upgrade birthweights

[sizzler14]

I have noticed a lot of really nice bred heifers that are bred to upgrade. Off the top of my head  trying to remember upgrades bw but I believe it is like 95 pounds. Its a shame because these breds appear dang nice I just don't want to touch them because I don't want to tear apart when they're having their first calf. I have not had an upgrade before. Am I nuts or does he throw big ones? It was sexed heifer semen so I know the calf will be smaller but if it is still 90 pounds I'd pissed on a heifer. So I'm just asking for some calving experiences with him

 

[frostback]

I only have a small sampling to comment on but its a start. One bull was 88 unassisted, one heifer was 87 unassisted, the last bull was 93, some help but only because it was getting dark and I wanted it done. Only a pull with chains from myself, no jack. I was told they would not be light BW, but they are shaped right. I hate 60lb calves when I can have a 80 to start with. I would use again on heifers.

 

[RyanChandler]

I would never buy a heifer whos bred to a bull w/ a 90+lb bw.  Too many other alternatives out there to assume unnecessary risk.

 

[BLRanch]

Upgrade himself is listed in previous Genex sire catalogs as a 102 pound birth weight. I have always wondered why more people have not noticed that. I have not used him on heifers myself, but on cows the 6 that I have had have all been around 85 pounds.

 

[Till-Hill]

He is breed average for CE and BW with acc of 90%. I would not buy a heifer bred to him but I would consider it on a heifer I had that I knew the background on for a few generations. We had pair of bulls born here at 88 and 93#. Both shaped right but just a tick heavy to be a "heifer bull".

 

[WRS]

We have never had a problem with birthweights on Upgrade offspring. Remember that birthweights in the northern U.S. (where he was born) can be considerably higher due to the climate.  His CE and BW accuracies are quite high in the ASA database, so that is a much better indicator than looking at his actual birthweight to make breeding decisions.  Looks like he is about average in the breed on BW EPD, so maybe not the best choice to use on heifers, although I know most people have gotten along fine using him on heifers.  Just my $.02

 

[Davidsonranch]

I've only had a handful of Upgrade calves and they all came bigger than I wanted.  I definitely would not use him on heifers.  But I love him to make some dandy eating steers!
My daughter's 4-H steer (Upgrade X Powerdrive cow) won our tiny county fair carcass of merit contest.  Had a 17.36 in rib eye.  Talk about filling a plate!

 

[RyanChandler]

One of the biggest factors that hasn't been touched on is the size of the bred heifers in question.  The people calving grown out 1200lb heifers likely won't run into the problems that arise when the production oriented cattlemen uses these type bulls on industry average 8-900lbers. 

 

[firesweepranch]

Bingo Xbar.

We have had several Upgrade calves, already 5 this fall, and many before. A Ruby half blood heifer, weighing just at 1000, we bred to heifer sexed semen. She calved unassisted with an 82 pound calf. I expect my heifers to be able to do this. All of our calves have been in the mid to low 80's consistently. I have and do use Upgrade on heifers, but I know the heifers I am breeding him to.