Is a hereford bull ok to breed to a first time Holstein/JerseyX

[PattySh]

Thanks for all the answers. I would LOVE to AI her to a small calving ease Jersey. BUT even tho she is in with a steer, he is not riding her so I can't seem to catch her in heat. Getting frustrated. Not too many bulls around here. The other option is to buy a young Jersey bull and eat him after. Not sure what to do.

 

[OtterCreekRanch]

If you find a vet or AI tech to AI her, they will bring her into heat. Some will breed on natural heats, but a lot prefer to breed on a heat that they brought on themselves because it is easier to calculate the exact right time to inseminate if they know the exact time frame they are working on.

 

[jhm47]

Get some estrotect or Kamar patches. They will change color when the steer rides her, and you should breed her 12 hours later.

 

[herfrds]

Redtail you didn't offend me, it just greatly concerned me that treating an unproven bull as a heifer bull with not enough information is flat out scarey.

Like jhm47 said get one of those patches. Only way I caught my milk cow in heat. They are silver with orange underneath. When the steer mounts he rubs the silver off. Check early morning and again at dusk. Figure every 21 days roughly.
Just make sure it is placed on the highest spot between her tail head and hip bones. Some guys lay them so they are pointing to the left and right side of the cow, I place mine so the ends are pointing to the head and tail.

 

[PattySh]

Guess I'll have to call the AI tech. I've had his number for a while now. I have been marking her rear end at it's highest spot with a bright pink marking paint that should be rubbing off on the steer. He doesn't seem to show interest in mounting her at all. Have never seen him do it.

 

[jhm47]

The correct way to place estrotect patches is at a 90 degree angle to the spine of the animal, and about 6 - 8 inches in front of the tailhead. There is a little "dip" in that area, and by placing them there you will help to avoid a false positive from rubbing under branches or other things. I have placed thousands of them over the years, and they are well worth the $1.25 cost. The Kamars work well too, but they should be placed in the same direction as the spine. They are much messier than the estrotects to apply, and cost about the same.

If you can't find the estrotects, PM me with your address and I'll send you one or more. I have several open packages. They come in packages of 50. Mine are orange, but there is also pink. I don't use Kamars any longer. Got sick of my fingers sticking together for days after applying a hundred or more of them.

 

[herfrds]

jhm47 not too many trees around here so we don't worry about them

 

[77Herford]

I run a Cow/Calf farm with Herefords and Angus. I use Hereford bulls and would tend to agree with some of the others. Use a bull that has proven low birth weights with proper EPD's or you could have issues.