Bulls

[countryguy]

I am starting to look around for some BA bulls and am scratching my head.Are there any purebred breeders out there left that don't think an Angus calf should have a 100 pound bw?Give me a 70-80 pound live calf born unassisted on the grass and we'll go from there.By the looks of it this could be a long search.

[cswilson]

How many do you need Countryguy-there are 3 or 4 breeders up here who calve several hundred cows in May and June unobserved pretty much. I've even got a few bulls myself if you are interested.

[cswilson]

Do you have to stick with BA bulls, countryguy, what about WB bulls, or GA bulls.

I've got 35 coming two year old bulls with one BW over 100lbs. Free walking, easy fleshing, structurally correct, black purebred bulls that will get you calves everybit as good as any Angus bull;;;;; if you got the cows to do it in the first place.

[whiteface]

Same here countryguy...
Do they have to be black? If your cows are black, my whiteface bulls with BW's ALL under 100lbs will get you the calving ease and vigor you require, these bulls have muscle, growth, docility and will provide the sought after "baldie" calves respected by many. Sorry, I don't know any Angus breeders that are "keeping it real" these days, most of them could sell anything, Angus are hot. Good luck in your search, if you need a good whiteface, call me.

[whiteface]

Nothing wrong with using a good black purebred Limousin bull either. In 32 years in the purebred Limo business, there hasn't been more than a couple of calves born here weighing over 100 pounds.
The last two black bulls I have used in my own herd sired calves with an average bwt. of 82 pounds on the bull calves and 78 pounds on the heifer calves. They hit the ground running and grow like crazy, and are polled to boot

[cswilson]

There are lots of Angus breeders keeping it as "REAL' as any other breeds are-like I said several hundred cows are calved in my area out on the grass unobserved-most of us just keep the better bulls for our own use but if country guy is looking for those genetics they are out there. Hey I was Angus when Angus wasn't cool so these sour g****s on Angus are pretty amusing.

[grassfarmer]

emrald1, that was what we found with limo's in Scotland - generally easy calving with a few huge hipped exceptions - the problem was as you say "they hit the ground running" ;O)
Interesting cswilson, that the people keeping real Angus are not in the "showring alley" of Highway 2. Is it the case that land values mean these guys follow the show ring where real cattlemen breed real cattle on lower value land.

[cswilson]

Never thought of it that way grassfarmer but maybe it's the case-I myself am just naturally lazy so not going to do the cows work for her.

[cswilson]

grassfarmer, I too had some bloodlines that were very highheaded. I have selected replacements from the most docile cows in the herd and used bulls that are known to have excellent temprament and now have a very quiet herd that are very easy to handle. I have farmed my cowherd out for the past two winters at two different locations for winter feeding and calving, and neither operator had problems with highheadedness. I don't cowboy the cattle and do hand feed some grain just before calving so the younger females get used to being moved from pen to pen etc. The older cows know when it is time to come into the corral for calving and go straight to the gate !!

[InAHurry]

Countryguy - we've been in the business since black wasn't cool also - got some black bulls. We are in SW Sask, perhaps out of your travelling area? If you're interested I can give more info if the folks here don't mind.

[Muttley]

I have been a Angus breeder for a number of years. I have had my share of over 100 lbs calves born but not to many.
One thing I repeately here back is that the Angus breed leaves big calves. One very important factor that needs to be looked at is the dam and her crossbreeding, and winter feeding.
I have a 6 year old bull that I still use on heifers, we have never had large calves or difficult births from him(that is why he is still here, not BSE).
The bull got into the neighbors pasture in 2003. This past spring he had big calves and even a c-section from this same bull. When you go to his farm the cows are of all sorts of breeds and colors, the farthest they walk is a few feet from hay to water. The cows and especially his heifers are what I call stinking fat.
Therefore I deduct his problem was not just the bull(but when he talks it's of course that damn black bull that caused him problems)

[countryguy]

Hey,there ARE some good bulls out there!Now who has the cheapest ones??LOL

Thanks to all those that replied with other bull ideas but for now I have to go with an Angus,or possibly another Galloway bull,not to say that I won't experiment with other breeds as a terminal sire in the future.

Right now I am still in the building stages with my herd(Galloway X Angus).The heifers I have been keeping are getting to be pretty strong Galloway so I was thinking of using the Angus bull on them to knock some of the hair off the steer calves to make them a little more saleable in this part of the world.Either that or get another Galloway and not worry about the steers right now and just keep getting the female numbers up.

If anyone wants to contact me you can do so at countryguy_11@hotmail.com

Randy,are you selling that bull you had in Regina last year?That's one sweet looking bull.

[countryguy]

Sorry countryguy not quite yet. I want one more crack at the Calgary Stampede supreme champion round before I let him go.

I do have 5 brothers from the same sire in our sale next spring however. One or two of these are right on his a$$.

Good Luck
Randy