Breeding Club Calves

[njsagner16]

I am starting a new topic on breeding club calf heifers, because the only topics I’ve been able to find were from 2013 and before. I have two clubby heifer calves that are Dig Your Spurs In x a Balancer cow. I am curious about how feasible it would be to breed them? Have no idea calving ease, milking ability, overall maternal ability of a clubby heifer. Does anyone have any suggestions on a bull to use, or simply general advice on what to do with them? Thought about flushing them, but have heard that flushing virgin heifers isn’t advised. The goal is to get more clubbies out of them to sell. I would appreciate any and all suggestions on what to do!

 

[Gargan]

If you like the qualities your hfrs possess. Try them. Breed to a calving ease bull first time however.  It's a crap shoot usually.  Some make good cows, others couldn't raise a chickadee. I would wait to flush until they prove theirselves worthy. Jmo

 

[jconner2088]

Ok so let me take a stab.... flushing virgin heifers usually not a good idea... but we have had really good luck with ivf on heifers..... we have had really good luck using no worries on our clubby heifers. Dig your spurs in (blaze of glory son? If so have not had lots og experience with that breeding but sure like the looks of the blaze of glory heifers i have seen. Best advice i have ever heard on breeding clubby heifers was make sure they are in good standing heat and dont let em get fat.

 

[CRS]

Why not embryos?  I think with just a few cows you could increase the quality of your genetics exponentially with buying embryos and putting them in.  Sell your steers and keep the good heifers.  Some low birthweight heifer safe embryos for your first timers would be good too. 

 

[jconner2088]

Ill go out on a limb and anwser the why no embryos when first starting out. For some reason this is the first reponse of so many.  Embroys cost a whole lot more and a straw of semen yes ypu have to spend money to make it but i can tell you cause we have done the embryo deal its no guarantee. Not saying that ai is any better but alot cheaper for someone starting out.

 

[CRS]

I agree, it is an investment and you just have to figure out what works best for you and your goals.  We use embryos a lot to protect our genetic investment, especially as a cow starts to age.

 

[shortybreeder]

If you like the qualities your hfrs possess. Try them. Breed to a calving ease bull first time however.  It's a crap shoot usually.  Some make good cows, others couldn't raise a chickadee. I would wait to flush until they prove theirselves worthy. Jmo

+1 on waiting to flush. Unless one of them is irreplaceable (e.g. National Champion or someone has already asked to buy embryos out of them). I myself had a cow I really wanted to flush when I got started, but looking back I'm glad I didn't. She wasn't good enough despite the fact she was my best cow. She and both of her daughters have since been culled and replaced with much better individuals.
If you want to start producing breeding stock, start with the best genetics you can afford. Be objective when looking at them, and remember "like begets like." If you don't think you could sell half a dozen calves just like them, it may be more worthwhile to buy embryos and put them in your heifers for their 2nd, 3rd, etc. calves. First calf you're probably best off breeding to a calving ease bull and getting a live calf/healthy cow. Any "heifer safe embryo" probably isn't going to produce a calf worth much more than a calving ease bull would, and as another comment stated a straw of semen is much cheaper than an embryo.

 

[mark tenenbaum]

You are right there Shorty Breeder weather clubby-functional-performance, Show breeding-or Heritage-one size fits all-In terms of the ideas here JMO  O0