Wyoming Wind
Well-known member
We run about 550 commercial cows, the majority of which are straight angus, a few that still have some of the old simmental blood that we ran here about 20 years ago, and a the rest are hereford cross (baldies now). I've been getting into a discussion with a relative who raises purebred angus, fantastic cattle, and we usually get a few bulls from him every year. In my picking of bulls my goal has been to first and foremost get low Pap scored bulls (we run starting at 7700 feet and just go up from there), and from there just what has overall good EPD's across the board. Nothing too extreme in any one trait. And of course, what we can afford! 
I have been trying too to pick different bloodlines when I can since we don't know what bull breeds which cow. My purebred angus breeder/relative thinks you should find a bloodline that works with your cows and stick with it. I can see where he comes from but a commerical herd and purebred herd are two different things. What does everyone think? Perhaps there are things I haven't even thought of, I'm not saying that I'm right by any means :? and we just want to keep raising a great set of calves to sell and great heifer replacements to throw back into our herd of mamma's! And where we don't buy cows very often our only way to improve is thru introducing new blood (bulls). Hmmm...any suggestions? I hope I am making sense! :wink:
I have been trying too to pick different bloodlines when I can since we don't know what bull breeds which cow. My purebred angus breeder/relative thinks you should find a bloodline that works with your cows and stick with it. I can see where he comes from but a commerical herd and purebred herd are two different things. What does everyone think? Perhaps there are things I haven't even thought of, I'm not saying that I'm right by any means :? and we just want to keep raising a great set of calves to sell and great heifer replacements to throw back into our herd of mamma's! And where we don't buy cows very often our only way to improve is thru introducing new blood (bulls). Hmmm...any suggestions? I hope I am making sense! :wink: