it. We seem to get mostly bulls from our embryos we purchase, but bulls are OK for income! Just hard to keep those genetics when they do not come in a heifer package.

Ron, yes that is an Upgrade heifer calf, Bell (out of a Pacesetter x Built Right cow). I just love my Upgrade calves this year, they are really bellied down right now for 90 day old calves! And 3 way is right, it is all about angle and location.

I know you guys breed for more of the showy end but Upgrade x Pacesetter x Built Right. That's 3 shots of Legacy in 4 generations. I see more and more of this and it's really becoming hard not to do but I do my best to avoid it as I feel at some point we are going to lose a lot of grow in the Simmental breed. How do you feel about it?

 

[Gators Rule]

What's going on with Lock N Load's semen? I just tried to order his semen from Genex, and it's now special order only at about $100ish a shot.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I would never guess that calf weighed 99 pounds. I really need some scales.

Beautiful cattle.

 

[inyati13]

What's going on with Lock N Load's semen? I just tried to order his semen from Genex, and it's now special order only at about $100ish a shot.

Gator's Kris knows and I don't but last year at the Lazy H (I think that is the name) dispersal, I stood right at the railing and looked at Lock N Load in person. They said he had broken his leg and could only be collected. Not sure how that is going and could be not well. So his semen would go up.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

I know you guys breed for more of the showy end but Upgrade x Pacesetter x Built Right. That's 3 shots of Legacy in 4 generations. I see more and more of this and it's really becoming hard not to do but I do my best to avoid it as I feel at some point we are going to lose a lot of grow in the Simmental breed. How do you feel about it?

I agree, it is hard to get around Legacy. However, my proof is in the pudding, so to speak. That Upgrade heifer calf has at least 75 pounds already on all the other calves, born on the same day. Her EPDs tell me the same thing. I take a lot of time to genetically match up our cattle. It bugs me when I see Dream on stacked on Dream On, but I have little problem when that is 4 generations back.
Our breeding philosophy is we breed cows that can show, not the other way around. I have several Upgrade cows in production, and they are sure hard to beat at weaning off big calves. As soon as I see my weaning and yearling weights take a nose dive, I will start looking a different direction. One of the best investments we made was buying a Tru-test scale. We weigh calves at birth, weaning, and if we still have ownership, at yearling. Each time a cow comes in to be worked, including AI, she gets weighed and recorded. That gives me at least 5 weights a year, when you include vaccinating and calving weights.
By participating in our county carcass contest, I can also evaluate the follow through on those calves, albeit a small sample size.
Yes, our genetic pool seems small, and we need to watch as breeders how we match up those genetics. The good thing in my population is that mistakes get eaten. ;-)

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

I would never guess that calf weighed 99 pounds. I really need some scales.

Beautiful cattle.

That calf was 90 pounds TT, not 99. And thanks. I will post pics of updates as they grow.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

What's going on with Lock N Load's semen? I just tried to order his semen from Genex, and it's now special order only at about $100ish a shot.

Gator's Kris knows and I don't but last year at the Lazy H (I think that is the name) dispersal, I stood right at the railing and looked at Lock N Load in person. They said he had broken his leg and could only be collected. Not sure how that is going and could be not well. So his semen would go up.

Lock N Load broke his back leg, as Ron said. Genex bought him knowing this. Collection is slow and limited at this point, but you can get it for $75 a straw, you just need to contact your Genex rep. I ordered some in September and it was delivered before breeding season. I just got 5 straws.