Blue Roan Bull Calf

Very nice calf.He's got the looks to compete.

A really, really nice cow and very good calf - great pair - my question is what is the value of a blue roan bull calf of a Simmental x Shorthorn cross, as in what is the objective of breeding like that?  With a horn cow like that it would seem that there would be a ton of ways to breed her for a more marketable calf, IMO.  What am I missing?  Again that is a darn good cow and many are being flushed right now that are not that good.

What you are missing is what he would bring as a steer !

can't really see him as a steer for any significant premium?  with fat cattle/feeder cattle prices/futures as they are looking right now a $1,500. club calf is not that much of a premium considering the trouble and expense of AI and working with selling a calf -  however a horn heifer or a crossbred steer/heifer out of a clubby bull out of that cow would be money - he will just be a good feeding blue roan steer in the middle of a class of a moderately competitive show - we have had a quite a few Grandmasters - really nice heifers and pretty good male calves but club calves, no, not even out of clubby cows - a Simmental x Shorthorn is probably not the optimal club calf cross, now Shorthorn Mafia please don't attack -  a blue roan is pretty I suppose but after that.....I am not trying to be unreasonable, but when mating a really good cow like this one I try to have a marketing plan in mind for the offspring before I breed the cow toward a narrow niche -  just trying to figure out the plan.  As I have said great pair, but what if that cow had say a Hannibal heifer or a My Turn steer at her side or a calf by any number of Shorthorn bulls of black clubbys?  Just Sayin.  The owners can breed them however they want of course, but just for discussion I pose the question.  If that calf was a heifer I would say use sexed semen and breed for another one just like it.

This is the first calf out of the cow, and the family that owns her has mostly Simmental cattle.  I'm sure they'll go clubby or Shorthorn on her at some point.  They know what does well in their neck of the woods.

  That's one good looking cow & pair. It'd be fun choosing matings for the cow.

Nice pair! 

Being a first calf heifer I don't think some of the clubbier bulls(i.e. Hannibal) or more popular shorthorn bulls would have been a reasonable choice.

mark tenenbaum said:

mark tenenbaum said:

There are alot of good shorthorns-Ace would be one that would work-PERSONALLY-I would consult DR Jeff Connell-Stillman Valley Ill.Connell Stock Farms.-He is without question-the longest running and (IMO) the most knowledgable shorthorn club calf breeder of them all-Wendall Dunn-in OKLA. aint no slouch either, Connell Stock Farms has a Cunia X Mona Lisa son -Bred by JM -Metzger-on either Gen-horizens or Cattle Visions-that has mass quantities of Dividend-Kaba breeding-et-al. Your cow has mass quantities of Improver-and variations-this combo has never failed-Im talkin OLDSCHOOL-plus the bull is clean.The RS  After Hours bull at K-Kim sired a couple way cool calves for me-Hes Gizmo-Maine-and Pretender on the original Mona Lisa cow-A hiefer bull-got a ghetto butt-did I mention hes a hiefer bull and clean. O0

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I can think of another thread where this post would fit. ;D
I like the term shorthorn mafia, made me crack up. (clapping)

Thanks everyone.

As stated, Dottie is a first calf heifer and I have mainly Simmental cattle. I don't know that good ole Dotts would be here today for future clubby/shorthorn flushes/calves if we had bred her to a really clubby bull, and I am just more comfortable with choosing Simmental CE genetics than Shortys. I plan to breed her Shorty/Clubby in the future( as stated with the AOD question), but as I have Simmental cattle, I see a tremendous market for half-blood Simmys out of her. I already have roots laid down in the Simmy breed and feel pretty confident that simmy calves out of her could be marketable. I see her as being a pretty darn good choice for 1/2 blood simmy calves. I know that I can show them successfully, this will help get my name out, and a feel very confident that I can sell them for a good enough price across the board that I will be plenty happy.
I agree that Dottie x Simmental does not read super clubby steer, but in Alabama, I feel very confident that they would not be middle of the class, $1500 calves. I surely wouldn't mind showing one like him at Simmy Jr Natioanls either. I completely agree that"Blue" is not a itty bitty framed, freak of nature. I see more of a breeding stock look to him than a terminal look. With his cross of the CE, high growth Grandmaster and my cow, I am really excited to see what kind of calves he will throw. I think he is a good answer for quite a few problems I come up with when breeding my cattle. What to use on the clubby heifer who needs some correctness and maternal value bred back into her, but I still want growth, eye appeal, and hair? What to use on the percentage simmy cow who needs more correctness and show appeal, but I don't want to breed her clubby? ect. I didn't blindly shoot a dart in the dark when breeding her to GM. For my operation, I know this is a beneficial mating. I don't think anyone would mind dragging heifers out of this around, I surely wouldn't mind running a bull out of this, and I doubt too many kids in Alabama would mind showing the steer calves. Just my reasoning for those who wanted to know. ;D
Thanks,
Sarah

Good luck with him Sarah ! He's a nice calf and that cow sure has a future for you. I'm sure there are lots of kids that would love to show him as a steer.