BEST RED SIMMENTAL BULL ON THE PLANET

[Simmgal]

So Dixieland, do you check the Calving Ease and Birth Weight EPD's of bulls that you are going to breed your heifers to?

NO I do not. I never AI to bulls I have never seen in person or I have at least seen their dams. I base my breeding decisions on visual appraisals. Never on epds.

Well, I am glad to hear that works for you and your operation! Using EPD's as a selection tool (especially on proven bulls with many offspring) works very well for me with my operation, especially when I am trying to breed for certain traits. While they are not foolproof, EPD's have been a useful tool to many, especially when the bulls in question are proven due to many progeny. Personal preference is one of the main aspects of how different individuals choose to run their operations and can play a role in how the cattle business operates. I think I'm up to 4 cents now. Might as well give a nickel.. ;D How you choose to do it is how you choose to do it.

 

[dixieland cattle co]

So Dixieland, do you check the Calving Ease and Birth Weight EPD's of bulls that you are going to breed your heifers to?

NO I do not. I never AI to bulls I have never seen in person or I have at least seen their dams. I base my breeding decisions on visual appraisals. Never on epds.

Well, I am glad to hear that works for you and your operation! Using EPD's as a selection tool (especially on proven bulls with many offspring) works very well for me with my operation, especially when I am trying to breed for certain traits. While they are not foolproof, EPD's have been a useful tool to many, especially when the bulls in question are proven due to many progeny. Personal preference is one of the main aspects of how different individuals choose to run their operations and can play a role in how the cattle business operates. I think I'm up to 4 cents now. Might as well give a nickel.. ;D How you choose to do it is how you choose to do it.

COOL BEANS! Thanks

 

[dixieland cattle co]

So Dixieland, do you check the Calving Ease and Birth Weight EPD's of bulls that you are going to breed your heifers to?

NO I do not. I never AI to bulls I have never seen in person or I have at least seen their dams. I base my breeding decisions on visual appraisals. Never on epds.

well... you are from teeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeee

things can get a little backwards down there...

keep that dern hoot owl out of the hen house, even if the hens don't care.

Seriously, you are going to talk about where someone is from or where they live? NICE BIG GUY! Let me try it. Let me see ILL. Isn't that where our great president is from? I think so. I can see why you are so proud of ILL. for that great accomplishment. Why don't you stick to talking about cattle.

 

[dixieland cattle co]

Dixieland Cattle,
I find it interesting that you order someone "not to question your honesty"......

I have a son who is an attorney and I found your statement that all attorneys
are dishonest to be insulting.......very insulting in fact.

if you wanna talk Simmis, my family has been raising Simmis since 1969;
my dad was one of the "pioneers" of the breed.

I do believe that EPD's are useful; when the milk number on two very much used
bulls.....Dominique and Desperado....are very poor after this many years and the
accuracy that they reflect; that is the TRUTH; there maybe a few exceptions;
but it will be true way more often than not.

I am not bashing those two bulls; we even used 5 units of Dominique last summer; not saying these bulls don't have a place; if I have a red dilutor cow whose milk numbers are over +10 and she is growthy herself and would benefit from a bull that can add the style and "look" that Dominique can give,
I don't have any problems using him.

However, some pple have a problem using a bull with such negative numbers, or don't have a suitable cow to use him on and that is their own choice; I never have a problem with ppl doing what they need to do.

I am sorry if my analogy upset you. It's  not like I was talking about your son specifically. I will go ahead and apologize to any and all fat girls that may have read my post as well. Thanks

 

[Shadow Hill Farm]

So Dixieland, do you check the Calving Ease and Birth Weight EPD's of bulls that you are going to breed your heifers to?

NO I do not. I never AI to bulls I have never seen in person or I have at least seen their dams. I base my breeding decisions on visual appraisals. Never on epds.

Well, I am glad to hear that works for you and your operation! Using EPD's as a selection tool (especially on proven bulls with many offspring) works very well for me with my operation, especially when I am trying to breed for certain traits. While they are not foolproof, EPD's have been a useful tool to many, especially when the bulls in question are proven due to many progeny. Personal preference is one of the main aspects of how different individuals choose to run their operations and can play a role in how the cattle business operates. I think I'm up to 4 cents now. Might as well give a nickel.. ;D How you choose to do it is how you choose to do it.

COOL BEANS! Thanks

Now that you cleared up how you justify breeding you cattle I can see your point of view of it as well. Nothing better than seeing first hand yourself. Like Simmgal and a lot of others I do go buy the EPD's as well and I know it's not full proof. It gives us an idea on what to use on which ones especially heifers. That's why we wait for the bull to have at least 3 or more years and see how reports are fairing. That's just us. I'm glad it works for you! Everyone runs it differently to each their own.  <cowboy>

 

[ablizzard01]

Well back to seethere has been alot of talk about epd's. I believe there was a angus back some where on Dominique side that would have counted as zero. So that in fact would lower the epds of Dominique himself but he keeps on producing offspring like this. To me it is a no brainer if you want to add correctness,  this would be one to use because there is no mistake he is sound as a cat. Also its obvious that he would make a great pen of fat cattle that would make you some money. So far as all ur criticism make sure u stop by and they would be glad to get him out and walk him around. Show me another bull that stacks up. Also I never called him a legend u give him some time and he may be there but for now he is a good just great one. Allen Wright

 

[qbcattle]

