28
LOT 30 - SYDGEN AIM 6054
Every calf born at Sydenstricker Genetics is weighed with a scale. That is the weight reported
on AHIR, and in the performance information listed in this sale book.
Many breeders, however, use an estimated birth weight determined by measuring the calf’s
heart girth, and then use a chart to convert that heart girth measurement to pounds. We taped
the heart girth of every calf born on the farm in the spring of 1999, and compared it to the
calf’s actual weight. We found the tape to be fairly accurate up to about 83 pounds. After that,
the calves tended to weigh much more than their heart girth measurement would indicate.
For example, in 1999, our highest birth weights using the tape were only 92 pounds, and there
were only two that were that high. Those two calves actually weighed 104 and 110 pounds.
In the entire calf crop, there were actually 65 calves with birth weights of 92 pounds or more.
Those who promote taped birthweights claim it will take care of any birthweight problems in
the breed!
So what’s our point? There’s actually four points we’d like to make.
Although customers who have bought bulls here for many years appreciate our use of true
scale weights, new customers are sometimes shocked by our birth weights. We know in some
instances that is because they are used to looking at estimated (taped) birth weights rather
than true scale weights.
We are not totally opposed to the use of estimated (taped) birth weights. It’s better than noth-
ing, and we appreciate how much easier it is to measure the heart girth, rather than wrestling
the calf into some kind of sling, and hoisting him up while trying to read the scale as he’s
bouncing around trying to get away, all the while you’re also trying to watch for the mother
pawing and bellowing behind you! Besides, the body circumference might have an influence
on calving ease.
All we ask is that you compare apples to apples. If you’re comparing these bulls to bulls from
a herd that uses estimated tape weights, you need to know that the same calf will “weigh” dif-
ferently in each herd. And, if you’re buying bulls from a herd that guesses weights, or weighs
them at the kitchen table, expect even more surprises!
Also remember that estimated (taped) birth weights will be bunched together tighter, since the
higher weights will be closer to the average. This will affect EPDs in that they will not spread
out as much as they really should.
In actuality, we recommend you not use a scale weight or an estimated weight very much in
your selection decisions. The BW EPD is a much better indicator of what’s in the calf geneti-
cally, and in natural calves; his own birth weight has been factored into his BW EPD. Studies
have shown EPDs to be as much as nine times more accurate than ratios or raw weights as a
selection tool.
While we’re on the subject...
While we are firm believers in breeding heifers to low BW EPD bulls, it seems to us our breed
has gotten a bit carried away with the concept, when breeding mature cows. Our experience
is that a big, stout calf at birth is usually the big, stout calf at weaning, as long as there is
no problem at birth. Remember that a +6 BW EPD Angus bull is equivalent to a +2.8 BW EPD
Simmental or a -2.0 BW EPD Charolais, according to the 2016 Across-Breed EPDs of the U.S.
Meat Animal Research Center. Also, an old University of Missouri study showed that cows
will naturally try to produce a calf that weighs about 7% of her own body weight. 7% of a
1,000-pound cow is 70 pounds, but 7% of a 1,500-pound cow is 105 pounds.
Estimated Birth Weights
+4
+2.4
+63
+114
+.30
.37
.44
.33
.32
.40 +27
+67.10
+158.29
+19.3 +10 +34
CED
BW WW YW SC DOC HP CEM MILK $W $B
CW
MARB
RE
FAT
+58
+.53
+.74
-.008
SydGen Aim 6054
Birth Date: 1-4-2016
Bull 18518405
Tattoo: 6054
✭
✭
Growthy prospect by the “Whiskey” son that also sired Lot 151, the top adj. WW
of the two-year-old fall calvers.
✭
✭
Exceptional for YW, HP, Docility, Marbling, $W and $B.
✭
✭
Maternal brothers have sold to Metz Farms, Fulton, MO for $4,500, Tilly Angus
Farms, Morrison, MO for $3,000 and Moreland Farms, Anna, IL.
✭
✭
Selling half interest and full possession.
#+SydGen 928 Destination 5420 #B/R Destination 727-928
SydGen Aim 0001
+Shady Brook Entense 76D 29H
16604688
SydGen Blackbird Lady 1059 #SAF Focus of ER
SAF Blackbird Lady 9115
SydGen Bullet
#SAF Focus of ER
SydGen Royal Queen 7236
#SAF Pamela Ever 0079
15664606
#SydGen Royal Queen 0906
+SAF Roadster
+SAF Royal Queen 5081
30
6-107
6-110
4-110
4-99
4-109
4-100
4-91
BWR
WWR
YWR
IMF
UREA
RBFT
RPFT
Dam
Progeny
Record
BW RATIO WW RATIO SALE DAY WT
ADG
PROJ YW FRAME
90
739
103
109
+7
+1.1
+56
+97
+1.37
.35
.42
.30
.30
.38 +24
+62.27
+158.78
+13.4 +9
+30
CED
BW WW YW SC DOC HP CEM MILK $W $B
CW
MARB
RE
FAT
+51
+.89
+.67
-.006
SydGen Fastlane 6100
Birth Date: 1-10-2016
Bull 18518413
Tattoo: 6100
✭
✭
Complete, eye appealing prospect that ranks in the top 2% for $B; top 5% for $W;
top 10% for Milk and CW; and top 15% for DMI, SC and REA.
✭
✭
Sire was one of the most popular fall yearlings in our 2014 sale, and this is his
first calf crop for us.
✭
✭
Dam sells as Lot 310, and she is also the grandam of Lots 24, 25 and 26.
