Good Commercial Shorthorn Bull?

[RoppFamilyFarm]

For the last 2 years I have been breeding my Shorthorn Cows to Saskvalley Bonanza 219M. I have received some nice looking heifers from him. This year I am needing/wanting to mix it up a little and breed to a different bull. I am looking for a bull that will produce cows more towards the deep, barrel bodied Commercial type, than the Showy side. I have been looking at A&T Captain Obvious 606S from Lakeside farms. Any thoughts on him?
Are there any other Bulls that some of you may have used and are happy with? Would love to see some pictures of any Heifers/Cows out of Captain Obvious or other bulls you may recommend.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Aaron]

Start howling at the moon this evening. Maybe Coyote will answer you back.

 

[randiliana]

Coyote's got some nice ones. Don't know about semen on them though.

 

[tamarack]

Ones that are in USA that I have used are Y lazy Y s Coalpit Creek Leader for the first 2 pics are off my commercial cows first year using Coalpit The calves come easy and seem to grow well.The next are from Hillside Leader from Tennisse (sp?) I believe.The bull is a coming 2 that I used on heifers this year have a few heifers from him also.Both are good bulls.

 

[RoppFamilyFarm]

tamarak - Thanks for the info and pics!
Aaron & randiliana - who is this Coyote i should be talking to?

 

[tamarack]

Check out Muridale Shorthorns they own saskvalley bonaza bull that you used.

 

[randiliana]

You can PM him on here....

 

[shortybreeder]

Homedale Creole 135 is producing some awesome calves... I used him through A.I. during his first year of service (last year) and I got 2 calves out of 2 cows, and I am EXTREMELY excited about my heifer calf!! She has been cycling pretty regularly since December and she was born in May (she gets some grain supplement because I plan to show her). My bull calf has also turned into an impressive steer, he weighed 650 pounds at <6 months of age on grain and free choice hay (took him off mom at 3 months because he will be shown too). Both could be quite profitable in the commercial side. Not extremely showy, but enough to be worth working on. I would call Frank Kaehler of Homedale Farms about Creole 135, this is easily one of the most impressive bulls he has ever had.
Also I should mention he is an easy calver, didn't have to pull either calf last year out of 2nd calf heifers.

 

[RoppFamilyFarm]

Thanks for the info shortybreeder!

 

[Lucky_P]

We're using red Shorthorn bulls over most of the high-percentage Angus cows in our commercial beef herd.
Liking my calves - both steers & heifers - by Waukaru Coppertop 464. Waukaru Goldmine 2109 is as safe a calving ease bull as there is in the breed; have a couple of Goldmine daughters that have calved & they're doing a nice job; quite a few more coming on.
Have a few ANxSH heifers by Capt. Obvious & the Rob Sneed '034' bull - they're yearlings, so the jury's still out on 'em
Plan to use DRC 101VM and Coalcreek Pit Leader in the next year; Diamond Prophecy 21P also on the short list.

 

[Nesikep]

If you're open to CDN bulls (well, you have had a saskvalley), you may want to look at AltaCedar Shorthorns in Acme Alberta, I think it's Bill and Peter (son) Boake, and I've visited their place and they've been doing it for 2 or 3 generations (something I look for) with about 150 head. I don't know about individual bloodlines they have, but their cattle all seemed to have a nice disposition.

We got our first shorthorn bull from a fellow I worked for in Langley BC (Milt Stein) about 12 years ago, he turned out some really good cows.

 

[Lucky_P]

I'd use Saskvalley Bonanza in a heartbeat, if I didn't fear the 'hit' (unfounded, but a hit, nonetheless) I'd take on roan calves at the local salebarn.
Most of my cows are red-carriers, and so far, with this spring calving group, I'm running about 50% red/50%black calves, by Shorthorn bulls. Market here really doesn't seem to discount solid reds or smokeys - but roans, red hereford-marked, or calves that look like a Longhorn or dairy cross do take a substantial hit.

Some of the Alta Cedar bulls look very appealing to me;
Rob Sneed and Gary Kaper(Kaper Cattle Co.) have long histories of breeding 'commercial' type Shorthorns that work...
Capt. Obvious should work well for you; I like some of the other A&T bulls - Renegade & Rawhide - but I only have just so many cows to breed, and don't need to have a huge supply of semen on hand; I just can't use every bull I'd like to.
Would also like to try JSF Navigator T2 - reports I've seen indicate he really puts some REA on his calves.

 

[RoppFamilyFarm]

Capt. Obvious should work well for you; I like some of the other A&T bulls - Renegade & Rawhide - but I only have just so many cows to breed, and don't need to have a huge supply of semen on hand; I just can't use every bull I'd like to.
Would also like to try JSF Navigator T2 - reports I've seen indicate he really puts some REA on his calves.

I have also considered JSF Navigator, but I'm like you, soo many good bulls to try and not enough cows to try them on