Any Opinions on this Heifer?

[Walker]

This is a March Heatwave heifer, her mom is a commercial angus out of Alberda Traveler.

 

[worthabit]

She looks good. Lots of depth and good bone. She looks a little short bodied, however I like the neck extension and clean front end.

 

[knabe]

comments below are not directed at heifer, except 2nd comment.

if it was a steer, would you keep it to show?

might be too small and then you couldn't use a pud bull on her.

if there was a class that allowed heatwave heifers to show against steers in market classes, would more heatwave heifers end up there?

heifers marble better, but then, show steers aren't paid to marble, even though purchasers of market animals certainly expect to pay for marbling, but they don't matter i guess.

 

[Walker]

I guess she might be a touch on the smaller framed size.  However, I am not too worried about breeding her to what you would call a pud bull either I guess.  More than likely she will get bred to an PB angus or simmental bull.  She doesn't give up too much size to our angus heifers who all had 205 day weights of over 700 lbs.

I certainly wish she would have been a steer, as I am not to high on having any heatwave females.  She would probably be a decent market heifer, however here in ND we don't really have a division for them.

As long as we are talking about size and pud bulls and what not, what is too small for a heifer?  We had a judge for the State Fair here that picked steers to win the 4-H and FFA shows that were both 1350 to 1400 lbs.  The same guy picked a heatwave heifer to win the FFA show and another clubby type heifer to win the 4-H heifer show.  I am not disagreeing with the picks of the steers, as they were some of the best steers in the barn even though they were big, but the criticism of the heifers I would have had is that they were both lower performing and smaller framed than they should have been.  How are you going to get a steer out of those heifers to a weight of 1300 lbs when they themselves would have a hard time ever getting to 1200 lbs?

 

[DiamondS]

I think she looks like a Traveler with a touch more thickness and style.  She is broody and feminine.  I think her only strike against her is that she's a heatwave.  I personally am a fan of a little smaller framed cattle.  Here in the high mountain desert, it doesn't work to have big cattle, but that's a whole different world from show cattle.  I think she has good depth of body and I too would stretch her out a little bit, but I will take a little shorter made cow with more depth of body than a heifer as long as a freight train and absolutely no guts.  If they are all weaning off at 700lbs, than I think you have performance.  I hope that it is bred in and not fed in however, but that's the commercial side of me.  Nice female.  (welcome)

 

[OH Breeder]

Nice heifer. I wouldn't consdier short bodied considering her breeding. I think she looks just fine. Northern Improvement would help her a bunch when it comes breeding time. soften her up and they grow.

 

[klintdog]

Hey Walker,
Nice to see another ND face on here. I'm kind of in agreement on the animals that were picked in Minot this year. They didnt' really follow type too well.

 

[thats funny]

I Know what walker is talking about and I strongly agree with his opinion.