Where are we going?

[smcgrath76]

Very interesting...
I would like to add a couple of thoughts. All of these new fangled figures, numbers etc. describe the information available on these cattle. They don't describe which ones to pick.
Genetics is the business of selecting useful genes to pass on. Limiting selection to your own herd works pretty well if you have all the genes you need to do what you want to do.
If there are 100,000 cowboys in this country then there are probably 100,000 different ways to do it, and probably every cowboy thinks 99,999 of them are wrong.
Home raised bulls can bring genetics into a herd that are "pre-adapted" through the cows genetics. This is a slower way to change than to bring in an outside bull directly, but may suit a cowboys purpose.

[cswilson]

Well put SMC-the easiest cows to run are always your neighbors lol.

[rkaiser]

Sorry Wilson. Homesteader bull is not one that I invented but it seemed to fit when I heard it. Their are so many of these bulls out their now they need a label of some kind. What should we call them.

Homesteader kind of grabs some attention - Not?

[15444]

We run one 4 year old 'Homesteader' bull. lol. He is off our senior purebred sire and one of the best commercial Herefords we ever had. Damn good bull. Should breed another one of our top cows again and try to get all our commercial herd into her frame 5.5, 1300 lbs range.

I think, if you know your commercial herd well, maximize those genes on that top 1-2% of your cow herd, by using a home grown bull.

My only beef is with guys who try to sell crossbred bulls 'en masse' to every commercial guy. You can't convince me in any way shape or form that the 300 bulls that Mac Creech sells each spring are each from top notch, one of a kind cows. Nah....the calves gained good, and they came off half decent bulls, so they are kept as bulls. I'd say between homeraised, purebred and crossbred bulls, your taking the biggest risk on the crossbred ones.

[cswilson]

That's Mr. Wilson to you Kaiser lol. Maybe a guy should patent that trademark-'Homestead Beef Bulls-picking up where the other's let you down'. I like it-thanks for the tip.

[rkaiser]

It's all yours Wilson. If I were to call you Mr. Wilson, all I would be able to see would be one of your neighbors kids water ballooning you or something. You know that neighbor kid named Dennis!!!

[cswilson]

Touche-advantage Kaiser lol.

[PureCountry]

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Agri-ville Comedy Festival!

[PureCountry]

randy, did you say that there were pictures of limos on the wall of the cave of pictures of limo breeders on the wall of the cave ???

Hell, I thought they came over on the Ark !!!!!

[rkaiser]

Well now, this could get interesting. Which book are we to go by here emerald? The old testiment or the book of evolution. The stories I've seen on TV about Noah make him out to be clothed in robes and walking pretty much upright.
The cave dwellers, again according to TV, walk a bit bent over with loin clothes and clubs.