Ron Torell, Long-Standing Educator and Advocate of Agriculture
Oftentimes when a first-calf heifer experiences
calving difficulty we automatically cast all the blame on the immediate sire of
the calf. We may forget that the sire
contributes only half of the genetic merit.
The pedigree of the dam determines the other half. If the dam’s pedigree is stacked with growth
and large birth weight sires and dams this is likely to influence calf delivery
as a first-calf heifer. Conversely, if
the dam’s pedigree is stacked with calving-ease sires and dams, one would
expect shorter gestations, lower birth weights and less dystocia. 
