Low input Heifers

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RedBulls

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May 6, 2010
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134
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Montana
On my way home yesterday afternoon I stopped by the heifer pasture to check on the replacements and took a few pictures. They were feeling pretty sassy, but finally settled down enough to stop playing. The heifer calves have been weaned about 4 weeks now and are over their stress. The coming 2's will calve in February. Breed up was 100%. One may be an early March calver. The breds have never had a bite of grain in their life, nor will their little sisters that I keep. The light roan is a steer and will lead a more "pampered" life as a 4-H animal.









 

Mill Iron A

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Jul 12, 2011
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516
Those are really nice replacements! Love that long bodied heifer centered in the top picture, she's not fancy but I bet she'll be a producer! Just imagine what the calves would look like with a red angus sire....
 

RedBulls

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May 6, 2010
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134
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Montana
Mill Iron A said:
Those are really nice replacements! Love that long bodied heifer centered in the top picture, she's not fancy but I bet she'll be a producer! Just imagine what the calves would look like with a red angus sire....
(clapping) I'll bet they'd look just like what you'd have were you to put a half brother of these heifers on your good Red Angus cows!
 

Mill Iron A

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Jul 12, 2011
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516
haha good point, well I'm not saying it wouldn't be interesting, I am saying there isn't enough  genetic diversity in that breed to get it done on a true two way but would probably work on a 3 way cross
 

librarian

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Jul 26, 2013
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Knox County Nebraska
Are these mostly CCL6TH daughters?
Is that 270A in the bottom picture? I can't zoom in good enough to read the tag. Is that the same old that has a big mouthful of grass in another picture?
I like the grass fattening quality going on that's there, but I especially like the old fashioned head shape. That head and the easy keeping seem to go together.
 

Duncraggan

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Jun 2, 2012
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821
What a great bunch of replacements, wish mine that I saw this morning looked as good at that age!  Nice early maturing looking bunch.

I can only breed to calve at three years or need to pump them too much to make it economical.

Have tried to calve at 2.5 years and it seems to be working, albeit with a lot of food out of a bag to get them to reconceive in the required time.

Especially like the 'looong' heifer, tag looks like number 270.
 

RedBulls

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May 6, 2010
Messages
134
Location
Montana
librarian said:
Are these mostly CCL6TH daughters?
Is that 270A in the bottom picture? I can't zoom in good enough to read the tag. Is that the same old that has a big mouthful of grass in another picture?
I like the grass fattening quality going on that's there, but I especially like the old fashioned head shape. That head and the easy keeping seem to go together.

Librarian,

Yes, most are CPCl 6th daughters. A couple are grand daughters and a couple more are both. There are also 4 Diamond Prophecy 21P daughters in there. Our focus is breeding for balance and consistency. To use a quote from my friend R.N. Reed- "Multi generational sorting and building a reliable pedigree is in my opinion the best way to build a predictable product". I agree wholeheartedly with that statement.
Our focus is to supply our customers with a "balanced", consistent product. Fertility, reasonable BW's, good feet, legs and overall structural soundness. The temperament of these cattle is an added (and much appreciated) bonus, as is a sufficient supply of milk from the cows. For us, balance and function are much preferred selection criteria for our replacements. 
Duncraggan said:
What a great bunch of replacements, wish mine that I saw this morning looked as good at that age!  Nice early maturing looking bunch.

I can only breed to calve at three years or need to pump them too much to make it economical.

Have tried to calve at 2.5 years and it seems to be working, albeit with a lot of food out of a bag to get them to reconceive in the required time.

Especially like the 'looong' heifer, tag looks like number 270.

Thanks Duncraggan,
270A is the heifer in the center of the last picture. Like the vast majority of others pictured, she comes from a long line of good, sound, solid females top and bottom, so I suspect she will turn out the same. We have to lutylyse a few every fall, as some breed as young as 7 mos. We now routinely pull blood samples at weaning and send them in for preg. status.

There is new snow in the mountains this morning. We had about an inch of rain last night here in the valley which is a lot for us!
Our winter begins, as yours nears it's end.
 

RedBulls

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May 6, 2010
Messages
134
Location
Montana
The mountains were sure pretty this morning with their new (for the second time) dusting of snow, so I took my camera along when I took salt and mineral up to the cow pasture. The cows had a pretty good scatter on them but I thought this group was in the best scenery.



This is a closer-up picture of the lower animals in the same bunch. They're having to work a little harder for their groceries! The green patch most are on in the first picture is from seepage of the "Big Ditch" that is running (dry now) above the cows. Yes, there is a black cow in the picture. She is a 3/4-7/8 Shorthorn however.



It's been a busy weekend on the road, but got some fencing done also. We sold and delivered some 680 lb. steer calves yesterday and did pretty well. I sure hope these prices hold a couple more years! Today, my brother and I took some bull calves over to Salmon, ID to the University Test Station. They are set up with the Grow Safe technology and able to test RFI which will be interesting.
 
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