Dovea EBY on 15 month old heifers

cacs

I am thinking of using Dovea's lim bull EBY (female sexed) semen on 15 month old heifers.
He is been recommended as easy calfing low gestation bull.
I have heard there has been some monsters aswell. What's opinion of hi

tanko

cathal irwin wrote: »

I am thinking of using Dovea's lim bull EBY (female sexed) semen on 15 month old heifers.
He is been recommended as easy calfing low gestation bull.
I have heard there has been some monsters aswell. What's opinion of hi

I've never used him but it seems like a strange choice of bull to sell sexed semen off, there isn't much sign of milk in his breeding. Are the straws €40 a pop?

cacs

tanko wrote: »

I've never used him but it seems like a strange choice of bull to sell sexed semen off, there isn't much sign of milk in his breeding. Are the straws €40 a pop?

I think the sexed is make him an easier calfer for heifers. I always find a heifer will have a smaller lighter heifer calf

Grueller

Have a couple of calves from him. One heifer from a simmental cow. Nice lengthy heifer, not a real styler, but earmarked as a replacement nonetheless. Also have a bull calf out of a first calving black limousin heifer. Very easy calved, small calf but at three weeks old is exhibiting loads of muscle and I am very happy with him.

Lady Haywire

I've put him on a heifer that will be just 20 months at calving so I hope he's easy calved! :pac:

Who2

They fall out of the heifers they are that small, I've had a few here, wouldn't rate them as a good calf but.

cacs

Who2 wrote: »

They fall out of the heifers they are that small, I've had a few here, wouldn't rate them as a good calf but.

I suppose a small alive one is better than a big dead one. I don't want to use Aberdeen Angus

FeelTheBern

Hope they're small - have him on few heifers to calve at 22/24 months next spring. Agree that strange one to have sexed semen off with replacement being low - think I read somewhere that not all bulls semen of high enough quality to sex so maybe his was and that's why they did it. Would be happy to have small live calf bull or heifer at end of day.

Future Farmer

cathal irwin wrote: »

I suppose a small alive one is better than a big dead one. I don't want to use Aberdeen Angus

Salers are a good option on young heifers.

I don't know why you'd pay €40 for sexed straws of him - EBY, as his daughter calving ability, milk and calving interval doesn't look great at average reliability.

Most of his Replacement Index seems to be coming from a good terminal index.

With: milk, calving interval, heifer feed intake, cow feed intake and docility all 1 star across breeds.

He is good on gestation in fairness for a LM at 288 days.

RobinBanks

Cathal, I gave EBY to a blonde and a blue heifer. Both will calve down at 26 and 25mths respectively.

Both heifers carrying bulls so I am a little bit nervous but i have seen calves from similar heifers and they were small at birth but turned out very shapey. Light boned calves so I think if you mind the heifers coming up to calving you will be ok.

cacs

RobinBanks wrote: »

Cathal, I gave EBY to a blonde and a blue heifer. Both will calve down at 26 and 25mths respectively.

Both heifers carrying bulls so I am a little bit nervous but i have seen calves from similar heifers and they were small at birth but turned out very shapey. Light boned calves so I think if you mind the heifers coming up to calving you will be ok.

Yea I think your right cheers

tanko

I think it's better play it safe on heifers, hard to beat an easy calving Angus or Saler for this. Since HCA straws dissapeared i used the Saler RIO last year and Valliant and Highfield Odran this year. Docility can be an issue with Salers tho.
Have a bull calf off KYA off a heifer this year that has turned into a fine calf.
EBY should be a good option.
One thing that doesn't make sense to me about the eurostar figures is that EBY is only one star across breeds for daughters milk but five stars across breeds for replacement index. I know milk isn't everything but surely a five star maternal bull should produce better heifers which have more milk than their mothers, can't see EBY doing this.

Future Farmer

RobinBanks wrote: »

Cathal, I gave EBY to a blonde and a blue heifer. Both will calve down at 26 and 25mths respectively.

Both heifers carrying bulls so I am a little bit nervous but i have seen calves from similar heifers and they were small at birth but turned out very shapey. Light boned calves so I think if you mind the heifers coming up to calving you will be ok.

Just for the record, I hope it didn't come across that I was talking down EBY. For me he is a solid easy calving bull (and has a good gestation for a LM), I just wouldn't use him sexed as I don't see him as a replacement sire.

Tanko (I like Salers too), it's just because so much is placed on the terminal traits and ease of calving that most bulls with good terminal indexes have good replacement indexes (as half of calves will be male).

Replacement index make-up:
Calving Traits: 16%
Docility: 4%
Beef Traits: 21%
Feed intake: 18%
Milk: 18%
Fertility: 23%

tanko

Who2 wrote: »

They fall out of the heifers they are that small, I've had a few here, wouldn't rate them as a good calf but.

How are those EBY calves doing for you now?

Who2

tanko wrote: »

How are those EBY calves doing for you now?

Middling at best, il probably just leave them run around till the end of the year and move them on.

tanko

Are they shapey but staying a bit small?

Who2

tanko wrote: »

Are they shapey but staying a bit small?

No shape, that's my issue, I've a few off that sh bressie aswell off muscly heifers and while they've stars shooting out their narrow little arses I'd be afraid to waste a straw on them.