More heifers than bull calves any ideas why?

[topground]

58% bulls.

 

[M-J-G]

I'd say that if one gender is of a particular advantage over the other that something needs looked at.
We run mainly maternal breeds and focus on selling heifers for breeding, and I love nothing more than seeing a nice heifer out of a good cow, but the bull calves still sell well as stores and come to a strong value, so I'm happy with one or the other.

If one is of a huge value over the other, I'd be changing something.

 

[David1968]

I'm happy with 'alive'...

 

[BAF]

Slightly off topic but years and years ago when the world was still in black and white my gran used to work stallions. The story goes there was a friend of the boss who had an infertile stallion - his balls were too close to his body - they were going to have him cut and my gran being the hard headed old cow she was told the bloke she'd get the stallion to cover a mare and breed a foal. I'm not sure what the deal was but there was definitely some sort of financial reward. She spent a fortnight icing and cold hosing his rubbish. He covered his last ever mare then lost his goolies. But he did end up fathering one foal.
Heat is well known to effect fertility and male sperm although faster are also more fragile. So your bull could have perfect knackers but he could have been lying down and warmed them up with his body and denatured the male sperm just enough that they're not getting there first. A bull that mates a cow multiple times is going to, by the law of averages, get more lead down range and as a result increase potential for bull calves.

 

[Werzle]

We sold a lim bull in Carlisle and ten months later the bloke rang to ask if we'd had calves by him and what split bulls to heifers. Said we had six,three of each. He'd had twenty calves and 18 were heifers,no good to him so was going to claim the bull was infertile,cull him and claim on his insurance. I said how the hell can you do that and he said he was good friends with his vet

Im amazed how many farmers defraud the insurance on all sorts tbh, the bigger ones especially.