47
Many of us have a predisposed notion that we want calving ease/low BW herd sires.
But, in the Angus breed, do we really have that much problem with big calves? It
seems like most of the problems at birth are more linked to abnormal presentations
than actual calves that are too big for the cow or even heifer. And, it seemed like
maybe those smaller calves just were not as thrifty. We decided to see if we could
dig into the data, and see what survivability to weaning really looked like. After all,
a small calf at birth doesn’t really help the bottom line if he dies prior to weaning
anyway!
We divided up the last four years spring calf crops into three groups: (light) 69
lbs. or less; (medium) 70-89 lbs.; and (heavy) 90 lbs. and up. We edited out any
abortions and all twins. In a nutshell, the death loss at birth through weaning was
twice as high on the light calves as it was on the medium calves. The death loss on
the heavy calves was the least of the three groups, and it was the least in every one
of the four years. We did not differentiate according to cause of death, or whether it
was right at birth or later on pre-weaning.
We’ve all heard someone say the growth rate of a dead calf is distressingly poor,
and took that to mean we needed lighter calves at birth so we would get more of
them born alive. Every operation is different, but it certainly appears to us that
bigger calves at birth are more likely to still be around at weaning. We would never
advocate breeding heifers to anything but a true heifer bull, but our cowherds might
be much better served by sires that give their calves more of a head start.
Cowboy Logic #90
At a multi-breed bull sale several years ago, Don Laughlin, the past regional
manager in this area for the American Angus Association, got acquainted with a bull
buyer sorting through the Angus bulls. Noticing the buyer wouldn’t pay attention to
bulls over +3 lbs. for BW EPD, Don asked him if the bull was going to breed a lot of
heifers. The man replied, “No, I just don’t want any calving trouble.” Don started
to inform the man that virtually no Angus bull today should cause major calving
difficulty with cows that have already raised a calf, but seeing the man had his mind
already made up, refrained from arguing with him.
Don didn’t see him again until after the sale. “Did you get a bull?” Don asked.
“Yeah, I got a Charolais,” he replied. “What was his BW EPD?” Don asked.
“Three,” was the reply. “Do you realize a three lb. Charolais is the same as a 12 or
13 lb. Angus?” Don asked. The bull buyer just looked at him in disbelief.
The fact is, according to the most recent U.S. Meat Animal Research Center data
released in 2016, a +3 BW Charolais is equivalent to a +11.0 BW EPD Angus.
Cowboy Logic #11.0
-1
+1.3
+61
+98
+1.71
.36
.43
.32
.35
.47 +14
+75.36
+111.12
-.5
+4
+34
CED
BW WW YW SC DOC HP CEM MILK $W $B
CW
MARB
RE
FAT
+43
+.15
+.19
-.021
3-106
3-109
3-99
3-80
3-95
3-64
3-95
BWR
WWR
YWR
IMF
UREA
RBFT
RPFT
Dam
Progeny
Record
BW RATIO WW RATIO ADG YW RATIO ADJ SC
ADJ HIP
82
888
101
119
1205
96
37.49
53.5
1.98
SydGen Verdict 5592
Birth Date: 10-10-2015
Bull 18473534
Tattoo: 5592
✭
✭
Maternal brother brought $5,500 to Paul Hildebrand, Plainville, IL in our 2015
sale.
✭
✭
Maternal sister brought $3,800 to Henke Farms, Salisbury, MO.
✭
✭
Grandam produced the Lot 14 bull calf in the offering today.
