Simmental Heifer Breeding Questions!

I have a Simmental heifer that I  am wondering what to breed to. I would like a decent looking show animal. I was wondering about Grandmaster, Hard Core, Built Right, Voyager or Trademark. This particular animal is a Dew it Right and is a little heavy fronted, but other than that she is pretty decent. Top picks are Built Right, Voyager or Grandmaster, but I was wondering what y'all thought or what you have been breeding to. Sorry I don't have any pics, just wanting some opions.

Simmgal said:

I have a Simmental heifer that I  am wondering what to breed to. I would like a decent looking show animal. I was wondering about Grandmaster, Hard Core, Built Right, Voyager or Trademark. This particular animal is a Dew it Right and is a little heavy fronted, but other than that she is pretty decent. Top picks are Built Right, Voyager or Grandmaster, but I was wondering what y'all thought or what you have been breeding to. Sorry I don't have any pics, just wanting some opions.

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Built Right would be a good choice if your heifer is deep bodied.  I have also used Ranch Hand on heifers with good results and have had many trademarks out of heifers but I don't think he will help that front end.

Hustler is calving ease.

I would go with Grandmaster. I used him on a Built Right for a second calf and got a nice heifer also used him on 2 half Simmy heifers that will be due in the spring.

SS Goldmine L42

Kinda disappointed in my grandmaster heifer calves this year,  he didnt do all i expected.  I know its old news and been done a million times but the Meyer x Dream On cross still works great even if it is a couple generation's back. Being a Dew it Right id guess youve got the depth and are lookin now for the pretty! 

I like Built Right out of that list, and I might add Shocking Dream. I've seen a few of those that were really nice. If you wanted to do something different from Dream On-bred, maybe look at Upgrade or a son of his like Top Grade?...

I know a lot of people use Grandmaster and apparently like him. I've heard several say they were really disappointed with their calves out of him. Same thing with Rand Hand. And I don't think either of those bulls would do anything to pretty up a front end on one.

Thanks for the replies everyone! I was really excited about breeding her to Grandmaster earlier in the year, but I have a few younger calves on the ground now and I am not as impressed as I was with them last year. It sounds like others have been having this problem too. Didn't add depth. maybe added a little more muscle, but they haven't grown like I would have hoped. If anything, he added more leather, so I decided against him. I have a straw of Ranch Hand, but I had a few repeat bad experiences with him. They were born small, which is a plus, but they didn't grow. I even treid him on a half  or 1/4 holstein experiment thing just to see what would happen. The calf didn't grow even with all of the milk, so I haven't tried him since. They also had a ton of leather which surprised me. Built Right threw a bunch of white on a heifer that I have and he added leather to a cleaner cow. I didn't want to take that chance. I ended up choosing Voyager since Trademark also added leather to a cow I have. I have a Goldmine granddaughter and she is nice, but I have heard that the rest of the calves in her group didn't grow or get any depth. I didn't want to take that chance either. I was also a little afraid to breed to Meyer because of price and calving ease. Thanks for the opinions! Anyone else been having super leathery calves from Built Right or Grandmaster?

leanbeef said:

I like Built Right out of that list, and I might add Shocking Dream. I've seen a few of those that were really nice. If you wanted to do something different from Dream On-bred, maybe look at Upgrade or a son of his like Top Grade?...

I know a lot of people use Grandmaster and apparently like him. I've heard several say they were really disappointed with their calves out of him. Same thing with Rand Hand. And I don't think either of those bulls would do anything to pretty up a front end on one.

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How have the Upgrade sons been for calving ease? I had a friend breed a heifer to American Pride and I haven't heard anything out of how she did. I thought his CE numbers were good, but BW was high on Upgrade. I haven't looked in a few months though.

What are the Shocking Dream calves like? I've been curious.

ROMAX said:

Hustler is calving ease.

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What are the calves like out of him?

Grandmaster has worked for us although he dd not improve the neck, he didn't make it worse either.  Although I don't have first hand knowledge, I am intrigued by Make it Rain as a potential show producing bull (from the limited few I have seen, they seem to have the show look).   

LKFSimme said:

Grandmaster has worked for us although he dd not improve the neck, he didn't make it worse either.  Although I don't have first hand knowledge, I am intrigued by Make it Rain as a potential show producing bull (from the limited few I have seen, they seem to have the show look).   

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We have an outstanding Grandmaster heifer calf we are showing this next year, out of a plainer Shear Force cow. Grandmaster added style, power and added a ton of rib. We are extremely pleased with the calf. We have a Club King heifer bred to him for a January calf, so we will see what he does with her.
Never seen Built Right add neck, and in fact is known to clean them up and make them pretty shouldered. But I am sure there are exceptions.
We have a Make It Rain 3/4 blood bull calf, born in October, that is probably my best fall calf so far. We were hoping for white face (the cow is a half blood Macho, no white), but got a coal black solid calf, no white what so ever! The cow is a typical macho, needing cleaning up in her shoulder and more rib shape. Make it Rain did just that. He will stay a bull, and get shown next year.

How about Hook's Shear Force himself?

CAB said:

How about Hook's Shear Force himself?

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He was another option, but his calves look more maternal than showy from what I have seen. I was under the impression that they could be a little heavier fronted as well.

Shear. Force will throw a heavy front (leather), but makes outstanding females.
What about Chopper? Seen some good calves out of him, very showy...

firesweepranch said:

Shear. Force will throw a heavy front (leather), but makes outstanding females.
What about Chopper? Seen some good calves out of him, very showy...

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Chopper on a heifer? I didn't think he was calving ease. And I haven't seen many calves out of him. What calves have you seen out of him? I'd like to see a few and I have been wondering about him for a few years but I never saw many.

Seen several out of him, and we bred some heifers to him for the spring. But we watch our girls closely and don't feed grain the last trimester.
Here are some photos of his calves:

http://www.griswoldcattle.com/sires/Chopper/chopper.html

Also, Griswold cattle sale is Saturday, and lot 32 to lot 45 are all Chopper heifers, here is a link to videos:

http://www.griswoldcattle.com/2012FemaleClassic/video.html

My daughter fell in love with a red heifer with a white face that was sold in a private bid off sale this fall, she was a Chopper out of a Whizard 2 year old female. She went for a bit of money.

I was vary disappointed in my Hustler calves, talk about puds...not a bull I would use again.

firesweepranch said:

Seen several out of him, and we bred some heifers to him for the spring. But we watch our girls closely and don't feed grain the last trimester

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Cool deal. Let me know how they do! I definitely want to see some pics when they are born.  And I watch mine closely too, just don't want to take any chances with this heifer because she is pretty good. So what does Chopper add/ take away from a cow?

Just wondering how the Entourage calves are looking. I've been looking at him a little bit.