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    #11
    Gardiner Dam area-----soft rains every 2-3 days. Couldn't get the last 5 pairs to PFRA pasture --corral areas just too wet to haul out.

    Crops are lush, grass is lush. The third year now no need for starting pumps to irrigate hay or crop land. Good start this year again.

    Open replacement heifers this spring in Saskatoon $1325.00 tops in sale. $1275.00 average.

    Breds this fall????

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      #12
      ALLFARMER: Sounds like a good idea. I doubt you would be able to buy bred heifers of any kind of quality for under $1600 this fall....so you should come out way ahead buying at $1100-$1200 now.
      I have kept some black heifers out of my best cows and intend to breed them black. Going to turn the bull out June 20 for April 1 calves. Not sure if I will sell them in the fall or calve them out. I guess I'll see what the prices are in the fall.

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        #13
        Turned our bulls out last year June 28, first calf
        Mar 28 so ya June 20th your should for sure
        have calves by April. Better run neighbor wants
        to trade track hoe hours for my dozer usage. I
        have never run a track hoe before so today might
        just be the day!

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          #14
          If your 4 "very good young bulls" can only cover 120
          heifers I wonder what they are very good at? I'd be
          quite confident two of our 2 year olds would breed
          120 heifers, maybe throw in a third if you have less
          experience and want to feel re-assured.

          Comment


            #15
            Have you still got some 2yr olds suitable for heifers?

            Comment


              #16
              Allfarmer

              Your bull ratio is very correct. 4 bulls for 120 head on range conditions.
              That should give you the insurance you need to have your heifers covered first & second cycle.

              You got them anyway so use them.

              Comment


                #17
                greybeard - If that was addressed to me sorry, I'm out
                of bulls for this year.

                Sadie - "very correct" in your opinion maybe. How do
                guys saying this explain a Longhorn? Mature bulls
                with a scrotal of 28cm, a struggle to get enough
                volume for a sample to test yet they'll breed half the
                cows in the country, the neighbours included if you
                give them a chance. At the same time lots of guys
                breed 100 heifers with the aim of getting 70 or 80 in
                calf. Good business for bull sellers suggesting 25-30
                cows per bull but poor business for the commercial
                rancher.

                Comment


                  #18
                  Years ago there was a guy out by Hanna that used to sell Charlais bulls at two years old that had never seen a grain pail and were just run out on the prairie. They were like 1400 or 1500 lbs. He never helped anything calve.
                  They had a terrific reputation for being able to breed large numbers of cows.
                  I think his name was Bill Hunt, but I may be wrong.

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                    #19
                    I've heard of that guy ASRG. Makes sense - that's just
                    the way we rear bulls too. Too many fat slob bulls
                    around that can't move and spend their days fighting
                    and sitting in the shade instead of breeding cows.
                    Maybe waiting for the owner to bring their lunch pail
                    for them as that's how they were raised. A bull with
                    30 cows or heifers to breed only has to average 1.5 a
                    day if they are all cycling in the first 21 days. A bull
                    that can't manage more than that is a bull in name
                    only in my opinion.

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                      #20
                      Bulls can get hurt though, no matter how they were raised. We've got one right now that's done something major to his shoulder. However, we never overload our bulls, so there's lots of bull power left to get the job done.

                      Over the years we've also had a bull hit by lightning, we've had one go visit the neighbours, and we've had one get tangled in some wire in a rented pasture. There's more involved to getting the cows bred than just having a fertile bull. He needs to be healthy and sound too.

                      It's nice to have a cushion in case something goes wrong out there.

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