✭
✭
Maternal brother brought $6,500 to Amonett Farms, Byrdstown, TN and another
sold to GS Ridge Top Ranch, Omaha, NE, while two maternal sisters are retained.
✭
✭
Selling half interest and full possession.
#Connealy Forward
#Connealy Onward
SydGen Fastlane 3450
Becky Lee of Conanga 74
+17820600
SydGen Royal Queen 4286
+SydGen Rocky Road 2060
#SydGen Royal Queen 0906
#SydGen CC&7
#+SAF Connection
SydGen Royal Lass 9043
SydGen Forever Lady 4087
16313122
SydGen Royal Lass 6981
+SydGen Itasca 4083
+SydGen Royal Lass 1718
33
5-102
5-101
4-107
4-76
4-105
4-91
4-87
BWR
WWR
YWR
IMF
UREA
RBFT
RPFT
Dam
Progeny
Record
BW RATIO WW RATIO SALE DAY WT
ADG
PROJ YW FRAME
88
668
101
99
+13
-.4
+55
+97
+.91
.37
.44
.32
.32
.39 +24
+61.01
+136.13
+25.6 +15 +28
CED
BW WW YW SC DOC HP CEM MILK $W $B
CW
MARB
RE
FAT
+54
+.44
+.39
-.007
SydGen Aim 6078
[OSF]
Birth Date: 1-7-2016
Bull 18518409
Tattoo: 6078
✭
✭
The Number 1 HP EPD of the bull calf division, as well as ranking in the top 10% for
CED and $W, and the top 15% for Docility, BW and $B.
✭
✭
Maternal brother brought $4,800 to Jackson Farms, Hartville, MO, while maternal
sisters have sold to Shirel Farms, Sturgis, KY and Mark Montgomery, Elizabeth, AR.
#+SydGen 928 Destination 5420 #B/R Destination 727-928
SydGen Aim 0001
+Shady Brook Entense 76D 29H
16604688
SydGen Blackbird Lady 1059 #SAF Focus of ER
SAF Blackbird Lady 9115
SydGen Turbo 6684
#SAF Directive
SydGen Royal Queen 0310
+GAR 6I6 Rito 2472
16603719
SydGen Royal Queen 7066
#SydGen 1407 Corona 2016
+SydGen Royal Queen 5190
31
4-86
4-97
2-98
2-107
2-104
2-97
2-95
BWR
WWR
YWR
IMF
UREA
RBFT
RPFT
Dam
Progeny
Record
BW RATIO WW RATIO SALE DAY WT
ADG
PROJ YW FRAME
77
662
89
98
+8
+1.1
+56
+99
+.37
.33
.41
.28
.29
.37 +17
+51.45
+162.67
+7.2 +11 +26
CED
BW WW YW SC DOC HP CEM MILK $W $B
CW
MARB
RE
FAT
+58
+.75
+.71
-.005
SydGen Fastlane 6106
Birth Date: 1-10-2016
Bull 18518414
Tattoo: 6106
✭
✭
Show Me Select calving ease specs, yet with $B in the top 2%.
✭
✭
Dam came to us as a feature from the Wiederstein herd, Audubon, IA, and
descends from SydGen Bouncer 2458, the $25,000 maternal brother to Connection
and Directive.
✭
✭
Maternal brother sold for $4,900 to Circle 7 Ranch, Westphalia, MO.
#Connealy Forward
#Connealy Onward
SydGen Fastlane 3450
Becky Lee of Conanga 74
+17820600
SydGen Royal Queen 4286
+SydGen Rocky Road 2060
#SydGen Royal Queen 0906
WPAF Bouncer 24-97
+SydGen Bouncer 2458
WPAF 97 Miss May 978-25
Wpaf Blkbd Forever 24
17245313
+WPAF Queen May 70-E978
#TC Total 410
Miss Queen May Traveler BA
34
2-94
2-98
1-101
1-96
1-116
1-79
1-74
BWR
WWR
YWR
IMF
UREA
RBFT
RPFT
Dam
Progeny
Record
BW RATIO WW RATIO SALE DAY WT
ADG
PROJ YW FRAME
79
647
92
96
+11
-.2
+48
+89
+.57
.36
.43
.32
.31
.39 +19
+53.64
+152.94
+10.5 +12 +33
CED
BW WW YW SC DOC HP CEM MILK $W $B
CW
MARB
RE
FAT
+49
+.64
+.69
-.030
SydGen Aim 6040
Birth Date: 1-2-2016
Bull 18518400
Tattoo: 6040
✭
✭
Show Me Select qualified service sire for heifers.
✭
✭
Ranks in the top 4% of non-parents for $B, and the top 20% for BW and $W.
✭
✭
Maternal brother brought $4,000 to Rolling Pine Farms, Henderson, TN in last
year’s sale.
✭
✭
Grandam sells today as Lot 319.
#+SydGen 928 Destination 5420 #B/R Destination 727-928
SydGen Aim 0001
+Shady Brook Entense 76D 29H
16604688
SydGen Blackbird Lady 1059 #SAF Focus of ER
SAF Blackbird Lady 9115
WK Reward 9302
#WK Reward
SydGen Duchess 3225
WK Sophie 4092
17501160
SydGen Duchess 9121
+SydGen 5175 Bando 5728
SydGen Duchess 2912
32
2-96
2-100
1-93
1-112
1-99
1-73
1-83
BWR
WWR
YWR
IMF
UREA
RBFT
RPFT
Dam
Progeny
Record
BW RATIO WW RATIO SALE DAY WT
ADG
PROJ YW FRAME
90
655
107
97
