The new heifer

[andholl]

Got the new heifer on feed. She is a PB Simmy.  She is an explorer x sheza babe. What do you think? What would you breed or flush her to?
First picture is of a show a month ago. The others are just a few i took in the barn a couple weeks later.

 

[dsmith16]

What would you want the calf to be? Clubby, purebred simmi, simangus? I would probably stick to an angus bull just to get a live calf, but thats jmo.

 

[3cClubies]

Very nice heifer good luck with her

 

[leanbeef]

Nice heifer calf... As a Simmie breeder, I've raised a few SimAngus, too, and now manage a herd of cattle where we're primarily working to make baldy SimAngus babies out of Angus or SimAngus cows. I like the idea of an Angus bull on Simmie heifers for a couple reasons, one being the calving ease aspect, but there are plenty of Simmental bulls that are perfectly acceptable for heifers as well if you want a purebred calf. And keep in mind that just because a bull is an Angus, that doesn't guarantee small calves or great calving ease! Considering an Angus, though, does give you a lot more options. I try to stick to proven bulls on heifers for the most part, and realize I'm taking a bit of a risk with any unproven bull, no matter what breed he is or what his numbers suggest he SHOULD be.

The other thing about using an Angus bull on a lot of Simmental females is the increased depth of flank and fleshing ability you get as a result, IF you pick the right Angus bull. You can get critical of any female, and if you think about what you might change about your heifer, an Angus bull might do the trick...deepen her flank, pretty up her head & neck... She's a nice heifer and looks like she ought to contribute the muscle and bone and performance that makes the Simmental x Angus cross click so well. We have a few cows in our Simmie herd that I try to AI to an Angus bull every year because I just think they're made for that cross.

In any case, there are plenty of purebred Simmies, percentage bulls and Angus bulls to choose from...and I don't have anything against club calf bulls, but I can't think of any reason I would ever use a club calf bull on that female. JMO...

 

[andholl]

I would like a pb simmy or a high percentage so I can have a pb calf.

 

[ruhtram]

Nice looking heifer..Good luck finding a match for her!!

 

[OLD WORLD SHORTIE]

Nice heifer! (clapping)

 

[gary89]

Don't know much about thebulls in her pedigree, but I might try Dream Catcher, or if you want solid black In Dew Time might make a good choice.

 

[leanbeef]

Take a look at Longs Shear Pleasure and MCM Top Grade. Both are homozygous black & homozygous polled 3/4 bloods with really good numbers. Shear Pleasure is a baldy son of Shear Force, and Top Grade is by Upgrade, and he's solid black. Their both unproven, though, so that's the downside...always the downside to using the exciting new bulls out there! I've had a few Shear Pleasures, and I do like them. They're nice fronted with a lot of top & extra length. The birth weights were all real moderate except for one, and I lost him. We'll have some Top Grades next spring. And a 3/4 blood bull on a purebred female will give you a purebred calf...

 

[AndersonCattle]

I had a little ol heifer like her that i ended up keeping from a batch of stocker calves, I ended up breeding her to Carpe Diem, her first calf, because thats about all I had that would fit close enough, I had a solid red big boned stout, clean fronted little calf, no assist, just saying it worked pretty good for me, others may not agree, but for a first calf it looks very good. Hope it helps.

 

[andholl]

Here is an updated photo. I am going to breed her next month but I still haven't decided what I am going to breed her to and i'm still open to suggestions. I have been thinking about American Pride (Upgrade), Brooks Big Iron, and Pays to Dream.  ??? The heifer's biggest issues are soundness and her masculine neck. I think the soundness issue is derived from the straight shoulder although she isn't perfect on her feet and legs either. She is a September 6. What do y'all think?

