Any Cabrera calf photos/info yet?

[Shorthorn Newbie]

Just checking to see if anyone has any photos/info of Little Cedar Cabrera calves yet? Heifer safe like his EPDs show or not?
Thanks much!!

 

[sue]

I asked the same question just the other night on the phone with Matt Davis ( one of the owners) Cabrera was not breeding age was a May bull calf of 2012. Highpoint ( the other owners) hand bred a couple of females last spring. Matt anticipates several calves the spring of 2015 as many of the semen share partners have AI'd to him.  Sorry I have no experience with Cabrera's sire, we did own a maternal sister to him and she milked very well.

 

[Shorthorn Newbie]

Sue,  Thanks for the reply. We are semen shareholders of Cabrera as well and are getting ready to A.I. our heifers and some cows in July but wanted to know if I can feel ok breeding him to the heifers. His EPDs are great but just wanted to hear some experience before going ahead. Thanks again!!

 

[RyanChandler]

Here's the general process I do.  Go to the ASA database, type in the sire and then dam of the bull in question, and look at the actual birth weights of the progeny.

I saw Cabrera in Denver- in fact I led him from the tie outs up to the barn. By visual appraisal alone, the bull looks like a heifer bull candidate.  He's moderate framed, square on his feet, and pretty smooth made throughout.  Primo has some big bw's, but I guess time will tell whether Cabrera inherited that trait or not.  He's a good bull, and once Matt will sell me a few straws, I'll use him.

I've seen a picture, there are calves on the ground.

 

[justintime]

I agree with xbar , in that by visual appraisal, Cabrera certainly appears to be a great heifer candidate. In my experience, I have never considered Primo to be a good choice for heifers, but there is some good calving genetics on his dams side so I am hoping he will be a calving ease sire. I am still somewhat " old school" in that I believe that understanding what calving ease should look like in the flesh has merit and I believe this bull's appearance indicates this. There are some other sires in the breed that have EPDS that suggest they will produce calving issues, that have proven to be otherwise.
Personally, I think there are quite a few good heifer choices in the Shorthorn breed. A well known breeder here in Canada decided to buy an Angus bull to use on his heifers last year and he got his eyes opened this spring when he calved them. Lots of c- sections, hard pulls, and lots of calves over 100 lbs. The Angus sire had great calving ease EPDs.

 

[SeannyT]

Anyone have anything to add to this topic now? Especially curious to hear from those who bred heifers to him.