Page 15 - MWC 3-9-2023s

Bull to Female Ratios: Prepare for Breeding Season
The Midwest Cattleman · March 9, 2023 · P15

By Mark Z. Johnson
Breeding season and bull to pen bulls of similar ages
turnout is only six weeks and size together for several
away for herds that plan to weeks prior to start of breed-
start calving next January. ing season to allow for social
The opportunity to invest in ranking of bulls. This time
genetics to improve the prof- together allows bulls to es-
it potential of your operation tablish a “pecking order” so
leads to several questions they will be ready to focus on
and requires planning. their job at turnout.
The first goal of breeding
season is to get cows bred
early in breeding season re-
sulting in more calves born
earlier in calving season,
shorter breeding/calving sea-
sons, older calves at wean-
ing and ultimately, more
pay weight at weaning due
to calf age. The typical beef
calf gains about 2 lbs./day up
until weaning, accordingly a
calf born one heat cycle (21
days) earlier will wean off
about 40 lbs. heavier. How
do we get this accomplished?
By having an adequate num-
ber of bulls to get cows ser-
viced. The following shows
a conservative expectation • Bulls developed and built to work on fescue
of the number of cows we • Reduce your herd’s risk with our age
should expect bulls to cover advantage bulls
in a defined breeding season. • Customer feeder cattle marketing options
Genetics built to supply heterosis and
•
12 – 15 month old bulls = maximize pro tability
10 – 12 females • Feed e ciency tested bulls
15 - 18 month old bulls = THE NEW DAY ADVANTAGE • Free delivery within 150 miles and
12 – 18 females reasonable trucking options
18 - 24 month old bulls = • All bulls sell with genomically enhanced
EPDs and RightChoice designations
18 – 25 females • Black, black white face or red bulls - we
24 mo. & older = have color to suit your program
25 – 35 females • Volume discounts
2 – 6 year old bulls = • 100% customer satisfaction guarantee
25 – 35 females

Rule of Thumb: One female Spring
per month of age at turn- BULL SALE
out (after passing yearling
Breeding Soundness Exam)
For example: If I have 60
heifers to breed and plan to APRIL 15, 2023
turn out 15-month-old bulls,
I will need four bulls. Cunningham Livestock. Salem, MO. 1:00 PM.
What is the typical life ex-
pectancy of a breeding bull?
Typically, up to the age of 6 100 Age-Advantaged, Fescue Adapted SimAngus™ & Simmental Bulls
is “prime of life” for breeding 70 Fall-Calving Bred Heifers
bulls. This isn’t to say that
all bulls will break down at
this age but is more likely to
happen after age six. Often Request a sale book or for more information, contact any of the numbers below:
when an older bull goes bad,
it isn’t discovered until after
breeding season when we are Marty Ropp 406-581-7835
Corey Wilkins 256-590-2487
doing pregnancy checks. TED CUNNINGHAM Broadcasting Real-Time Auctions Jared Murnin 406-321-1542
573 453 0058 www.alliedgeneticresources.com
Social Behavior of Bulls
When you invest in bulls www.newdaygenetics.com
this spring, it is a good idea