Head Circumference measurement

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uluru

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
541
Location
Oakville, ON. Canada
What is everyone's thoughts on the head circumference measurement on bull calves as outlined in the NO BULL sale catalogue this year.
I find it is an easy measuremnt to have taken and wonder about the philosophy behind it?

I have had the head measured on all my bull calves this spring and they range from 44.5 cm to 50 cms
 

aj

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Joined
Jul 5, 2006
Messages
6,420
Location
western kansas
I know some Red Angus herds have used it in addition to birth weights......epds....... etc. From this outfit.......in my opinion is a joke. They don't list bwt's.....and if they ever did(never mind).......has any Sullivan bulls really went on to sire cattle? I knda liked the deal Jungels bought into(limited edition bloodline deal)......was Asset Sulivan bred. I think head circumference(from a honest outfit) is valuable. Another trait that can be measured.
 

frostback

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Feb 7, 2007
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2,068
Location
Colorado
Uluru, do you know how or where exactally they measure? Any other info on the tests.
 
C

cornish

Guest
if nobody intends to follow Epds and performance data-- then why waste the time to measure it?  Obviously, SULL's biggest market- is to show ring people-- who continue breeding and making Trump bred cattle with PLUS 4.5 BW EPDS.  Not just that outfit- but anyone in general-- refuses to follow lead by example... then why continue forward? 

The people who don't report a BW- are some of the most honest people in the association- IMO.  They aren't going to make genetic selections from that data-- so they're not going to collect it. 

Who cares if a producer has 20 years with of WW and YW and BW data-- if they don't care about making those EPDS better, bigger, smaller, or whatever?

I see this, as a waste of time-- in the SHORTHORN breed for the majority of people making shorthorns.  Genetics don't lie- if you don't intend to change your genetics, your selection criteria, or you end goal-- they it will be impossible to change how you get there, or what you produce.

Continue breeding with premature born bulls who have small head measurements, and 75 pound birth weights- and bone out of this world....  Then feed those daughters self feeders-- and pull calves-- just as it's always been.
 

uluru

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
541
Location
Oakville, ON. Canada
Frostback see attached pdf file article and diagram on page 3
 

Attachments

  • Selection for Calf Shape Head Measurement.pdf
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sue

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Joined
May 1, 2007
Messages
1,906
Bob
Panhandle Red Angus measures calves....  also Ron Bolze of  5L Red Angus is a good source for this discussion and also pelvis area too.
 
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