OK here is the honest to goodness no BS deal report that I got from Norman Bruce at Leveldale.
American Muscle was bred to the largest cows in their inventory! they did not use him on the cows that I would have... When I was there I would have bred him to the Eagle 148 daughters but they were the only ones that were anywhere close to what my cows were like.....My guess was the cows they used were pushing frame 7 and way over 1600 lbs Impressive females just big!
Norm said that the cows went through a period of VERY VERY cold weather that drove birth weights up way over what they should have been..... His first Birth weights were in that 90 - 100 lb range, but Norm said all the calves were that heavy, reguardless of the sire... Lee Bigham experienced the same phenomenon as well this year at practically the same time frame! the calves came unassisted just big. I am expecting to have an average of less than 80lbs out of him next Spring but my cows are easily a frame score smaller on average and I know my available nutritional options are no where near what the leveldale cows had.. They were on silage!
On a side note.. Next year 1/2 of our calf crop will be sired by American Muscle and the other half will be 3/4 sibs to him!!! So if anyone is shopping for stuff like AM the supply will be here in 2009!