Nice looking bull!! Makes me almost want to swallow my pride and use a simmi  

And my 2 cents on the epd deal is that I feel they need not to be neglected, whether u make breeding and culling decisions by them or not, they have their purpose, if nothing more than a marketing tool. There is just so many variables like location, rainfall, herd management, low heritability, and unfortunately honesty where I think one would be foolish to manage their cattle soley based off an Expected Progeny Difference. And neither one of u boys arguing about where yall r from are from Texas so yall shouldn't be too proud anyway  

 

[WKYIronMike]

Somebody that raises a bull that looks as darn good as this Mack bull should be dang proud of him, with all the hard work and cost I'm sure it took to make such a nice product. But declaring him the best red simmental bull on the planet might be a choice of the wrong words to use. 1st because there isn't a perfect animal on the planet, and 2nd who knows what somebody else has. The Rest of us pride ourselves on the bulls we raise too. Therefore, he is a really nice bull and I have seen plenty of dams out there who has enough milk to raise nice powerful offspring from this bull. Here's my 2 cents on EPD's, they are there for a reason and that's to use but don't be stupid enough to not use your brain when selecting cattle either. Therefore if I was looking for a calving ease bull, I start by looking at the EPD's on the bulls, then I pick out the bulls with the group of numbers I'm looking for. Next, I do my best using my brain inspecting the bulls phenotype, soundness, structure, shape, and anything I can see about the bull. Lastly, I'll make sure it's a pedigree I want in the herd, such as does he outcross with the pedigree's I've got, is he a spotter, his polled and color bloodines etc... That's just the way I do it! But people are different, some are born with the ability to pick cattle nicely without extra tools and others aren't as well with it so anything that helps, will help us all. As far as States their is not a better one than Kentucky except in football season, dang it  

 

[kfacres]

So Dixieland, do you check the Calving Ease and Birth Weight EPD's of bulls that you are going to breed your heifers to?

NO I do not. I never AI to bulls I have never seen in person or I have at least seen their dams. I base my breeding decisions on visual appraisals. Never on epds.

well... you are from teeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeee

things can get a little backwards down there...

keep that dern hoot owl out of the hen house, even if the hens don't care.

Seriously, you are going to talk about where someone is from or where they live? NICE BIG GUY! Let me try it. Let me see ILL. Isn't that where our great president is from? I think so. I can see why you are so proud of ILL. for that great accomplishment. Why don't you stick to talking about cattle.

nobody from this state is a fan of our great pesident...  if we had our way, we'd anex them from the state..  Anything south of there, is southern IL, corn and rednecks. or so what they think...

 

[vc]

You all just crack me up (lol)

I think I like the new Jody, at least you let them insert their foot before you give it to them now, makes you not look like a bully.

He is a nice looking bull, we will have to wait and see how he produces.

 

[OH Breeder]

I have poor eyesight. Is there a larger picture somwhere and wasn't there suppose to be a video?

 

[kfacres]

he's feeling pretty good about now...  Lambing season is about here, plenty of sleep at night (for now), and has a plan to get some more cows up to his new place. 

 

[vc]

Good to hear things are going well, hope it stays that way for you.

 

[kfacres]

Good to hear things are going well, hope it stays that way for you.

just put heat lamps over frozen pipes.. but w/e...  let it ride... is my new motto.

 

[LostFarmer]

The fact is that bull has enough maternal cow power in the bottom side of that pedigree that he just might have enough.  Goldmine produced some supermilky daughters.  The bottom side has the maternal as it should be.  I would certainly try enough of the bull to see if he worked on my set of cows.  He might breed like a dud and he might be the best bull since Meyer for the Simmi people.  (I realize meyer is not considered as great among many of the purebred breeders.)

EPD's are a tool but they must be used with extreme caution.  To blindly follow EPD's is as foolish as not using them at all.  I know a number chasing breeder that culls his older cows because they don't have the EPD of the younger ones.  To me the proof is in the pudding.  A cow regardless of EPD that has produced good ones out of different bulls is the kind we all want.  Not how her numbers will nick with this bulls numbers.  There is so much that can happen with numbers.  Creep feed and ET work can alter the numbers.  If I had a herd of holstien cross cows for recieps on good pasture and a little creep I could blow the doors of the weaning weight numbers.  BUT that would be the doing of a recipient cow not the calf.  There are always these little things that make a difference.  So a tool but not a rule book is how I look at EPD's 

In the end you eat beef not numbers. 

 

[dixieland cattle co]

The fact is that bull has enough maternal cow power in the bottom side of that pedigree that he just might have enough.  Goldmine produced some supermilky daughters.  The bottom side has the maternal as it should be.   I would certainly try enough of the bull to see if he worked on my set of cows.   He might breed like a dud and he might be the best bull since Meyer for the Simmi people.  (I realize meyer is not considered as great among many of the purebred breeders.)

EPD's are a tool but they must be used with extreme caution.  To blindly follow EPD's is as foolish as not using them at all.  I know a number chasing breeder that culls his older cows because they don't have the EPD of the younger ones.  To me the proof is in the pudding.  A cow regardless of EPD that has produced good ones out of different bulls is the kind we all want.  Not how her numbers will nick with this bulls numbers.   There is so much that can happen with numbers.  Creep feed and ET work can alter the numbers.  If I had a herd of holstien cross cows for recieps on good pasture and a little creep I could blow the doors of the weaning weight numbers.  BUT that would be the doing of a recipient cow not the calf.  There are always these little things that make a difference.  So a tool but not a rule book is how I look at EPD's 

In the end you eat beef not numbers. 

Finally a COWBOY. I am going to use your quote"In the end you eat beef not numbers."  I wish I had thought of it. (thumbsup)