Which Black "Steer" Bulls Do You Like Best (Other than Heat Wave)

[chambero]

Trying to narrow down my choices for fall breeding.
Which black bulls (or red crossbreds for that matter) are you having the best luck with for steers?  Now that spring calves are big enough to tell a little about, curious which ones folks are happiest with.

Bulls I've never used that I'm thinking of using:

Naughty Pine
About Time
Sunseeker
Dirty Harry
My Turn
Copyright (for some cows I want to be careful with on calving ease) - shooting for "Angus" steers here.

Thoughts or suggestions or comments on the ones I'm thinking of would be appreciated.

 

[steermomintx]

We have some About Time calves on the ground that are showing some promise--only time will tell for sure though.  We are also considering using the bull Copyright, I really like him!!

 

[kane1598]

Sunseeker, Naughty Pine and Texas Hold'em.

 

[Freddy]

What type or breed of cow's do you have ,seem's like that make's quite a difference what your mating a bull to.

 

[bcosu]

I like most the sunseekers I've seen. I've only seen a couple my turns but they were just calves, feedlot calves really. They weren't bad just nothing exciting at all.

 

[HeiferShower14]

what about johnny walker red. leroy brown, or jimmy the greek? o and monopoly

 

[showcattlegal]

Monopoly, point taken, and Milkman. The sunseekers  have seen and been around are really good. I have seen some bad ones too, I think it really depends on what kind of cow you use him on too.

 

[gocanes719]

Eyes on the Money

 

[ZNT]

We have gotten along well with About Time, Sunseeker, and Who Made Who.  These bulls are not for everyone though.  If you have cows with a lot of club calf genetics, you are asking for a disaster.  Cows need to be larger frame, and VERY sound, otherwise you will see quite a few cripples.  We currently have an About Time that is probably the best bull calf we have ever produced, and he is only 1 month old right now.  He is out of our Audrey (CTR Success) donor cow that we are sell a flush out of next week.  We are going to sell 1/2 interest and full possession of this bull calf next week at the Total Package Sale in Athens, TX on Oct. 11th.  Also our high selling from last years calf crop was an About Time out of our other CTR Success donor cow.  Seem's to be a little trend here.

Good luck and happy breeding.

Zane

 

[Chap]

I have used several on your list. Here is my impression.
Naughty Pine - Seems pretty consistent on hair and average muscle, Haven't seen many throw aways, but I have not used him myself
About Time - Used him pretty heavy for 2 years with good success.  Sold every calf I ever had at a premium.  Works best on bigger framed, big boned cows.  will add hair and muscle, they tend to break behind their shoulder a little and can be a little frail.  Some question the feeding abillity of the calves.  I think he has his place on the right cows.  old school maine influence cows seemed to work best for me.
Sunseeker - I have used him quite a bit, works best on nice fronted square hipped cows that are sound.  he will add hair and muscle consistently, calves look great early and then go thru a little ugly stage.  seem to have a little more leather in the brisket area and you need to watch structure on pasterns and knees.  mated correctly you will really like them.  he does not appear to downsize anything for me.  calves grow like the cow they are out of

 

[afhm]

Point Taken
Hairy Bear
Sun Seeker
Eyes on the Money
My Turn
Solid Oak (he is heck for stout)
any of the Duff bulls should work for you.
Monopoly
Red Hot

 

[chambero]

My AI groups are a mix.  In general, we've mostly larger framed cows.

Quite a few 1/4 Simi, 3/4 Angus out of Meyer sons

1/4 to 1/2 blood Maines going back to Magic, Pistol Pete, and Smithbilt

Some true Chi-Angus out of the Flash bloodlines from Charles Burk if anyone is particularly familiar with Chi-Angus

Probably 20 or so Cunia grandaughters out of a Cunia son from Foreplay's dam.  Angus on the dam side.

A few out of club calf bulls (a really good Friction, a couple of Kadabras, and some Palefaces) that I'll probably breed to a purebred Charolais bull that Kris Black is starting to promote (George).

 

[drew06]

really like about time. we used an about time son as clean up last season and they are all contenders. clubby hairy and big boned. that blood line made a beleiver outa me!

 

[Dero]

The Flash lines seem to work well with the Ace lines in our experience, our main program is Chiangus while we play with some clubby and sim genetics.

 

[cdcccfite]

I saw a couple of great Sunseekers @ the West Texas Fair and we have two About Times that are going to be pretty nice.

 

[farmerboy317]

1 sunseeker
2 paddy o' malley
3 monopoly
4 who made who
5 golden child
6 hairy bear
7 money shot
8 ali

 

[DCC_Cattle]

Sun Seeker & Who Made Who

 

[Throttle]

I don't have experience with very many of those bulls either, but here's what I know.

I'm surprised at how many responded positively with About Time. I had several over a two year span out of what I'd call my better cows and they were as a group, thick enough, but worse fronted and necked and finer boned than the dams. I gave him one more chance this last year on what I thought would be the ideal cow for him and the bull calf has spastic paresis. OHB has a couple very stout, hairy, cool looking clean up babies from an AT son.

I've still not seen a ton of Sunseekers and have only had a couple. I'm going to use a little bit more but I'm going to be very careful of front end and hip structure, as well as look and neck extentsion. I think he's making em fairly stout and real hairy, but not fault free. Also, I think he's siring more grow than most people will expect.

I saw a couple My Turns I liked here in OH and IN this summer and fall, and there weren't many around. I'd call the 3 or 4 that I saw smallish, as a group. I don't know if it's just the saleman in him or if he really believes it, but Hook is very high on this bull. He thinks if people would use him, that he'd be his next Heatseeker. There is a video on Hook's site where he says just what he thinks of the bull. Sounds like he might get a little harder to come by as he hasn't been freezing great stuff regularly.

For what it is worth, Gorestka told me this spring that he was gonna use Sunseeker on all of his cows that he considered moderate and smaller and My Turn on everything else.

A few that aren't on your list:
Dr. Who - I'm seeing more I like every year, especially heifers. Use on a smaller, good necked cow

I liked Tapout and Point Taken from NWSS and will use em if there aren't any nightmare reports this spring. I used a little Invincible based on early reports last spring from Dr. Coover.

I assume you're using Rocky again? I've seen a few of those and they really surprised me quality wise. I know that he is one of the sounder footed bulls at stud

 

[chambero]

I assume you're using Rocky again? I've seen a few of those and they really surprised me quality wise. I know that he is one of the sounder footed bulls at stud

Yes on Rocky.  Probably on cows having their second calves.  I'm very pleased quality wise with the ones I've had this year.  A little larger than I like for virgin heifers, but I didn't have any big trouble, just a couple of pulls.

 

[furinsilex]

i think all bulls i like have been mentioned except one. Hairy