which two heifers would you keep? New pics of 2 and 3 and parentage

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misty

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Joined
Dec 26, 2009
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43
Location
SW, MT
We are going to keep two heifers this year and are having
a hard time deciding so I am looking for your opinions.  We
are going to be using them to produce club calves.  Thank you
for your opinions.   The sire of the red heifer, black and white heifer and the black heifer is a heatwave son out of a
real good maine angus cow.  The dam of the black and white heifer
is a pure bred maine out of ali and the white heifer is out of a Gcc Grizz/ lifeline/char
Dam is total solution / maine angus
 

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Okotoks

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Aug 17, 2010
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I would pick the 3rd one(3098) 1st and the 2nd one(3063) 2nd. Not a great photo of the 2nd one but she looks good anyways! I love the red and white heifer (thumbsup)
 

Biomurph

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Dec 1, 2010
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New York
Based on the pics, #2 and #3 look the best....they both have nice depth, more so than the others.  The third heifer seems a bit course in the front shoulders.  Obviously seeing a picture of each does not tell the whole story.  Nice set of heifers. 
 

leanbeef

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Jan 7, 2012
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Tennessee
I agree...#3, the black & white heifer, and #2, the smokey heifer. I would choose those two based only on the photos & the goal of using them to produce club calves. The solid red & solid black heifers might make nice cows...they don't appear to have the muscle or the style of the two other heifers. What we can't know from photos is anything about soundness & movement, pedigree or cow family, all things I would definitely consider when choosing replacements.
 
C

cedarcurve

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smoke and paint.

biggest bodied, most cowy looking.
 

twistedhshowstock

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May 2, 2011
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Nacogdoches, TX
I have to agree, 2 and 3....if I were ranking them in order it would be 3-2-4-1 I think 3 far and away is the style and power combination of the group added to the fact that she has tons of middle in her, she may get a little coarse through the shoulders, but I dont think its bad...2 is a nice complete heifer, adequate power, big middled, I think she will work nicely for you...4 will probably raise a calf but I think she lacks the power, styly and guts to make it as a clubby momma...1 to be honest and say it as nicely as possible, I think the bad far outweighs the good in this heifer from a clubby standpoint, I dont think she even comes close to having enough power, she isnt very stylish, she is super trashy fronted all of which will kill her in the show ring add to that she is super shallow middled and flanked and looks like she can get very straight in those shouldered, which wont only kill her in show ring, in my opinion will keep her from being a good momma.  In my opinion 2 things a breeding heifer have to have are soundness for longevity in the herd and some guts to raise a calf.
 

knabe

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Feb 7, 2007
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13,639
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Hollister, CA
for now, i'd only get rid of the last one.  she comes out too severely low from her withers to her nose and she's too light on bone, even for a female.

one has a nice top line, but is short necked for most people's liking, but i wouldn't dismiss her just yet.  one of the other two could be too steery and you might be able to make some money on them for people who like stocky breeding heifers that may not breed, especially the black and white.  you might be able to make a little money on her and rep.
 

leanbeef

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Jan 7, 2012
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Tennessee
Sorry...the red heifer is just plain. She might make a nice commercial female, but she's not gonna make any kind of show calf for you. She's just a heifer. I'm actually having a hard time figuring out why this is a hard decision if the heifers look like their pictures. The black heifer does have some redeeming qualities...if I was gonna keep a third "alternate" heifer in case one of the others didn't work out, it'd easily be the black heifer.
 

misty

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Dec 26, 2009
Messages
43
Location
SW, MT
One of my concerns with the black and white heifer was her birth
weight she weighed 105lbs and was a hard pull.  Would this be a
reason for not keeping her or would she work out ok also she is
a little coarse around the shoulders.  We were leaning towards the
red heifer but she has started getting really trashy around the neck.
 

Mueller Show Cattle

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Oct 26, 2010
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Glenrock, Wyoming
My picks go 3-2-4-1. I agree with the red one being trashy in her neck. #3 being a high BW would not concern me much as I would use an easy calving Angus bull for her 1st calf and go from there. Just cause she was a high BW does not mean she is going to have difficulty calving. If she has a wide pelvic region, she will be fine. I really like 3 and 2 and would use them 2 for breeding club calves. I go off pelvic measurements more than BW for deciding to keep one for a breeder.
 

LindseysMaine_Angus

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Aug 16, 2011
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Sumner, MI
misty said:
We are going to keep two heifers this year and are having
a hard time deciding so I am looking for your opinions.  We
are going to be using them to produce club calves.  Thank you
for your opinions.   


2 and 3.. 3 is probably my favorite!
 
C

cedarcurve

Guest
misty said:
One of my concerns with the black and white heifer was her birth
weight she weighed 105lbs and was a hard pull.  Would this be a
reason for not keeping her or would she work out ok also she is
a little coarse around the shoulders.  We were leaning towards the
red heifer but she has started getting really trashy around the neck.

105? and that's it?  Your still 'heifer safe' in most steer jock's eyes.
 

leanbeef

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Jan 7, 2012
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944
Location
Tennessee
Maybe 100+ pounds is "heifer safe" to some people, but in a practical universe, you have a reason to consider that as not ideal. It might not keep me from trying her if you like everything else about her, but I'd definitely use proven calving ease bulls on her until you see how she's gonna do. And this heifer's pelvic measurement may not be the only deciding factor if you even knew what it was...genetically you know she has it in her to throw some birth weight. And 105 might not be the top end of what she's genetically capable of.
 
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