Total Package calves--anybody had any??

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oakbar

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Has anyone used the Maine bull Total Package?  What kind of cows did you use him on and what do you think of his calves?
 

justme

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I seen about 25 of them a couple weeks ago.  They were ok.  Seems to put some size on the calves.  I really didn't see enough consistancy in the calves I seen to convince me to try him in all honesty.
 

CAB

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I think a great bull for carcass traits and high genstar marks, but I think by looking @ your pics you like look. He won't do it for you consistantly IMO.
 

knabe

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justme said:
I seen about 25 of them a couple weeks ago.  They were ok.  Seems to put some size on the calves.  I really didn't see enough consistancy in the calves I seen to convince me to try him in all honesty.

this seems reasonable to expect.  here's his pedigree.

http://maine-anjou.weaveyourwebdreams.com/breed/pedigree.asp?RegNo=337217

notice the outcross relatively recent, ie the 322H cow by tykia 77 and an angus.  to me, this is like breeding two 3 star animals for tenderness and getting 1/8 with all 6 stars, and 1/8 with none.  lots of room for inconsistency, so one would need some numbers to move with him.    i used him on a legacy plus backdraft cow, got a bull calf.  also have a direct midas cow.  that one will probably be like the first, just a regular maine with lot's of muscle, maybe some markers, not a wide tracker, sound, perhaps too growthy, and, in the end, probably too tall behind.  if i wanted better chances with him, i would use him on some puds that were definately level topped instead of the high hipped females i've seen that show, and that had wide tracking and needed some muscle through the lower hip area and over their top, but not necessarily in the lower quarter.  clean made up front.  long headed, not wide between eyes.  if and when i get a female with markers from either of two other bulls i'm trying this year, i'll use him on them for second calf.  i would think if i had an outstanding female from him without breeding to the above, that that would be pretty awesome.

consistency is probably somewhat a function of homozygosity, and since most people don't do line breeding, it's even harder to find consistency excpet through luck and people comparing results.

i forgot to mention, tykia 77 is in there twice, once on the top, and once on the bottom.  derouchey used the last of the available tykia 77 semen on angus females.  i can't remember who, but someone but a few of those from him and has quite a few, 15 -20 or so.
 

oakbar

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Thanks for the input guys.  I haven't ordered any of his semen this year but put him on my watch list to look at his calves and maybe consider him in the future.
 
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