I am trying the AI for the first time for my small herd. How do you find out what the advertised bulls look like? There don't seem to be many photos in The Bulletin - how do you know he is the chap with the right looks for you?
Good point, I was looking for one of Outlaw for someone earlier, I must dig out the old AI booklet- the pictures weren't brilliant quality, but better than what's online.
I have been recently looking for a new AI bull to use on my heifer as Ilsington Bramble is her dad and he is the one I usually use. I have settled on Apple Joe for her primarily as he is one of only a handful I could find details of on the web. It would be really useful if all the society bulls had details (height and quality's of offspring etc) with a pic easily accessible for us beginners.
I wonder whether pics could be put on the details on the grassroots system? It would be highly unusual nowadays for any database application, which is what grassroots is, not to be able to do this, but the work is another matter.
Alternatively, a separate database of photos would be a doddle.
Kirk- Cascade Herd US wrote:Cornahir Outlaw - He is on the pedigree of nearly every animal on our farm and he is a good example of a wild-type coloration (E+).
Thanks, that's the photo I found through google, but it was much smaller
If I were seeking a bull to use, the first thing I would look for is information on his dam. Half the genes he carries have to come from her, looking at him will give you very little idea of what they might be. I am not intending to breed a herd of bulls. My next step would be to try and discover the overall standard of his siblings - that should provide a guide as to the genes he may have collected from his sire. I want to know his breeding potential rather than what he may look like. I use a bull on the basis of what I hope he will throw.
Woodmagic wrote:If I were seeking a bull to use, the first thing I would look for is information on his dam. Half the genes he carries have to come from her, looking at him will give you very little idea of what they might be. I am not intending to breed a herd of bulls. My next step would be to try and discover the overall standard of his siblings - that should provide a guide as to the genes he may have collected from his sire. I want to know his breeding potential rather than what he may look like. I use a bull on the basis of what I hope he will throw.
Good point, I've found the online herdbook very useful for doing the initial research on this
