A quiz for Shorthorn breeders/those who use Shorthorn influence cattle.

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How do you manage your TH carriers?


  • Total voters
    24
  • Poll closed .

SeannyT

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Messages
157
Location
Manitoba, Canada
I'm doing an extension presentation on TH and PHA in the Shorthorn breed, and I just want to get a feeling for what YOU as breeders do with cattle that are found to be TH carriers. Everyone's opinion is different. For example, I know down in the US many champion steers are TH carriers--they've succeeded in that market. Feel free to comment as you wish.

Thanks.
 

oakview

Well-known member
Joined
May 29, 2008
Messages
1,346
I don't use any known carriers.  I have no problem with those that do as long as they're labeled.  I used a few carrier bulls before we knew what was going on, but haven't since.
 

justintime

Well-known member
Joined
May 26, 2007
Messages
4,346
Location
Saskatchewan Canada
I have a few carriers but they are used as recips. Occasionally if they  don't keep the embryo pregnancy, they are bred to a herd bull, and the resulting calves are tested after birth.  Males that are carriers are steered, and heifers that are carriers either get fed out to slaughter or are kept as future recips. One of the carrier cows I have has produced a $9000 bull ( who was THF) and she has one of the best bulls this year and he is also THF. This year she decided to keep the embryo pregnancy and will calve next spring with an ET calf. I am not a fan of using known carriers, especially carrier sires, but I understand why it is done. My main concern is those who dump their carriers into a commercial operation. I don't think we need to be creating problems down the road for anyone in the commercial industry, when it is tough enough to make ends meet in this business. I fully understand that there is a wide range of opinions on this topic, but this is just how I feel about it.

I had a guy here recently who asked me to price one of my carrier cows. I told him that she was not for sale, as she was a TH carrier. He said that he did not care about that, but I refused to put a price on her. I need money like most anyone else out there, but I feel I needed to stick to my beliefs on this one. While I realize this is not the topic of discussion, I have much bigger issues with people who continue to use PHA carriers an a few of the other defects showing up in some other breeds. My wife is currently finisihing a dispersal catalog for a large herd of another breed, and I am amazed at the number of carriers of a wide variety of defects that some herds have. I have no idea ho someone new to this breed could ever keep all this information straight in their minds.
 

dsmith16

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 30, 2011
Messages
96
Location
Coatesville, Indiana
I like the idea of using them on THF shorthorn bulls to get clubby type of shorthorns or using THF club calf bulls to get the plus calves that everyone wants now.
 

J2F

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Messages
258
what about option 4.
don't buy dirty females and don't use dirty bulls.  (lol)
 
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