12/09/06, 07:13 PM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: SE Ohio
Posts: 2,174
|
|
The Jersey could make them mature earlier as well.
Both our Jersey/Norwegian Red cross bulls (one 1/2 and 1/2, one 3/4 J, 1/4 N.R.) settled their first mature cows at 7 and 9 months of age (respectively). The 7 month old, half and half, El Tigre, settled our oldest cow and then less than a month later, he had a slew of calves on the ground. Settled half the herd before we realized it! He was only 7 months old afterall, how bad can it be that he prefer to hang out with the mature women? Not like he could do anything that young... 
Jason settled his first cow at 9 months old.
We kept them because they would be big enough to breed earlier on. Both were off the farm by 15 months old and both had settled the animals we needed bred.
The heifer was most likely in heat the day she was mounting the steer, so be sure to jot that down. The bloody show is normal a few days after they have been in standing heat and will occur regardless of whether they took to the breeding or not. So she could be bred. Look at your date of when she was "standing." Generally an animal in heat will mount anything and everything, the key is to watch if she stands while being mounted herself, if so, she is in standing heat. Count forward 18-23 days and see if she comes back ito heat. If she doesn't, looks like you'll have a calf in nine months or so.
|
