Experimenting..

[Simmgal]

I am looking to purchase a Red Angus and possibly a Charolais heifer at our local expo in a few months. I know I need to buy one first, but I am curious as to what you would breed a heifer of either breed to while keeping them pure. I have had some suggestions, but I would like to hear some of your input! I would like the calves to be show quality since I would most likely be selling or showing them. I also do not know a tremendous amount about their EPD's, so I have guessed some after looking at breed averages. Any options are welcome, I am just curious to know what you think! Thanks for your time!

Here are some that I am interested in:
CHAR:
http://abs-bs.absglobal.com/beef/charolais.asp?CodTouro=29CH0205

http://abs-bs.absglobal.com/beef/charolais.asp?CodTouro=29CH0206

RED ANGUS:
http://abs-bs.absglobal.com/beef/redangus.asp?CodTouro=237AR1238

http://abs-bs.absglobal.com/beef/redangus.asp?CodTouro=29AR0236

http://cattlevisions.com/Red%20Angus/MajesticLightning.php (I know that he is not calving ease, but I like his look)

 

[Warrior10]

I love the Fat Tony bull, heifer in my avatar is bred to him for a April calf. I plan to keep breeding heifers to him!

 

[Simmgal]

I love the Fat Tony bull, heifer in my avatar is bred to him for a April calf. I plan to keep breeding heifers to him!

Thanks! I saw an original post about him a few months ago and that's what got me interested in him! I would love to know what the calf looks like once it's born!!

 

[Lucky_P]

The Beckton Epic bull would be my Red Angus choice - he'd make good, efficient, productive cows - important in the real world - but may not fit the bill as a sire for show ring 'performance'.

I'm still squinchy enough about calving ease/BW on heifers, and the need for live calves that hit the ground and get up and grow,  that if I were breeding Charolais, I'd go with Big Ben or the NWMSU Platinum Charolais bull from Accelerated Genetics.  How their calves would stack up in the show ring, I have no clue.

 

[Simmgal]

The Beckton Epic bull would be my Red Angus choice - he'd make good, efficient, productive cows - important in the real world - but may not fit the bill as a sire for show ring 'performance'.

I'm still squinchy enough about calving ease/BW on heifers, and the need for live calves that hit the ground and get up and grow,  that if I were breeding Charolais, I'd go with Big Ben or the NWMSU Platinum Charolais bull from Accelerated Genetics.  How their calves would stack up in the show ring, I have no clue.

Thanks for the response! I will check those bulls out.

 

[frostback]

Doing your homework is great but I would ask the seller for recommendations also. They would know what has been working in their program and I am sure would have some suggestions. Have fun, its exciting starting something new.

 

[Woodland Farms Show Cattl]

for the char heifer nothing has impressed me more than MR Firewater, i think he is safe for heifers but not sure. i know you can get him through cattle visions and possibly genex
for the red angus, the bull Chester from genex really impresses me but again im not sure about for a heifer i never really looked at epds for these bulls since i breed maines shorthorns and clubby cows. just my 2 cents

 

[HF CHARS]

Wouldn't suggest firewater on heifers,,,he can be used but with caution ,,for a char bluegrass is a surebet ,,but redsmoke will give you mire of a showring presence if you don't mind the chance of getting a red one

 

[Simmgal]

Wouldn't suggest firewater on heifers,,,he can be used but with caution ,,for a char bluegrass is a surebet ,,but redsmoke will give you mire of a showring presence if you don't mind the chance of getting a red one

So bluegrass is better for calving ease? And just out of curiosity how much would a red Char hurt me in the ring/breed?

 

[frostback]

Take the time and spend the little money and call the ACA and find out the registration rules for reds. I think if they are such and such dark red they limit the registration and the shows they can go to. They may only be percentages or something like that.

 

[Simmgal]

Take the time and spend the little money and call the ACA and find out the registration rules for reds. I think if they are such and such dark red they limit the registration and the shows they can go to. They may only be percentages or something like that.

Makes sense, and I will probably end up doing that. Just wanted to ask you guys before going all in! Haha ;D

In all honesty, If I were to get a Char, I would breed her to white Char. We have red calves docked worse than white ones, so I wouldn't wanna take the chance.

 

[Red Cow Relocators]

This attachment has a few Red Angus bulls that you won't normally see. We have added this to our services as we believe that the are herd bulls walking pastures that many of the AI studs overlook. Check it out, we will be adding more bulls to it as time goes on and will have a complete list up on our website in the near future. RCR

 

[DL]

Of the Red Angus bulls you listed I would go with Epic - not only is he calving ease with relatively high accuracy his maternal grand sire is Julian B571 - a maker of great females. I am with Lucky P on this one - for heifers I look for proven high accuracy calving ease. Another ABS bull that I have had real good luck with on Red Angus heifers is Red Crowfoot Ole Oscar - high accuracy 91% SE and low BW

 

[Mark H]

Simigal,

The solution bull is not the best calf Joe Doll has raised-not by a long shot.  In fact his sire EC No Doubt has a lower BWT EPD and better growth numbers.  Big Ben is a sell out calving ease bull with average growth numbers.  You can buy better bulls at commercial bull sales.  Bulls like Oakdale Duke and Baldrdge Fasttrack are better bulls and are proven.
For bulls that would make your calves more marketable:
SVY Kaboom: http://www.charolaisbanner.com/elder/sire.htm
LT Ledger: http://www.ltranch.com/charolais/sires/0332.html
Winn Mann Lanza: http://www.ltranch.com/charolais/sires/WML.html
For red factor calving ease bulls go to: http://www.sandrosecharolais.com/  SRK Solid 12U is a nice calving ease red bull.
What you you think?

 

[Mark H]

Simmygal,

How did the Doll bull sale go?  He has a number of bulls with similar pedigrees to the solution bull.  Don't get me wrong if you were going to buy bulls to put on angus or BWF cow we would be a good choice.  But for an AI bull I want more proven calving ease growth.