Pulled a Legacy Plus x Ali calf

[Freerider]

I have a 3 year old Ali female that just had her 1st calf, it was a Legacy Plus bull calf. I let her try for a while but then she pretty much gave up, and I had to winch him out.  I weighed him 2 days later and he was 100lbs, and the foot tape said he was 108lbs.

I was hoping that the fact she was a 3 year old and an Ali cow that she would be fine with Legacy Plus, but 100lbs and the winch isn't ideal.

Does anyone know how accurate the hoof tape is supposed to be? It was off 8lbs @ 2 days old, which isn't even close, maybe it needs to be done immediately after birth?

 

[frostback]

My tape says that it may vary + or - 7 lbs for bulls or + or - 6.4 for heifers.

 

[C-CROSS]

Being 2 days old makes a huge difference.  We have had them pretty accurate when just born.

 

[chambero]

If you are within 10% on any kind of estimate its pretty close.  Baby calves have big fluctuations in water weight

 

[jbzdad]

I weighed 2 legacy plus , 1 payoff and 1 macdaddy last year... all purebred... all were between 95 and 105... all were embryos and all born unassisted to angus recips... head and shoulder shape makes a difference... they were all a lanky at birth

 

[knabe]

embryo calves typically weigh more as they sit and divide before implantation so their gestation is that much longer, hence potentially higher BW.  i've had 3 legacy plus calves.  i would use him only on cows with plenty of hip volume as he doesn't seem to throw any.  if you want hip volume, check out some direct midas calves although you may vomit over the lack of hair although every calf out of her has had hair.  2/3 of the legacy plus calves had hair.

 

[Freerider]

embryo calves typically weigh more as they sit and divide before implantation so their gestation is that much longer, hence potentially higher BW.  i've had 3 legacy plus calves.  i would use him only on cows with plenty of hip volume as he doesn't seem to throw any.  if you want hip volume, check out some direct midas calves although you may vomit over the lack of hair although every calf out of her has had hair.  2/3 of the legacy plus calves had hair.

I haven't had that experience with Legacy Plus at all. I've had 3 previously and all were thick, 1 was the thickest heifer I've ever had (although she was out of a massive cow).

 

[knabe]

embryo calves typically weigh more as they sit and divide before implantation so their gestation is that much longer, hence potentially higher BW.  i've had 3 legacy plus calves.  i would use him only on cows with plenty of hip volume as he doesn't seem to throw any.  if you want hip volume, check out some direct midas calves although you may vomit over the lack of hair although every calf out of her has had hair.  2/3 of the legacy plus calves had hair.

I haven't had that experience with Legacy Plus at all. I've had 3 previously and all were thick, 1 was the thickest heifer I've ever had (although she was out of a massive cow).

so did he add thickness to what was already there, or just not take it away? i was just talking about pelvis volume.  i wasn't saying he calves hard either, though one daughter and her daughter i had to pull one calf.  one on the cow was to a monster bull who wasn't supposed to be i won't use anymore and the other was a heifer i bred at 1.6 using a supposedly high accuracy calving ease bull.  the midas cow pops out calves of any weight in about 20 minutes, one from that same "monster" bull that wasn't supposed to be.

 

[Freerider]

Well I would say that he has added thickness to 1 cow I have and not taken it away from the other. Time will tell how this bull calf turns out, his Ali dam is very thick, but its her 1st calf so I'll have nothing to compare him to.

This is likely the last time I'll use Legacy Plus, I think the Maines need to continue adding depth of rib to the breed and the newer bulls seem to have more rib all the time.

 

[knabe]

This is likely the last time I'll use Legacy Plus, I think the Maines need to continue adding depth of rib to the breed and the newer bulls seem to have more rib all the time.

i would agree with that.