Thoughts?

Here is my situation.......  My dad and I have about 60 Limousin based commercial cows.  Last two years we have AIed heifers to Power 2 Change, and have five pretty nice heifers out of him that will be AIed this spring (two I think are pretty darn good). Also have a few angus based (Bismarck granddaughter) type young cows.  Two summers ago we leased Deal Me In and a smokin Joe son from Goddards and have those heifers to AI this spring.

Here is my goal.....  Daughter is very interested in cattle, she showed a bucket calf last year, and has put in her request of a red heifer calf for her bucket calf project this summer.  Our local county fair has a "starter class" for K-3 graders that are BUCKET calves, not feeder calves pulled off of the cow.    Anyway, this years Breeding will be the calves that she chooses from for her first big calf project.  I am not thinking I am going to raise a jackpot steer, or major steer, but would like to raise a solid animal that looks the part and has a chance to be competitve while having sisters that aren't auto culls because of their breeding.

At this point Dad is strict with double clean, and I agree, because of the heifers going back into the herd.  I have ten straws of SPLASH in the tank already from Goddard.  One of Power2Change owners comes and helps us AI so I have easy access to more of that.  I have also been looking at three double clean bulls with Irish Whiskey in them, (Rumor Mill and Afterhours which I could pick up a few straws of at IBE from Cattle vision, and Direct Whiskey which I could pick up easily from Trausch farm.).  Also considered AllAboard which I could pick up at Iowa beef expo.

Specific cows I am considering AIing, obviously the Power 2 change, deal me in, and smokin joe heifers ....... but I have a smaller framed five year old Bismarck daughter that is structurally right easy to work with and raised a really nice heifer out of a Simmental bull(I bought her bred last spring). Then there are four or five larger framed heavy muscled thick made "nothing fancy just solid commercial four year old cows"    AIing 15-20 heifers and don't mind, in fact plan on, using 2-3 bulls on them.  But for the cows would like to buy five straws of the same bull, cycle them AI them and turn them out.  Obviously the smaller framed cow will not get the same thing that the big framed ones get, she may get a "heifer" straw. 

Any thoughts from guys that like picking bulls?  Either the bulls I listed or is there another bull that will produce a good steer and productive heifers?

I would look at one and only and/or grizzly bear. Both are double clean but should breed a little different. I used one and only on a clean Maine cow and got a solid steer out of her. He didn't downsize any and the steer had enough hair . Grizzly bear looks smaller and softer made IMO. I would use him on bigger, harder made cows . I haven't used him yet but I hear that is how he breeds. Both bulls females should be very useful too. Dakota gold should have several calves on the ground  this spring so keep an eye on them as well. Good luck.

You have picked the 3 safest Whiskys there are-I think Rumor Mill and Direct Whiskey are both very good EZ calving bulls-Grizzly Bear would certainly be one of the few Monopolies-possibly Dynasty out of Hrrrieta-or Incredible Hulk and some of her other sons-Not necessarily hiefer safe-but any daughters out of that breeding should make cows-PS-Lmmis x very well with Shorthorns-especially those made like the Proud Jazz sons-just a thought-you could get some color,CE. and some cows on a couple that way-CERTAINLY a steer or two O0

IMO you are close enough to two popular bull studs, I would plan on making a couple trips up to visit them this spring so that you can see the bulls in person. Well worth the time and money that it would cost you.

mark tenenbaum said:

You have picked the 3 safest Whiskys there are-I think Rumor Mill and Direct Whiskey are both very good EZ calving bulls-Grizzly Bear would certainly be one of the few Monopolies-possibly Dynasty out of Hrrrieta-or Incredible Hulk and some of her other sons-Not necessarily hiefer safe-but any daughters out of that breeding should make cows-PS-Lmmis x very well with Shorthorns-especially those made like the Proud Jazz sons-just a thought-you could get some color,CE. and some cows on a couple that way-CERTAINLY a steer or two O0

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Anything we breed that adds color had better not throw any salebarn calves,  I had five calves with Hereford markings and got robbed at the sale barn.  Anything other then a white face gets a huge dock......  To clarify, around here

As far as seeing them in person, I have no issue with going to see them in person, but  I am much more concerned with how they breed then how they look.  Some great looking bulls won't through a good one no matter what they are bred to, while some more "average" looking will out produce themselves consistently.   

I like the Grizzly Bear bull,  He might work on a couple of the bigger framed limis

I have some Rumor Mill calves coming this spring (hopefully) all though the cows may not have stuck to AI.

They are due Feb. 15 and so are the rest of my cows so I will post when I get calves

Be careful with the Whiskey sons if you don't want them chromed up. I'm pretty sure that the Afterhours bull is Homo black, but not sure about the others that have been mentioned. What is the breeding on the Splash bull of Goddard's?

One in a million son out of angus cow

CAB said:

IMO you are close enough to two popular bull studs, I would plan on making a couple trips up to visit them this spring so that you can see the bulls in person. Well worth the time and money that it would cost you.

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I like what CAB is telling you here.

Another idea......you have mentioned Goddard several times in your post.  You are located very close to Goddard.  Call Garrett over at Goddard's and have him come over and go through the actual cows with you.  Those guys know cattle and have a solid battery of bulls.

The other thing about calling Goddard is that they will come back and go through the calves in the summer, and will be a player on anything special that you would want to turn into real money!

I know that Goddard doesn't have a Monopoly type of super popular bull, but I am starting to think that we may all be overlooking some pretty darn solid bulls and cattle in that operation. 

We have a Bad Company steer this year, and I was very hesitant to buy him.  I made a LOT of phone calls before we did, and man are we happy that we did! 

I am actually friends with Randy.  Will probably buy some embryos from him at some point.  I just really have liked virtually everything I have heard about Irish Whiskey lines when it comes to producing maternal. 

Your right though he has some bulls that deserve more use.  Creature is a beast.  Talking with him is why I have ten straws of splash.  And we will use him some, just wanted to hear if there were any others that I had not heard of that I should consider.