Light Birth Weight Program

As a result of many years of strong selection for more frame size in most of our purebred herds, some bloodlines have also increased birth weights dramatically. If bulls with this genetic makeup are used on big cows (as in most purebred herds), they might not create any problems. However, if they are used to service first calf heifers or smaller cows, problems often do arise. As a result of some of these problem-cases, the Herefords as a breed are getting a bad name. Since the high birth weight bloodlines are known to most breeders, to stay away from them is only good long term management. We have practiced this policy for some time in our herd, but the fact is that we still have a few calves with weights higher than what we like. With all this in mind we feel that it is very important that we show the birth weights to our customers and let them decide what is acceptable to them.

It would also be good to remember that a build up of high birth weights over several generations cannot be corrected completely by one light birth weight bull. His genetic input to each of his calves is only at the rate of 50%.

To demonstrate that we have a solid background of reasonable birth weights in our herd, the following is a list of the lighter birth weight bulls we have used since we started to weigh our calves at birth.

Name of Bull	Number of Calves born in our herd.	Birth Weight Averages of Calves, in lb.
HU Wetmore Domino 1S	4	67
Britisher Domino AGA 35V	6	73
Britisher Wetmore AGA 50Y	17	83
DP Britisher AGA 46E	43	80
Mr. Mo Le 47F	52	78
46E Britisher AGA 15H	150	79
Britisher Advancer AGA 40K	42	79
GU 46E Britisher 51K	59	82
SJS L Britisher 31 Dom Lad 4K	20	83
LCI Advancer Lad 23L	35	81
93J Standard AGA 1M	21	80
93J Standard AGA 128M	112	83
1M Standard AGA 13P	40	82
4K Britisher AGA 52R	76	84
DMF 95J Standard Lad 26S	37	81
AGA 47F Domino 26W	28	78
CTY Pacific W70	30	81
AGA 4S Standard ET 4X	8	79
AGA 103W Standard 98Y	14	81
AGA 10S Standard 137Y	2	71
CTY Centurion Y960	12	80
AGA 39X Standard 82Z	7	72
AGA 26W Domino 150Z	7	83
AGA 13X Britisher 37B	10	82
AGA Centenial 99B	13	74
CTY Brigader 24B	19	83
AGA 852 Stanmore ET 9C	57	83
AGA 28Z Domino 189C	10	82
AGA 47F Domino 23D	32	82
AGA 63T Standard 24E	24	84
AGA 303Y Standard 53E	11	78
AGA 37B Britisher 154F	7	72

This information was gathered from "Progeny of Sire Overlay" from the Canadian Hereford Association, T.H.E. Program.

We have found that most of our customers prefer a smaller live calf over a great big dead one!

Lilybrook Herefords

Light Birth Weight Program

A Concern For Our Breed.