F. W. Owen wrote:
>Well, there was once and still is a whole different approach now in
disfavor.
>
>We could just refrain from concern over such factors as % heritability and
>generation interval, and instead raise bulls only from 10 year old and
older
>cows with regular breeding intervals.
>
>The assumption being that if the cows withstood 10 years of culling, and
>attrition from natural causes, then such cows may be genetically superior.
>
>
>
That's precisely wha we've done: John, our first Kerry bull, was born
from Sarah, who was 11 when she calved. She's now 15, fresh and pregnant
once again. John's offspring from various Ayrshire, Shorthorn,
Guernsey, and Holstein/Ayrshire cows are our next generation of cows,
steers and bull calves.
I will begin castrating bullcalves in a couple of weeks, last chance for
some creative grassy genetics!
--
Jonathan & Nina White, cheesemakers
Bobolink Dairy & Bakeyard
Vernon, NJ USA
please visit us at <http://www.cowsoutside.com>
