Sex ratio - Proportion of bull to heifer calves?

Rob R · Post by **Rob R** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 11:57 am

I'd be interested to know what proportion of bull to heifer calves everyone gets each year?

I've been breeding Dexter cattle for nine years now & last year I worked out the sex ratios of all calves born in that time. It has become a bit of a private joke that we always get bull calves, and with our first lambing last year we got two thirds male lambs, so that prompted me to work out the Dexter ratios:

Which came out at 75% bull calves & 25% heifers.

Penny · Post by **Penny** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:17 pm

Hi Rob,

yes, we seem to have far more boys than girls. In the past 18 months, the percentage is exactly the same as yours.(75% to 25%) Since 01/01/05, we have had 6 boys and 3 girls. I also have 3 more cows that have gone beyond their due date and so probably are carrying boys!!

Penny

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 11:12 pm

I do not know what your herd sizes are, but we need to be very careful in the Dexter world not to draw statistical conclusions from very small numbers. In all probability for every herd with a ratio of 3 bulls to 1 heifer there will be an equal number with 3 heifers to every bull. Lady luck can pull some very convincing illusions which are just that - illusions that there is some significance when there is none except chance. I honestly think this is why it took genome analysis to prove the situation with regard to bulldog calves. In my own tiny herd for the first 10 year I had almost exactly 3 heifers for every bull. I also used short on short numerous times and had no bulldogs, the one year I got 4 bulldogs out of 3 females.
I did read somewhere once that sex of calf all depends on whether or not the cow is facing into or out of the sun at time of mating - but I can't remember which way was which. I always wondered what happened to those served at night.

Duncan

Post by **Mark Bowles** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 11:23 pm

We had 9 males on the trot a couple of years ago,things have leveled out now,but i am waiting for 9 heifers on the trot.
Also a good question,what percentage of short legs to long legs,if memory serve me right then we have had 17 short legs, and 14 long legs, heifers that is, bull calves are prodominantly short when we could do with longs for the beef.
3 calves this year so far and all longs,but at least they are alive!.
Mark

Rob R · Post by **Rob R** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 11:32 pm

I wouldn't say it was statistically valid, we only have six cows- I'd just like to know who's getting all my heifers. Our best heifer had to be put down with a twisted gut, just coming up to service age, the only Dexter calf we have lost was a heifer, another was a crossbred- so far only two home-bred heifers have gone into the breeding herd, with another coming on now.

Calving this year has produced another bull, but here's hoping for some heifers from the others. It looks like I'll have to buy in some to build the breeding numbers up.

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 12:56 am

It sounds as though you are suffering from that other effect of chance in small herds - things either go very well, or very badly - it is difficult to get a middle of the road result - loss of one calf is a major setback, whereas in a herd of 100 the others compensate. The main thing is, do not loose heart, do not blame yourself, or anyone else, just remember that if you toss a coin 100 times and get 100 heads, the odds of the next toss giving a tail is still exactly 50/50.
Remember most of us have been through such patches and can offer sympathy if that is any help. The odds are things will improve.

Duncan

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 9:26 am

Luck, chance or sod's law? I remain almost convinced that you get what you would prefer not to have. Pygmy goats, I didn't really mind: about 50/50; Alpacas, I really would like females: for a 3 year spell we had ALL males, we have never had the corresponding all female years (yet); Shetland sheep, don't mind: about 50/50; Dexters, would really like males (easier to send for beef): first year all heifer calves (4) but since we have had a few more males than females each year which could be because I changed tack and decided to build up the herd!! ???

mindenho · Post by **mindenho** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:08 pm

It all makes facinating reading. My foundation Dexter had 9 heifers and 6 bulls but her first daughter has to date had 8 bulls and only 2 heifers so it does even out! I also have a short leg that has produced 7 live bulls and 2 dead heifers both breach. Life is never dull with Dexters!

Rob R · Post by **Rob R** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 11:13 pm

I'm just pleased when they are alive & healthy- life's too short to worry about it.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 1:41 pm

Rob R, we got all your heifer calves this season. We had 7 heifers and 5 bull calves last year, (1 set of twins). Which was a relief as the year before that, we got 4 bulls and 1 heifer calf. But I have heard of one unfortunate lady who hadn't had a heifer calf in nine years of breeding Dexters, so count your lucky stars eh! Maybe next season will be your year. :D

Rob R · Post by **Rob R** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 11:11 pm

Rob R wrote:Calving this year has produced another bull, but here's hoping for some heifers from the others. It looks like I'll have to buy in some to build the breeding numbers up.

Pleased to say we got a nice little red heifer this weekend, which is one, out of the four Spring calvers, with one left to calve. Just got to make her name fit the certificate now, after reading the '21 letter' bit in the bulletin- almost as bad as the society fees *reaching for the beta blockers*

ann · Post by **ann** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 1:57 pm

:p Sorry Rob I think I must be getting your heifers, so far I have four calves and all heifers, however last year was a bull year with only 2 heifers the year before I got 10 heifers and 2 bulls, must watch this year to see which way they are facing the sun, thats if we get any to shout about.

Ann :D :D

Penny · Post by **Penny** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:29 pm

Today, we have just had our 11th bull calf with only 5 heifer calves so far, so we are definitely on a bull year, as we have been on previous years too. I had heard that it can be related to the age of the bull ( ours have always been young) and a potassium rich diet is meant to favour male conception in humans. I am sure it will all even out it the end, just like rainfall..........a dry spring means a wet summer!!

Duncan, thanks for all your words of wisdom, and for the sense of humour too!

Ted Neal · Post by **Ted Neal** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:26 pm

Fowlmere Dexters calving was 11 bulls, 5 females (one fgemale was by a Red Poll. The Red Polls were one bull, two heifers. Interestingly all of the females were non-short, the bulls half and half short, non-short

Rob R · Post by **Rob R** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 1:19 pm

Just to revive this old topic- the two heifers we bought in last year, put to our home bred bull, have both produced heifer calves for us

with two bull calves so far from our home bred cow & heifer. Time will tell when the rest of the herd calve...