Heifer Breeding Results

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chambero

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Joined
Feb 12, 2007
Messages
3,207
Location
Texas
We palpated our bred heifers this weekend.  A few more were open than we would have liked (11 out of 67 - 16%), but we kind of expected it.  We usually run less than 10% open.  They came down with horrible foot rot last summer after weaning due to saturated pastures for the better part of two months.  They are just now catching back up on weight after that little set back.  Plus when we we dried up it never rained last fall and early winter so we didn't have any wheat to graze them on through breeding season.  We breed them at 12-14 months old and they were only allowed a 85 day breeding window this past winter.

Good news is all of our top heifers were bred (perhaps I should say best looking heifers, I know - to be a top one they better breed) including every AI-sired heifer we had (Friction, Kadabra, & Paleface).  We time AI'd virgin heifers for the first time last fall and 44 of the 56 breds appear to be within 30 days of one another by palpation.  We'll see on actual AI conception rates come September.  Our main goal was to tighten up the calving window somewhat and it looks good so far.
 

chambero

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 12, 2007
Messages
3,207
Location
Texas
Joe Boy - saw your post on the wheat harvest.  We just graze ours for a little while and then bale it.  We didn't make much hay off ours, but like you we were expecting nothing for a while.  Our lack of wheat hurt these heifers I was referring to.
 

Joe Boy

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Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
692
I fully understand.  I bought 6 semi's of hay and have never bought over 1 and a half before.  It has been a tough year.  The grass is dried up from a lack of rain.  I have half a tank of water and that will make it until the end of June, but we need so rain, except those who are harvesting wheat.  My brother lost over a 100 acres of cotton from the wind....$270 per bag for the seed....

I turned my heifers and cows into the wheat stubble and weeds that were in the patches about midnight last night.  The are happy today and did not come up for cubes....

I have been weaning my heifers from the fall and have 8 that I will keep from AI bulls....  I kept 4 bulls too.....  I had a great club calve prospect and my wife and I took some people to see him the first of April and found he had been shot by wild hog hunters.  They crossed my neighbors field, walked through the shelter belt and fired.  He was 1/4 shorthorn, 3/4 Maine and was black, with real long hair with a red tint to it, and a white strip on one side just behind the shoulder.  I am sure it happened at night.  I asked the neighbor and they said they were awaken by shots and saw some guys spotlighting a hog and shooting.  Time he got his clothes on they were gone.  He was from a heifer....

Hope we have better luck this year with our feed, wheat and cattle.
 
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