Post by avejoseph on Jul 24, 2021 23:04:26 GMT -5
Before I tell the backstory here is the question up front lol....Are we off base considering a small (at least he is now at 2 yo) guernsey bull to breed to our jersey cow (4) and jersey/sim (1) cross first time heifer?
Our jersey was supposed to calve in August. We found out in May she was open and have had a hard time detecting her heats because we no longer have a steer and she doesn't give many signs. A couple weeks ago I went out to milk and noticed mucous hanging out of her. I called the AI guy and we decided to try that evening. (Native Shorthorn bull) She came from a dairy that was selling her because she didn't take on her first AI and was off schedule with the rest of the herd for calving. We also need to breed her one year old daughter that is a Simmental/jersey cross. She is beefy and maybe two inches shorter than her mother. We haven't noticed her come in to heat yet but it's not to say she hasn't. Last night we were watching them and the heifer kept riding the jersey who stood still a couple times. It is only 14 days from being AI'd?! No mucous on either of them or anything else different from the norm. So now we don't know what to think? There is only one AI tech in the area, no vets, that can help us. If she didn't settle we figure we will need to try live cover. We could keep trying AI, but it will get pricey and drag this out a while. If we were to get a bull, we would get both girls settled and put him in the freezer. We don't want a larger older bull and we are not finding a ton of options. There is a guy that has two guernsey bulls for sale that are with a group of feeder steers but they just didn't get banded. One of them is at least the same size of our jersey or a little smaller and he is 2 years old. Out of all the guernsey steers and the other bull he had, this one was wider, stockier, a lot shorter and just had a 'beefier' look if that makes sense. They all came from 3 related family farms that show and milk their guernseys. They are active in the Guernsey association as well. They were sold as bottle calves planning to be butchered eventually, so the lady doesn't have papers or any genetic information.
Our original goal for breeding was to cross our jersey with something to give hardiness and vigor for a potential replacement or beef if a bull calf. We choose a native shorthorn for AI and had also looked at a Red Poll. If she is not breed, we don't have many options and really need to get her covered soon! She is 12 months in to this lactation...
Would you mind sharing your thoughts on what you would do? Also, do you think this guernsey bull (probably about 48" tall) will stay around that size? The other boys were a lot taller and some lanky looking. The lady said that the brothers they got them from had different paths they took with their genetics. Would his calf be a big risk for our first time heifer?
TIA
Our jersey was supposed to calve in August. We found out in May she was open and have had a hard time detecting her heats because we no longer have a steer and she doesn't give many signs. A couple weeks ago I went out to milk and noticed mucous hanging out of her. I called the AI guy and we decided to try that evening. (Native Shorthorn bull) She came from a dairy that was selling her because she didn't take on her first AI and was off schedule with the rest of the herd for calving. We also need to breed her one year old daughter that is a Simmental/jersey cross. She is beefy and maybe two inches shorter than her mother. We haven't noticed her come in to heat yet but it's not to say she hasn't. Last night we were watching them and the heifer kept riding the jersey who stood still a couple times. It is only 14 days from being AI'd?! No mucous on either of them or anything else different from the norm. So now we don't know what to think? There is only one AI tech in the area, no vets, that can help us. If she didn't settle we figure we will need to try live cover. We could keep trying AI, but it will get pricey and drag this out a while. If we were to get a bull, we would get both girls settled and put him in the freezer. We don't want a larger older bull and we are not finding a ton of options. There is a guy that has two guernsey bulls for sale that are with a group of feeder steers but they just didn't get banded. One of them is at least the same size of our jersey or a little smaller and he is 2 years old. Out of all the guernsey steers and the other bull he had, this one was wider, stockier, a lot shorter and just had a 'beefier' look if that makes sense. They all came from 3 related family farms that show and milk their guernseys. They are active in the Guernsey association as well. They were sold as bottle calves planning to be butchered eventually, so the lady doesn't have papers or any genetic information.
Our original goal for breeding was to cross our jersey with something to give hardiness and vigor for a potential replacement or beef if a bull calf. We choose a native shorthorn for AI and had also looked at a Red Poll. If she is not breed, we don't have many options and really need to get her covered soon! She is 12 months in to this lactation...
Would you mind sharing your thoughts on what you would do? Also, do you think this guernsey bull (probably about 48" tall) will stay around that size? The other boys were a lot taller and some lanky looking. The lady said that the brothers they got them from had different paths they took with their genetics. Would his calf be a big risk for our first time heifer?
TIA