Sunseeker BWs?

[herefordfootball]

Ok, we flushed our Hannibal cow to Heat Wave and are thinking about breeding back to sunseeker. The reason we arent putting in egg back in her or breeding her back to HW is because of a lot of people having expericences with hard pull, C-sections, and damaged or dead cows. I havent really heard of high bw sunseekers, was wondering what everone's experience with calving sunseeker calves was like? Unassisted?, Easy pull? Hard pull? C-section? Dead cow or calf from birth weight?  Thanks in advance!!!

 

[BCCC]

I haven't heard of very many big ones. Most of them comes unassited, with some needing an easy pull. I had a heifer calve unassited to him. I think you would be just fine with SS on her.

 

[vet tech]

I have heard mixed opinions on SS calving. I have heard moderate to extreme horror stories. Our neighbor had a 150 pounder . And it wasn't the cows diet through the winter that did it either, she only ate hay, no grain

 

[Sundy]

We raised Sun Seeker's mother and have used him every year 2005. We have experienced no problems and moderate birthweights, with most of ours coming around 80 to 85 pounds. The gestation length for us is typically 270 days to 283 days, with cows seldomly going over. I know an individual who used him last year on 25 commercial Angus X Simmental cows and all came unassisted. The birthweights ranged anywhere from 65 pounds on a heifer calf that came 10 days early and 90 pounds on a couple bull calves out of 1700 to 1800 pound cows. He is very impressed with the quality and performance of the calves. He ordered 50 units of him this year and intends on using it all. We have some half sisters to Sun Seeker's mother and all of them also produce calves with moderate and highly desirable birthweights for mature cows. We have never used him on heifers but we have no concerns breeding 2nd calf heifers to him. I hope this helps and please feel free to ask questions. 

 

[farmboy]

do you have any pictures of sunnys dam? we bred 4 to him this year, i think 3 stuck. have 3 calves in my show string out of him, an awesome heifer and a steer and another steer who has some minor leg issuses but he is thick thick thick and big boned. did i mention hair?  O0 O0 O0

 

[Sundy]

Zach, no we do not have any pictures of Sun Seeker's dam. We sold her to Bob Sunquist as a weaning calf and he raised Sun Seeker. Fred Campbell in Indiana bought her from Bob Sunquist and to my knowledge he still has her. We only have a couple half sisters to Sun Seeker's dam left and are excellent cows. One half sister is out of a Bando 1961 son and another is out of DJ High Definition. I am pleased to here that you like your Sun Seeker calves. We have a Sun Seeker heifer that will be on Goretska's sale this fall and she looks really good. We have several Sun Seeker steers that will make someone nice calves. Ours always have good hair and great disposition. They carcass very well, the daughters are excellent mothers, they milk, and the calves grow extremely well. Just like any bull he has his negative aspects, but I feel he is an all round good bull to use in various settings from commercial to clubby.

 

[herefordfootball]

Thanks everyone for the info and experiences!!! She was givin lut today(flushed) and we are going to breed her to sunseeker. Thanks!!!

Chris

 

[CAB]

Be aware that you are lining up the WMW. Brent

 

[herefordfootball]

Be aware that you are lining up the WMW. Brent

Yeah we were aware of that and thought that Who went far enough back in sunseeker that we'd probaly be ok. We'll see though. I'm with you though on not doubling up on who. Thanks for letting me know though!!!

Chris