Heifer by Critical Mass - Opinions?

[cowboy_nyk]

So I AI'd a couple of cows trying to get a show steer and ended up with two heifers of course. Here's a pic of the best heifer.  She's out of Critical Mass (Brad Hook was marketing him a while ago) who is a Monopoly son and a simmental cow.  What do you think?

 

[RankeCattleCo]

I like that calf. Maybe could use a bit more depth and a bit more mass but otherwise I like her! What's her dam? Is she a breed heifer? If she could show as a % Simm vs a Xbred she would be better off in my opinion.

RCC

 

[cowboy_nyk]

To be brutally honest, her mom was a $500 black/white simm from the auction mart so no she can't show as a %simm.  I intend to show her at a couple of jackpot shows this fall.

The pic is deceiving b/c she does have more rib/depth than it appears too.  I'll try to post an updated pic when she's cleaned up better.

 

[cowboy_nyk]

Here is a couple more pics of my heifer.  She shows in 2 weeks.  Thoughts?

 

[grandchamp58]

I would honestly never guess that she was out of a sale barn cow. Congrats and good luck.

 

[Freddy]

Nice  heifer ,she has a lot of guts, that's bad thing about one picture ,hard to get it just right ....WHAT WAS BIRTH WEIGHT'S LIKE OUT OF THAT  BULL .

 

[cowboy_nyk]

Thanks for the comments.  It might sound strange to you guys but I sell my purebred calves for good $$$ so it's tough to use a good angus cow for clubby stuff; thus the auction mart cow getting the semen.

Birth weights were around 90lbs for both heifers I got.  They were both out of larger framed, bigger boned cows.  I have a really nice heifer out of a maine/angus cow as well but she's "lacking docility" to put it nicely.  I believe her mother may have contributed to that trait however.  She's a grump.

I'll post a couple pics after the show.

 

[cowboy_nyk]

Here is the updated pic from her last show.  She placed 3rd overall.  Young fella in the pic helped us all year so I let him show her.  He was very excited (despite the lost look in his eyes in the pic)!

 

[BogartBlondes]

Really a sweet heifer! Nice an square while maintaining good muscle definition. If I were to change one thing; I might loin her a bit, give her a better 'swoop' across the top when in the show ring. Overall a really good show heifer!

 

[Davidsonranch]

I think that heifer is cool.  Do you plan on retaining her?  If so what are you going to breed her to? 
I'd go simmy and try WLE Uno Mas.  Love, love, his calves and they come tiny. 
She reminds me a lot of the clubby bull Salty Dog in her markings etc.  That would be a cool cross some day if she could take it.
Thanks for the pics

 

[cowboy_nyk]

Personally, the only place I would fault her is her flank.  I could have fed that in to her, but we all know what that can do to a heifer's future milk production. Since I plan on keeping her  I didn't want to "cook" her at such a young age.  The plan is to show her at some jackpots next year as a Bred heifer.  I'll keep you guys posted with how it goes.

I run purebred Black Angus bulls so the theory is, I can breed her Angus and still get clubby type steers to play with.  When she's older, I may throw some clubby semen in her but the plan for this year is to breed her to my walking bull.  He's a Sitz Upward son our of a VRD Dateline daughter. He averaged 74lb BW on first calvers this year so I'm comfortable with the mating.  (pictured this fall after breeding ~50 cows this year)

 

[cowboy_nyk]

Splash had a successful outing again this spring.  She was third overall at the latest Jackpot show we attended.  Pics below.  Comments/critiques appreciated!

 

[cowboy_nyk]

Couple of the latest pics.  She's set to show in her final show.  Futurity heifer deal.  Hope she can put me in the money again.  Anybody want a clubby bred heifer?

 

[Gargan]

What's she bred to?

 

[cowboy_nyk]

Unfortunately missed on AI.  Bred to my purebred angus bull.  Son of Soo Line Motive 9016.

 

[cowboy_nyk]

Well she made it past the next step.  She had a heifer calf this morning.  We check every 4 hours and she was sleeping at 10:00 and at 2:00am the calf was standing up sucking.  No trouble calving.  Good old angus calving ease and vigor.  Looks like she'll have enough milk too.  So far so good. Last pic is the sire of the calf.

 

[jhleonardo]

That's pretty cool to watch the timeline on this heifer basically from a weaning weight calf tip she calved. Nice heifer with a live calf can't complain about that

 

[cowboy_nyk]

Thanks, that's why I thought I'd keep this going.  Hopefully some others enjoy it as well.

Interestingly, the calf has inherited her one black eye, one white eye (the eyeball itself). You don't see that very often so I was pretty surprised to see her calf inherit it too.

 

[OH Breeder]

Nice heifer/cow. Looks like your bull got the job done. Nice to see the baby cleaned up and dry. Congrats on heifer being a good momma. With so many of the clubby bred bulls it is tough to get a maternal female from them.

 

[cowboy_nyk]

Thanks.  I will say I am surprised how much the clubby side knocked the milk out of her.  Her mother is a heavy milking simmental cow and this heifer will have enough, but none to spare.

I'll try to get some nice pics of the pair this weekend.  It's supposed to +11 C! It's going to feel like summer.  Should be a good day to kick some pairs out of the barn.