traits for a heifer bull?

[kato]

A bull can be smooth and still look like a bull. Honest he can!

We've found through experience that the bulls with the big round wide heads, and front legs that are set real wide when you look at them from the front will not be the easier calvers. That doesn't mean they aren't the best bulls though, because the ones we've had that looked like that were the ones that put the performance in the calves. It's what most of our favourite bulls over the years have looked like. They just aren't what we'd pick for a heifer.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. LOL

[exnaboe]

I think that per put his finger on the real criterion for easy calving. It is not the birthweight of the bull itself, but the ratio of his birthweight to his mother. A ratio of about 5 to 5 1/2 % suggests a potentially easy calving sire.

[grassfarmer]

So how do you compensate for year to year differences in a cows calves? The 1350lb cow I mentioned in another thread that had a 50lb heifer calf last year had an 80lb one today. Same sire and the cow was in better condition and heavier fed last year than this year.

[grassfarmer]

Meant to add that they were 3.7% and 5.9% respectively. If they were bulls which would be likely to sire smaller calves?