#SydGen Mandate 6079
#SS Objective T510 0T26
SydGen PH Verdict S/C
SydGen Gina 4235
+17000802
Summitcrest Elba 1M17
#Vermilion Dateline 7078
Summitcrest Elba 1F43
SydGen Sure Bet
#SS Objective T510 0T26
SydGen MO Blackbird 1050
+DCF Ruby of Tiffany 5668
16904408
#SydGen Blackbird 8354
TK Big Bend R35
+SydGen Blackbird 3202
129
+15
-2.2
+50
+92
+1.69
.36
.43
.32
.36
.48 +25
+60.63
+110.05
+18.1 +15 +23
CED
BW WW YW SC DOC HP CEM MILK $W $B
CW
MARB
RE
FAT
+34
+.81
+.20
-.014
2-88
2-97
2-97
2-81
2-96
2-61
2-53
BWR
WWR
YWR
IMF
UREA
RBFT
RPFT
Dam
Progeny
Record
BW RATIO WW RATIO ADG YW RATIO ADJ SC
ADJ HIP
55
672
72
90
1186
94
39.37
49.4
3.21
SydGen Cool 5538
[OSF]
Birth Date: 9-13-2015
Bull 18473523
Tattoo: 5538
✭
✭
Tied for second-highest CED EPD of the fall yearlings, and really clean made.
✭
✭
Maternal brother brought $7,000 in our 2015 sale to Gayla Anderson, Buffalo, MO.
✭
✭
Dam is a first calf Liberty daughter whose mother had 7 natural calves BR-99 and
WR-109, and she was the dam of the $53,333 SydGen Doc 9017, purchased by
Whitestone & Krebs, Gordon, NE and TC Ranch, Franklin, NE.
✭
✭
Additional maternal brothers to the dam are working for Doug Tucker, Spencer,
IN; Stephen Bell, Marceline, MO; Dan Kent, Lucas, IA; Larry & Lynn Keller,
Shelbyville, MO and 5 Bar M Ranch, Spokane, MO.
Connealy Heat 0243
#Connealy All Around
Connealy Cool 39L
Bunty Lanna of Conanga 556
17586776
#+JMc Jeena Allie 8345 5399 #+HA Power Alliance 1025
Jeena of Conanga 357
SydGen Liberty GA 8627
#Connealy Forward
SydGen Montana Dream 2743
+SydGen Blackbird GA 051
+17521437
SydGen Montana Dream 2263 #TC Advantage
OCC Montana Dream 003
132
+2
+3.3
+53
+100
+1.15
.36
.40
.33
.36
.48 +20
+49.46
+153.61
+20.6 +6
+35
CED
BW WW YW SC DOC HP CEM MILK $W $B
CW
MARB
RE
FAT
+44
+.94
+.98
-.016
8-105
8-105
8-107
40-100
40-101
40-97
40-91
BWR
WWR
YWR
IMF
UREA
RBFT
RPFT
Dam
Progeny
Record
BW RATIO WW RATIO ADG YW RATIO ADJ SC
ADJ HIP
86
669
125
96
1280
106
36.69
50.7
3.82
SydGen Denver GA 5544
[OSF]
Birth Date: 9-16-2015
Bull +18483590
Tattoo: 5544
✭
✭
The Number 1 ADG and Number 1 IMF scan of the four ET bulls in his contempo-
rary group.
✭
✭
Strong cows-only bull with RADG in the top 2%, $B in the top 3%, HP in the top
4%, and Marbling and REA both in the top 10%.
✭
✭
Dam will leave a powerful legacy here, being the dam of the $48,000 Liberty,
who was our top-selling bull in 2009 as well as the top-selling half-interest bull
of that Angus sale season.
EXAR Upshot 0562B
#Sitz Upward 307R
EXAR Denver 2002B
#+EXAR Barbara T020
17160560
+Exar Royal Lass 1067
#EXAR 263C
BR Royal Lass 19-132
#+EXAR New Look 2971
#Bon View New Design 1407
SydGen Blackbird GA 051
N Bar Primrose 2424
+15297249
SAF Blackbird 6028
#+SVF Hi Road
+SAF Blackbird 3042
130
+19
-2.0
+44
+82
+2.09
.38
.44
.33
.36
.48 +32
+45.17
+118.74
+8.9 +17 +25
CED
BW WW YW SC DOC HP CEM MILK $W $B
CW
MARB
RE
FAT
+28
+.64
+1.17
+.013
5-91
5-96
5-95
5-110
5-91
5-120
5-118
BWR
WWR
YWR
IMF
UREA
RBFT
RPFT
Dam
Progeny
Record
BW RATIO WW RATIO ADG YW RATIO ADJ SC
ADJ HIP
66
630
81
84
1028
81
39.79
47.3
2.49
SydGen FATE 5475
Birth Date: 9-3-2015
Bull 18473510
Tattoo: 5475
✭
✭
This calf was orphaned prior to weaning, and was obviously behind, but had a
great disposition and structure, so we gave him a chance.
