Gerald Fry Book

[Guest]

Us Auzzies don't get all the books like you guys. I am wanting Gerald Fry s Reproduction Low Maintenance Linear Measuring.
Any ideas? second hand is okay. It does contain a CD
Cheers Mike M

[grassfarmer]

Don't know about that particular one but try through StockmanGrassfarmer magazine as they sell these type of books.
I'd recommend anything by Jan Bonsma over anything by Fry. He tries to retell the Bonsma stuff without fully understanding some of it.

[smcgrath76]

http://www.bovineengineering.com/

[perfecho]

Timely...just spoke last night to someone who had taken measurements on a couple of bulls he was interested in and referred to Fry....want to get the measurement tables....

[smcgrath76]

http://www.bovineengineering.com/linear_male.html
http://www.bovineengineering.com/linear_female.html

[grassfarmer]

We tried that a decade ago and found it of no use on our cattle population. Virtually all measured extremely well - including one or two duds who didn't pan out when it came to real world performance testing.

[WiltonRanch]

What limited information I've read of Bonsmas work his idea of pelvic measurement and angle is what I have used for years in selecting replacement heifers. I don't measure squat but like to see some good thural capacity and angle down to the pins. We don't pull many if any calves for size reasons. Usually mal presentation is the reason. Remember the whole angularity and flat bone kick guys were on years ago or the shape and placement of a Bulls nuts determining the bags he threw to his daughters? Sure some of it may have a bit of truth but genetics are a tricky thing. Bonsma also said if a cows hair on her neck stood up she was open. I walked through my heifers this fall before preg checking and noted the ones with hair standing up but they were in calf.

[grassfarmer]

Angle down to the pins is a key factor yet with the current fad of "thick" cattle look at almost any current purebred catalog and they are full of overfat, sub fertile types with tail heads and rumps reaching for the stars.

[WiltonRanch]

So bloody true grass! Try and tell some angus breeders this and they get mad. Pencil assed high tail headed rangy shallow.

[Graybull]

Gerald and Bonsma have good information.

Johann Zietsman has the BEST information.

[grassfarmer]

From what I've seen Zietsman understands and retells Bonsma's teachings better than Fry and maybe has the advantage of African experience plus more global experience than the other two. It's easier living in a time of more readily available information (internet) and technology (genetic tools) but to me Bonsma is still the master and the original thinker. Without him there would have been no Zietsman and I don't mean that in a disrespectful way to Johann.

[Graybull]

Your are right in that it took a Bonsma (and a Savory) to produce a Zietsman. Johann Zietsman has taken the work of both original thinkers.........applied his own original thinking.....and come up with the best REAL WORLD applications that I have seen.