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| Yes, I do keep some of those heifers calves for replacement if they are run on our higher mountain pastures. But those that I keep and run closer around home, sometimes never get the size they should by time I need to pick replacements, just because of feed. Sometimes those calves will be 100 lighter than their sisters. That is a true measure of your genetics, if you can run some of them in different places and see how they turn out.
As for the A.I. deal, I just can't bring myself to use it. First of all I really try to buy good bulls to fit my program. Second as of today, I'm at 88% calved out on first calf heifers on the first cycle, this coming Monday will be the end of the first cycle. Why would I want to switch to A.I. and extend my calving season? Plus it's a no brainer on the labor deal, feed em right and turn the bulls in. Plus I don't pile all those 60-70% A.I. calves all at once. By doing that I run the risk of losing more to weather, because you have to start heifers one month earlier if you need a certain ending date. Now if I didn't have to worry about weather, I might A.I. some. I've got to have calves ready to go by the mid April, and don't want them to start hitting the ground much before March 1.
Well it's quit snowing so I guess I better go back out and try to get some work done. | |
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Pasture calving...
