Mark Curry (989) 984-7027 Route services and sales Sue Palen (989) 277-0480 Semen order desk/ Products manager Greg Palen (989) 277-6031 Certified Seed specialist/ AI Refresher training
Michigan Livestock Service, Inc "For the Best in Bulls" and Digestible Forage Seed 110 N Main St (PO Box 661) Ovid, MI 48866 phone (989) 834-2661 website: www.michiganlivestock.com email: greg@michiganlivestock.com
Here I Am -- who will take his place?
It might not be too far off to suggest Here I Am was Wade Rodger's "once in a lifetime" bull. Born in March of 2012, he still commands respect (and a premium semen price) fourteen years later. He arrived on the leading edge of the reaction against excessive stature and frame. As a youngster he had a leaner, almost feminine-fronted look to him -- which we came to expect from crossing the tall growthy Chianina sires with the wide Maine Anjou-Shorthorn cross cows.
(His pedigree: sired by ***Walks Alone---***momma was the high-profile Goretska 805, a daughter of Ali from a dam that crossed Heat Wave onto Habanero. Talk about intelligent crosses of the two breeds that have defined the "Club Calf" business for most of our lifetimes.) He weighed a respectable (not too big, not that small either) 85 pounds when born. Then he began to grow.
How about that full brother?
Yes, six years after "Here I Am" was born, they tried the mating again, and named the resulting bull Here I Am 2. Phil Lautner ended up with him. He avoided one of the two recessives that afflict his famous older brother (He is DS Free). But they are not identical full brothers.
Could it be one of his sons?
The way this business of breeding works, it is rare to find any son of such a bull that will take his place. Usually some other bull will get that job done (in many cases because they offer mating compatibility with the old boy's female offspring). BUT I will admit I have always liked Lautner's Kolt 45 bull, who was raised by Payton Farrer. This fellow was only 77 pounds at birth which is starting to sound safer to use on a heifer than typical clubby bulls. Although solid shiny black he has a momma with a "Red" (Shorthorn based) pedigree being a daughter of FSF Starburst from a Johnny Walker Red dam. In total, he offers 25% Shorthorn, 6% Chianina, followed by the usual mix in the background (Angus for the black coloring, of course) (Maine rear ends).
You compare his photo in Phil Lautner's books to Here I Am's photo in Wade Rodger's books at a similar age, and the resemblance is remarkable.
What are you seeing that is drawing your interest?
I-80 Clones have drawn some interest recently. You will remember that I-80 was an "Ali" son, making him a half sibling to the dam of "Here I Am". That same clean front end was always an I-80 trademark; we now see that in a lot of the "Here I Am" and "Kolt 45" offspring.
Michigan Livestock Service, Inc "For the Best in Bulls" and Digestible Forage Seed phone (989) 834-2661 email greg@michiganlivestock.com website: www.michiganlivestock.com
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