Simmental bulls are great for calving ease

So, we AI'd an Angus heifer (Pioneer sired, out of a TC Freedom dam) to Beef Maker, the ABS simmental bull. She calved, right on 283 days gestation, a very CUTE 49 pound heifer calf! No need to lose sleep over that one!!! Our first fall calf, a good way to start the season! We are SUPER excited waiting for a Dream On x ETR Antoinette L120, a direct NJC Ebony Antoinette daughter, embryo calf. We bought the embryos from Windy Ridge, and got two to stick - this one and one in the spring, both sexed HEIFER. She is due tomorrow,  and we are eagerly looking forward to meeting her!
Here is some pics of Beef Maker heifer:

Good heavens people, cattle are designed to calve out in the open pasture, not on a concrete slab with some token straw around, in a barn, then subject the calf, which has spent 283-odd days in the dark to flash photography!

Shame on you!!!!!

fsr,
Using 4 different sons of Hooks Shear Force here currently - two on heifers, two others that we're reserving for use on cows.
Have had two Sure Bet heifers calve to Triple C Bettis and one ANxSH heifer to Hooks Pharoah in the past week.  All small, came easily, and got up and vigorously nursed.  Will continue to use Bettis on ANxSH and Angus heifers for some time to come.

Duncraggan said:

Good heavens people, cattle are designed to calve out in the open pasture, not on a concrete slab with some token straw around, in a barn, then subject the calf, which has spent 283-odd days in the dark to flash photography!

Shame on you!!!!!

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For your information, she did calve on pasture, at 11PM. We had to bring her in because the calf is so small, she was not nursing. Had to have the vet out, to make sure she survived. And my vet likes to work in a small pen, next to our head chute, on a DIRT floor (not concrete). Not chasing first calf heifer all over the pasture to try to get a calf to latch on.
But thanks for your concern.
Lucky, we like Bettis also. We have some heifer sexed semen on him, but have yet to get a conception on It. We do not have luck with sexed semen for some reason. I got the Beef Maker in the fall special ABS had last year, paid $14 a straw, if I remember correctly.

49 pounds is too small for my taste.

BlkAngus said:

49 pounds is too small for my taste.

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Yep, I agree. She is doing fine, but the first 48 hours were touch and go. She was so little, she barely reaches the udder, thus our issues with getting her to nurse. But once she figured it out, she is a little firecracker. Runs around after nursing in the little pen kicking. We are going to put her out tomorrow after church to see if she keeps up with her dam, who really does not want to be locked up in the barn anyway!

firesweepranch said:

For your information, she did calve on pasture, at 11PM. We had to bring her in because the calf is so small, she was not nursing. Had to have the vet out, to make sure she survived. And my vet likes to work in a small pen, next to our head chute, on a DIRT floor (not concrete). Not chasing first calf heifer all over the pasture to try to get a calf to latch on.
But thanks for your concern.

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In that case, my apologies.  I was calling it as I saw it in the pictures.

Good luck with her from here, she sounds to be well on her way now.

duncraggan the great thing about farming is we all get to decide what works for us.

In February, March, April and sometimes May our survival rate goes up dramatically with shelter for new calves.  This means we have a barn we use for calving with pens, bedding, and concrete. 

No shame here.  I would be ashamed if I subscribed to the belief my cattle had to make it without any intervention from me.  I am in charge of taking care of them. Since they can't knock on the door at 2 AM to tell me their calf needs help I'll go ahead and do it my way.

We went through some tiny calves in that weight range this spring.  Those calves will go to a special pen for those that are too small to compete with the regular calves and will not sell at the same time.  I really don't like that pen.

49 is small for an angus or simmi calf, and sometimes those small calves come with lung issues, lack nursing reflex, and in general, lack survival development.  I would also hesitate to keep such a small calf for a replacement for fear of lack of pelvic size. If it was a bull, I would fear he might throw small pelvic measurements in his heifer calves.

Does anyone know how lowlines do as far as pelvic size and weight?


firesweepranch - Congratulations on caring for your cattle well. It is always nice to save them!

Congratulations on your calf and make sure to post pictures of those embryo heifers!

The showman in your family will love those!!!

Mark

ejoe326 said:

duncraggan the great thing about farming is we all get to decide what works for us.

In February, March, April and sometimes May our survival rate goes up dramatically with shelter for new calves.  This means we have a barn we use for calving with pens, bedding, and concrete. 

No shame here.  I would be ashamed if I subscribed to the belief my cattle had to make it without any intervention from me.  I am in charge of taking care of them. Since they can't knock on the door at 2 AM to tell me their calf needs help I'll go ahead and do it my way.

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I did qualify my statement and say I called it as I saw in the picture, it is early September.  February through April is a different story altogether!

Just an update to this heifer, she is having a fantastic year showing. We took her to Junior Regionals in KS, where she was 4th in division, and to the Junior Nationals where she placed 2nd in a very competitive, full class. She is just a smidgen smaller than her contemporaries, but I bet she will catch up by the time she is a yearling! Not bad for a 49 pound calf at birth!!! She weaned off at 554 pounds at 199 days of age.