 

[mark tenenbaum]

Shes a pwerfull female-Id breed her to Beathe Easy or Jesse James-JMO- O0

 

[firesweepranch]

She looks pretty powerful, I would breed her to Built Right for her first calf. He throws them little, almost always puts white on them, really cleans up the front end and will add depth. Plus, if you get a heifer, Built Right females make some of the best dams, small perfect udders and teat placement, and make great cows to show as pairs later down the line.

 

[ejoe326]

How unsound is she?  If she is walking stiff or off it is not because it feels good to move. 

I don't fool around with soundness issues.  You can breed some muscle, bone, hair, neck, rib, hair, into and out of them but multiple structure problems are tough.  I don't remember seeing one with a straight shoulder get better with age. 

If you are going to insist you have to keep her then use as free of a moving Angus bull as you can find.  He might not meet any other criteria but at least you have a shot at getting one that will walk.

 

[furinsilex]

Ill second Built Right, think he would work on your heifer.  All the calves we have had out of him have been sound but they have been out of pretty sound cows so not sure if he will help or not but i dont think he will hurt you.  Id avoid Upgrade lines if I were you, we love our Upgrades but he doesnt make them great fronted so with your heifer Id go a different way.

 

[andholl]

How unsound is she?  If she is walking stiff or off it is not because it feels good to move. 

I don't fool around with soundness issues.  You can breed some muscle, bone, hair, neck, rib, hair, into and out of them but multiple structure problems are tough.   I don't remember seeing one with a straight shoulder get better with age. 

If you are going to insist you have to keep her then use as free of a moving Angus bull as you can find.  He might not meet any other criteria but at least you have a shot at getting one that will walk.

This is my fourth year to show cattle and I have been fortunate enough to have a sound animal for the first three years. So this year showing a heifer that has problems walking is something new and I honestly know little about it. She usually misses her tracks but sometimes she has a miracle moment and tracks. I don't think she is stiff but when I first got her she liked to walk fast and kind of prance. I thought that was why she was missing her stride because everything else seemed rightfully structurally. Now she is older and I got her to walk slower but she still wants to understride like she is prancing. Really she seems to be in pain with every step and she has begun to kick me when I dry her with the blower and she has never been able to hold still when I brush her legs; she pics up her feet and sets them down like she is getting tired (or kicks at me.) She had hoof rott about 3 mounts ago but I don't think it is that again. We had her hooves trimmed not long ago and the guy said she was so straight in her shoulder that it is causing swelling in some of her legs. I am frustrated: it may be partially her legs being stiff but I don't think that is  main problem (she has been on supplement for a few months.) I feel like the problem is she is in pain weather that is from a straight shoulder or something else I don't know. And the worst part is there is not really anything (at least that I know of) that I can do about it. :/

Built Right-I love the bull. I would breed her to him in a heartbeat except her dam is a built right and built right is out of dream on as well as explorer is related to dream on. I don't have a lot of expierence wth this so would that be breeding a little close?

 

[WKYIronMike]

Maybe Shock Force, Gunslinger, or Magic Man.

 

[ejoe326]

Really she seems to be in pain with every step

Have you had the vet look at her?  I would call him/her right away.

I am sure you are attached to her but if she is in this much pain you already know what you have to do.  It is not even sort of humane to consider keeping her to go through the rigors of breeding and maturing when you already know she hurts.

Did you raise her or have you talked to the breeder?

Hopefully before anyone else gives you bull suggestions they read your most recent post all the way through.

 

[WKYIronMike]

Yeah, definitely get her looked at by a vet if she's hurt and suffering from pain. But I assumed she wasn't in to bad of shape or you wouldn't be thinking on breeding her. But if she is suffering it would likely only get worse as she gets older and start calving and nursing. Remember don't get to attached to your animals.

 

[andholl]

"In pain with every step" was a bit of an exaggeration. She just seems to be sore a lot of the time. I am probably going to get the  vet to look at her this next week. I think she seems to be well off enough to breed, it is just she won't be an easy keeper. I am not that attached to her but if I was going to get rid of her I would just need to get my money back.