✭
✭
He scanned the highest %IMF scan of the entire fall bull division, helping him
earn the fourth highest Marbling EPD of the fall bull division.
✭
✭
Maternal brother brought $5,000 in our 2014 sale.
✭
✭
Dam was raised at Jaynbee Ranch, Bonners Ferry, ID and recorded an incredi-
ble 12.88% IMF scan to ratio 123 in a group of 19. She came to us from Paul’s
Livestock, Edwall, WA.
✭
✭
Other maternal sibs have sold to Allen Roth, Madison, MO and Borkowski Angus
Farm, Elliott, IA.
SydGen Trust 6228
SCR Promise 4042
SydGen FATE 2800
+SydGen Forever Lady 4413
+17521423
+SydGen Heroine 9808
#SydGen Contact
#DAAR Heroine LT 108
#TC Total 410
#Bon View New Design 208
Jaynbee Lady 602T
+TC Erica Eileen 2047
15824928
+Jaynbee Lady 638R
#SAF Focus of ER
#Jaynbee Lady 621
133
+11
+0
+43
+79
+.72
.36
.44
.32
.35
.47 +15
+43.52
+130.76
-5.4
+12 +27
CED
BW WW YW SC DOC HP CEM MILK $W $B
CW
MARB
RE
FAT
+42
+.27
+.44
-.016
5-96
5-100
5-100
5-99
5-99
5-100
5-106
BWR
WWR
YWR
IMF
UREA
RBFT
RPFT
Dam
Progeny
Record
BW RATIO WW RATIO ADG YW RATIO ADJ SC
ADJ HIP
76
688
94
92
1190
94
34.86
51.1
3.14
SydGen Verdict 5576
Birth Date: 9-29-2015
Bull 18473531
Tattoo: 5576
✭
✭
Good calving ease on this maternal brother to Reference Sire SS, SydGen CC
Rider 3582, that sold for $10,000 in our 2014 sale to Big Dry Angus Ranch,
Jordan, MT.
✭
✭
Other maternal brothers brought $6,000 to Scott Berryman, Cottage Grove, TN
and $4,250 to Roger Swaters, Deepwater, MO while a maternal sister brought
$3,200 to HD Ranching Co., Pincher Creek, Alberta.
#SydGen Mandate 6079
#SS Objective T510 0T26
SydGen PH Verdict S/C
SydGen Gina 4235
+17000802
Summitcrest Elba 1M17
#Vermilion Dateline 7078
Summitcrest Elba 1F43
+SydGen Rocky Road 2060
#Rockn D Ambush 1531
SydGen Blanche 9028
SAF Blackbird 6028
16313231
SydGen Blanche 4065
#SydGen Contact
+SydGen Blanche 1052
131
Yearling bulls have many advantages: fresher genetics, better selection, etc. Studies
have shown bulls used as yearlings sire more calves in their lifetime than bulls held
until they are two. Also, buyers who manage them well can often re-sell them as
three- or four-year-olds and recover their purchase price.
A few tips from our experience:
1. If your group has too many cows or heifers for one yearling bull (we suggest 10-
15), don’t put all the bulls out at the start of the season. If you turn them all out at
once, they are likely to all lose weight and perhaps all go temporarily sterile at the
same time. If you have two bulls, put one in for two weeks, then pull him and turn
out the other one. The forced rest and a little feed and fly control will make him
stronger. Using the every two week rotation, if one bull is a stronger breeder, he
will always be covering what the other bull missed. Furthermore, running multiple
bulls in the Midwest often results in broken penises; it’s just different out West
where the pastures are so much larger.
2. A yearling bull should not be out in a Missouri pasture from mid-July through
August. Bulls generally shed their first two incisors about 18-20 months of age.
That combined with fescue endophyte and heat stress could cause the bull to get
so nutritionally stressed that it will take a long time to get him back in shape.
Tips on Using Yearling Bulls
