Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Forums
Cattle Boards
Beginners Board
How long to establish your herd number?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Help Support CattleToday:
Message
<blockquote data-quote="kjonesel" data-source="post: 1223369" data-attributes="member: 16842"><p>I got back into cattle in 2007 with 4 heifers, bred AI had two heifers which I retained averaged purchasing 3 heifers per year the last 4 years, will begin culling the first cows this year (one died and will sell the second one). I have retained all of the heifers and we are at 48 females. Part of the reason for slow growth is average days open. When you are 100% AI it is hard to detect heat throughout the year as I work off the farm as an electrical contractor. This year I have a young fullblood bull to use as a cleanup bull so it is a goal to reduce the days open. All of my heifers have been worthy of keeping as they are genetically superior to my cows having them. One of the reasons why is that I have always used proven sires and reduce the risk of having a bull that doesn't pass on good genetics. I will run that risk with the cleanup bull but with my goal of 60 - 70 cows I could profit from the reduced days open and will soon need to be selling some of my heifers anyway. I will second the comment that retaining heifers is expensive. When you don't have the positive and increase your negative you end up supplementing the upkeep of the herd from outside sources. That is one of the reason that my operation is changing this fall I will have two going to college. </p><p>In closing if you could find the way to use embryos that would be the best way to achieve herd expansion. I don't have an embryologist close and haven't had that much money available to invest.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="kjonesel, post: 1223369, member: 16842"] I got back into cattle in 2007 with 4 heifers, bred AI had two heifers which I retained averaged purchasing 3 heifers per year the last 4 years, will begin culling the first cows this year (one died and will sell the second one). I have retained all of the heifers and we are at 48 females. Part of the reason for slow growth is average days open. When you are 100% AI it is hard to detect heat throughout the year as I work off the farm as an electrical contractor. This year I have a young fullblood bull to use as a cleanup bull so it is a goal to reduce the days open. All of my heifers have been worthy of keeping as they are genetically superior to my cows having them. One of the reasons why is that I have always used proven sires and reduce the risk of having a bull that doesn't pass on good genetics. I will run that risk with the cleanup bull but with my goal of 60 - 70 cows I could profit from the reduced days open and will soon need to be selling some of my heifers anyway. I will second the comment that retaining heifers is expensive. When you don't have the positive and increase your negative you end up supplementing the upkeep of the herd from outside sources. That is one of the reason that my operation is changing this fall I will have two going to college. In closing if you could find the way to use embryos that would be the best way to achieve herd expansion. I don't have an embryologist close and haven't had that much money available to invest. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Cattle Boards
Beginners Board
How long to establish your herd number?
Top