Help! Bull after bull

[Lakeshore Show Cattle]

Greetings from Wisconsin,

I am in need of some advice, knowledge, whatever you can give me.  My finace and I started our own farm in 2008. I brought my favorite cows from home and we started chasing our dreams.
Anyways, today we had our 8th calf and of course it was another bull. We are 8 for 8 on bulls. We have used 3 different bulls, obviously different cows and we still cant seem to get a heifer for the life of us. Some of these cows have had heifers before, one of them is usually spot on with 50/50.

Other than buying sexed semen, what can I do? Is there a chance we are doing something wrong  or are we just not lucky?

Thanks!

 

[Bulldaddy]

Try raising steers and I bet you end up with a lot of heifers.

 

[shortyjock89]

Last year out of 18 calves, we only had 3 heifers, and one was a twin to a bull.  The year before we had 4 heifers out of 21 calves.  I can't ever remember being heavy on heifers, but a few years back we were close to 50/50.  I'm not sure what the deal is, I'm just glad the heifers we do get are pretty decent, and we have a pretty good steer market haha.

 

[ruhtram]

Its strange how things work out sometimes! I don't think there is much you can do.

 

[Cattledog]

Try raising steers and I bet you end up with a lot of heifers.

(lol)

 

[OH Breeder]

I was always told whether true or not, the time of conception can dictate the sex of the calf. If they settle early usually a bull if bred later in heat heifer. Heard the same concept on the grade of embryo's. If grade 1 better chance of bull and grade 2 better chance of heifer. We time breed so I usually have a 50/50 split. Go figure.

 

[BIGTEX]

I've had 9 out of 10 heifers. Who knows?

 

[Lakeshore Show Cattle]

I've had 9 out of 10 heifers. Who knows?

Maybe its in your water, I will be bringing a whole load ;D

 

[amcosgra]

Past two years have had 18 calves and each year have 5 heifers and 13 bulls.  Luckily all heifers have been keepers and steers grow well.  Dad has 70 cows and like clock work every year he gets 50/50 but weird thing is they come in stretches.  Last year his first calf was a bull and 15 next were all heifers but eventually leveled out.  Like they have said when you want heifers you have bulls, and vice versa. 

 

[CCW]

2 yrs ago my herd was 3 heifers out of 18 calves. Last yr. 2 heifers out of 18 calves. This yr I have 5 heifers out of 8 calves so far. You just never know. I've been wanting heifers to build my herd and I usually have more luck selling show heifers so go figure.

 

[shortdawg]

Maybe Cowboy can chime in on this one but I was told if you AI on the early side you could increase your chances for heifers.

 

[e/bcattle]

I wish we had your problem we want bull calves to sell steers and right now we are at 5 heifers and 2 bulls with 17 more to go.  Nice thing is we are about at the time to phase out some older cows and bring in some heifers so it will all work out.  Last year we had 13 heifers and 8 bulls which in reality isn't bad but we really wanted the bull calves.  Now we just hope to get everything settled and produce a calf out of every cow regardless of sex.

 

[texas111]

The sex of the calf depends solely on the sperm cell that fertilizes the egg.  other than buying sexed seman you cant really do anything.  there are alot of tall tales out there that say if you breed the animal earlier it will be a female or certain cows usually throw certain sexed calves.  in fact there is nothing you can do to get the sex you want besides sexed seman.  if you dont want to do that then patience is your only answer.  good luck to you.  It will all work out in due time. 

 

[farmboy]

I would be willing to bet it has something to do with how early or late they were bred in cycle

 

[rtmcc]

Running 2/3rd's bulls here so far and half done.  The kids asked me if I put the semen in upside down!  (lol)

Ron
<cowboy>

 

[ploughshare]

I was told that endometrial  pH, uterine condition and insemination timing would most influence the gender of the calf.  Breeding on early heats, early insemination and a non-neutral uterine pH would favor females.  Also, younger sires would tend to throw females more often than older sires, but not to a significant amount.  These conclusions are based on statistics which define a population and cannot be applied to any one specific cow.  At a producer level, I am not sure how one could easily influence the final gender determination and maintain reproductive efficiencies other than to use sexed semen, which, IMHO, is only marginally cost effective.  I, too, have had years where the genders were skewed to one or the other.  After all each pregnancy is is own event.

 

[CMAHerefords]

I've always been told whatever your first calf of the year is that is what you will have the most of that year.

- Seems to be true for us. Maybe its just a coincidence?
(ofcourse our first calf this year was a bull. Last 3 years we have been really heavy on heifers tho. Almost 4 heifers:1 bull )

 

[OH Breeder]

Here is an interesting article on timing of AI and sex etc.  http://www.newovatec.com/gender.html

"In a retrospective analysis of data, Steinel (1981) reported that male sex tended to be favored by 12% when cows were inseminated late in standing heat with separated semen. Whereas, earlier insemination (i.e.: closer to ovulation) resulted in a 50:50 ration."

"Physiologic control of calf sex would seem to be most probably related to sperm capacitation, which is necessary for fertilization to occur. It has been demonstrated that secretions for the uterus and oviduct, as well as follicular fluid released at ovulation, participate in the capacitation process (Hunter and Hall, 1974; Iritani and Niva, 1977; Esbanshade and Clegg, 1980; Herz et al., 1985). Research has demonstrated that ion fluxes in these fluids control capacitation activities. Induction of acrosomal exocytosis has been mediated by agents such as calcium concentration in the uterine environment (Yanagimachi, 1975; Green, 1978; Triana et al., 1980; Parrish et al., 1988; Roldan and Harrison, 1989). Parrish, (1992) reported that the uptake of calcium ions by bovine sperm during capacitation was sequential, increasing in intracellular concentration over time. Increases in potassium ion concentrations promoted a concomitant increase in calcium uptake by bovine spermatozoa (Babcock, 1988) with the calcium uptake accelerated under alkaline conditions (Garcia-Sota et al., 1987). Tash et al., (1988) reported that phosphorylation reactions were necessary for sperm mobility and these mimicked calcium alterations of sperm mobility. Babcock (1983) revealed potassium-dependent increases in cystosolic pH stimulated metabolism and mobility of sperm cells. If spermatozoa carrying a Y chromosome capacitate earlier postinsemination due to a greater sensitivity to uterine ion concentration than those carrying an X chromosome, uterine-oviduct environment mediated sex selection could occur."

So yes. the time of heat and AI do effect the sex of the calf.

 

[shortdawg]

OH good pos! I'm a firm believer that if you breed early in the cylce your chances for heifers are better.

 

[farmboy]

im positive its the timing. our old pale face bull's first year we had 9 heifers and 1 steer. we progressivly had more bulls each year after that. Our new bull after that (a yearling) threw more heifers his first year as well.