| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| maryjane |
Posted - Jun 15 2014 : 08:50:10 AM
Did you know that a young bull has four nipples that hang down like small 1/2 inch or 1 inch pencils stubs? You might be tempted to use the age-old saying: "As worthless as teats on a boar."
But did you know that boaring people in the know know that teats on a boar hog are the most important thing in hog production?
The number of teats on a boar hog determines the number of teats that will be on his daughter's.
The more teats on the boar hog the better.
Many hog raisers will not buy or use a boar hog unless he has at least 14 or more teats.
His daughter will have that number of teats and can then raise more piglets.
So I'm thinking we should change that old-timers saying to, "As worthless as teats on a bull." |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| CloversMum |
Posted - Jun 21 2014 : 3:17:03 PM
For me, it is the Jerseys' sweet eyes! Who can resist their deep sweet gentle brown eyes?! That is what completely sold me on little Clover. :-)
What a treat to be able to see such a new fawn interacting with its mother! A sweet pleasure for you, MaryJane. |
| maryjane |
Posted - Jun 20 2014 : 9:40:59 PM
My Jersey, when I bought her, had been bred by a Milking Shorthorn (light red mottled with white), and yes, people who came to look at her heifer for a milk cow didn't like the way she looked. I've also raised Angus. And Dexter milk cows (black). I don't intend to bring other breeds into my Jersey herd.
I'm completely satisfied that Jerseys are the perfect dual-purpose herd for me. I also know from our Facebook stats that people overwhelmingly respond more favorably to the look of the Jersey. I'm not sure why. Maybe it has to do with how much their young faces resemble deer.
Along those lines, the other night while driving home I saw a doe with a brand new fawn by her side so I pulled over to watch them. Momma was licking the newborn's butt (my cows do that to stimulate their newborns' bowels to help them get rid of their meconium) while the fawn was nudging around Momma's udder to figure out how to latch onto a teat. Wobbly legs and all. I've never witnessed that before. A fawn (Bambi) is such a positive, sweet image in everyone's mind.
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| CloversMum |
Posted - Jun 20 2014 : 3:11:25 PM
MaryJane, have you ever found another breed of cow that you like to breed your Jerseys to? You've mentioned in the past that Jersey meat is delicious, so I'm thinking that perhaps you have not found the need to cross your Jerseys with any other breed? I think we'd like to breed Clover with another Jersey. I think you (MaryJane) also have said that you've never had issues trying to sell a Jersey heifer; however, you did struggle to sell one of your first heifers that was crossed with another breed...cannot remember the breed, even though she would still be a decent milk cow. Am I remembering this correctly? |
| kadebg1988 |
Posted - Jun 19 2014 : 9:26:10 PM
Genetics are amazing! I remember in college using the punnett squares learning about dominant and recessive genes. Each species of animal is different in the way they are compromised in their genetic makeup. Cows, Sheep, Goats, Guinea pigs. ALL are so very different in the way of their influence in their offspring. BUT on that note, since you were speaking of crossing your chickens to make the best bird for your farm, it has been shown and proven that hybrid vigor is a huge bonus in breeding for meat animals. It did not take farmers long to realize that crossing their Angus cows with a Hereford bull created a prime animal that grew fast, dressed out with a better carcass and less waste. As well as applying coloration over the eyes of calves which helped reduce the occurrence of pinkeye which is common in Herefords due to most having a lack of pigment around the eye. It may take you multiple generations to accomplish the goal you set for yourself but that's perfectly normal, Rome was not built in a day. All you can do is find what works best for your program and the skies the limit. Good Luck. |
| CloversMum |
Posted - Jun 19 2014 : 7:23:21 PM
The reason I asked about the bull's influence on his daughters is because I am beginning to breed some of my chickens to replace my egg-laying flock. I want the female chicks to be good egg-layers and the male chicks to be able to be used more of a meat bird. So I am breeding more of a meat hen to a egg-laying type rooster as the female chicks take after the rooster and the male chicks take after the hen. So I didn't know how much influence the bull would have on his daughters. All of these genetics are just so amazing to me and I am learning a lot...even with just the chickens! |
| maryjane |
Posted - Jun 19 2014 : 1:04:19 PM
I suspected that's why semen catalogs sometimes have photos of cows in addition to the bulls. Yes, lineage is important. I think that's the reason to register your animals in a registry that's going to be around for the long haul. I find cattle genetics fascinating, especially those of my own herd.
It's time for three of my girls to get busy with my guy, Beau Vine, so today I turned him into a pasture with all three. They aren't in heat so they're only mildly interested in him. On the other hand, he's being very verbal to say the least and kicking up his heels, rubbing his head from side to side in the dirt--all the things a bull does. He's especially into it because it's his first prom and Dad gave him the keys to the car. |
| kadebg1988 |
Posted - Jun 19 2014 : 12:53:39 PM
Since the teats on a bull are in fact useless, in the sense that he will not be supplying milk or feeding a calf. I believe it is very difficult to tell what kind of udder he will produce based on what your looking at on a bull because the teats are the only thing a bull has in common with a female, he does not have a udder that will fill in to give you an idea of how well it will stay attached or of medial ligament strength, thus the reason most semen catalogs use only pictures of Dams, Grand dams and daughters to show prospective buyers of semen the traits that the bull should throw in his daughters. I also believe a bull of course is going to have an impact on his influence of his daughters udders. A bull is 50% of your herd. But in my own breeding program what I have noticed is the cattle seem to throw more characteristics from their grandparents, then they do their own parents. So I always try and look at the characteristics of grand sire and grandam as well as sire and dam. |
| CloversMum |
Posted - Jun 15 2014 : 9:52:50 PM
Well, I learned a couple of new things today! If a bull only has three useless teats, will his daughters have a greater chance of a malformed udder that does not have four complete, working teats? |
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