Another CE question....

I know that there are a million threads about calving ease but I am really stuck on what to order for semen and I need to get it done ASAP.  I have 4 heifers to breed: a Dirty Hairy, Eye Candy, I am Legend and a SimAng.  All of these heifers are out of commercial MainexAng and SimXAng cows that I have never had to pull any calves from.  They weigh between 700 and 850 now.  We will be breeding them the 1st of June.  Should I go with Total Solution and something like Duff's Basic Instinct?  Has anyone ever heard of any problems with Total Solution on heifers?  Am I risking the well being of these heifers by thinking I can possibly get some saleable calves?  I have a very small heard of 20 and need all the good, saleable, show calves as possible and when almost 1/4 of your herd is heifers you need the best you can get.

I would go with a PROVEN calving ease bull. Translate that to "Use a bull that is at least 5-6 years old that has been proven by MANY herds."
You mentioned getting some "saleable calves".  Not sure about you, but I have an awful hard time selling dead, bloated, maggot infested calves. Even those puny pieces of crap that breath sell better than those.
I also have a terrible time getting dead heifers to rebreed. Maybe someone can share that secret?

Go with something PROVEN and RELIABLE 100%. With clubbie blood in your heifers, you need to play it VERY safe.

Good luck.

I agree with Show Heifer. Go with an Angus like Northern Improvement or OCC Just Right. I use a Limi bull OKLF Linebacker for most of my heifers w/o a problem. He is the #1 sire for CE in Limis.

Show Heifer said:

I would go with a PROVEN calving ease bull. Translate that to "Use a bull that is at least 5-6 years old that has been proven by MANY herds."
You mentioned getting some "saleable calves".  Not sure about you, but I have an awful hard time selling dead, bloated, maggot infested calves. Even those puny pieces of crap that breath sell better than those.
I also have a terrible time getting dead heifers to rebreed. Maybe someone can share that secret?

Go with something PROVEN and RELIABLE 100%. With clubbie blood in your heifers, you need to play it VERY safe.

Good luck.

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Okay, I am not stupid and get the very vivid picture about dead calves/heifers.  I have raised cows for many years and club calves for the last 4 but am fairly new to breeding clubby 1st calf heifers and that is why I asked about Total Solution.  I know it takes many years to become PROVEN, and he was born in 2002 and that makes him 8 years old and sounds like a PROVEN calving ease bull.  I am just curious about other's experiences with him on heifers with bloodlines like these.

There's been some talk this spring about NI having a large one every now & then. After several years of what seemed like the only bull to use on heifers was NI., I finally put some NI in the tank & plan on using him on 1st calf heifers. Anyone have much troubles with NI's CE? What about the Red Angus bull Above & Beyond?

Above & Beyond is nothing but a heifer calver.  There are much better bulls.

I have used NI without any troubles, even in maine cross genetics. They seemed to be shaped right with smooth shoulders, small heads, etc. No troubles at all.

Above and Beyond will get you calves out alive, but might have outlived his usefullness. There are much better calving ease red angus bulls than him, IMO.

We have a small herd and put in mostly embyos. but we have been keeping a few HW and HW son heifers around against my better judgement.  Can't resist the hair and bone I guess.  We breed them to OCC Legend and Northern Improvement.  This years Legend is already sold at 2 months of age.  Not rich, but for a premium and will be gone as soon as he is weaned.  Will use Dirty Hairy on her for the second calf.  You can sell the NI and Legend calves and they come out alive and the cow and the owner are happy.  Don't know alot about total solution, but we like the bulls we use and it works for us.

Thanks. EDE.  I was thinking OCC Legend might work.  Do you prefer the calves out of one over the other (Legend & NI)?  The clubby bred heifers need some length and extension they have the power. The SimAng heifer needs some bone, power and hair but is very correct, feminine and sound.

I would use Benz on First calf heifers and never think twice about it. We have calved out over 50 to benz with over 25 of those being first calf heifers. We had to only pull one of these 50. That calf was comming backwards and was breeched. I have visited with a lot, not all, of the people who used him last year, and great reports about the calves. Easy calving, Killer look, Square hipped with good bone has been a very consistent comment. Here is a heifer out of a mossy oak heifer which is a maintainer, and the other is a high % out of Total Package, and I will post a picture of a bull that we raised that is flat out awsome. Just got to get time to get the camera to the feild. Heifers were raised by Bushy Park Farms. As you can see I do not feel your calves will be throw aways.  Call with any questions.

Eric Walker
479-601-3567

shufly said:

Thanks. EDE.  I was thinking OCC Legend might work.  Do you prefer the calves out of one over the other (Legend & NI)?  The clubby bred heifers need some length and extension they have the power. The SimAng heifer needs some bone, power and hair but is very correct, feminine and sound.

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Big fan of Northern Improvement. But you would want to use them on two different types of heifers in my mind. NI will make them pretty and sound. Usually have some hair and correct little more grow to them. Legend seems to make them cowy softer and haven't seen too many with hair but I know there is that one. Have a friend around the corner that uses Legend regularly and he always has an excellent bull calf that is as wide as he is tall.
We have a larger framed Dirty Hairy Heifer we are using Occ Legend on this year. Flip side, we have a smaller framed square made Get It Done we will use Northern Improvement on. If you want a little color, throw some Gizmo in there. He is the deal for calving ease shorthorn.
JMO.