Decathlete:
Universal Performance with Style and Power

WNH CHR MCA Decathlete12/26/95

In the 2000 Australian Sire Summary, Decathlete is in the Top 1% of the breed for every trait for which they have data except BW.  He is in the Top 1% of the breed for 200, 400, 600 day weight and  for carcass weight.  He is also in the Top 1% of the breed for fertility and maternal milk.  And quiet frankly he is not just in the Top 1%, he is way up in the Top 1%, probably in the top .01% for all of these traits except milk.  The only trait where is is not at the top of the breed is birth weight.  He is +7.2 for BW, which puts him in the bottom 15%.  He is the 3rd highest sire for 400 day or yearling weight in the entire analysis that includes 41,000 sires from all over the world, and his birth weight is much lower than the other two sires that are above him for 400 day weight.

Some important notes on Decathlete birthrights:  As of May, 2000, the AHA had on record 255 heifer calves by Decathlete with an average birth weight of 87.2 lbs.  AHA records showed a total of 244 bull calves by Decathlete with an average birth weight of 92.6 lbs.  Those average birth weights are around breed average or slightly below breed average.   The average birth weight of all of his calves have declined around 3-4 lbs in the last 18 months.  Less than 50 of these birth weights have been in the herds of his owners.   His birth weight EPD ought to come down in the future based on this information.  It would be a gross mistake not to use this great bull that sires phenomenal performance, phenotypical quality, excellent carcass traits and exceptional maternal traits simply because of his BW EPD.

Moreover, Decathlete sires extreme length of body, and his calves at birth are extremely long.  That extra length probably adds 3-5 lbs of additional birth weight, but it does not add anything to birthing problems.  Factor that into his BW EPD and he might be around a +3 or +4 for BW.  Decathlete calves are also smoothly made in the shoulders, and generally calve easily for that reason.  We have heard of very few serious calving problems with Decathlete calves.  At WNH we have had no calving problems with Decathlete calves.  Several people have used him on heifers and have had to pull a few but have otherwise had no major problems.  However, we have never recommended using him on heifers.  We have several great calving ease bulls that we recommend using on heifers.

Decathlete Daughters in Production:  We now have several Decathlete daughters in production and have reports on several others.  The news is uniformly good.  His daughters are very good mothers with excellent milk flow and excellent udders and teats.  In fact, this has been true of all of his full brothers as well, including Elixir, Fortress, and Felton 5F.  We have daughters of all of these bulls in production at WNH or FTR.

Exceptional:  Many bulls sire good bulls and some sire good females, but very few polled bulls  sire good bulls and good heifers.  Decathlete sires beautiful and feminine heifers as well as rugged, masculine and muscular bulls.  His sire, Feltons 517, is known for the great bulls he has produced.  His maternal grandsire, Optimum,  is known for the great daughters he has produced.  Decathlete seems to have put the best of both of these together, and that is a real rarity.  Many breeders who sell a lot of commercial bulls, including several prominent horned breeders, have been very pleased with Decathlete bull calves.  They are the kind commercial cattlemen like.

100% Polled:  Decathlete has been used on numerous horned cows, and to my knowledge he has never produced a horned calf.

1. Market Value: $18,000 1/2 interest.  Semen and certificate sales have totaled over $75,000!
2. Actual 204 Wt.: 970
3. Actual 365 Wt.: 1542
4. EPDs: Near the top of the breed for all traits except BW
5. Feed conversion: 4/1
6. Ribeye area: 13.4 sq. in. at 8 months
7. Height at 365 days: 54" (frame 7.5)
8. Scrotal: 38.5 cm at 365 days
9. Pigmentation: both eyes and 2/3 scrotum
10. Sale Ring:  First calf sold for $11,200.  Another son, KFF Total, sold 1/4 interest for $50,000!  A  Decathlete heifer topped the Fall 99 Star Lake Sale, selling for $23,000.

Birth Weight 105 lbs. (ET calf); 17 month weight 1910 lbs. Decathlete is an extremely long, deep, thick and hard muscled bull, and that is why he weighs so much for his age. He is also a very smooth moving bull, with long easy strides.

Export qualified: for Australia only.

*Show record: Calf Champion, Oregon State Fair; Champion Performance Bull, California State Fair; Reserve Grand Champion, Reno Nugget National Hereford Show; Reserve Senior Bull Calf, 74th National.

Decathlete had nine of his progeny shown at Denver.  Five of these nine place first, second or third, and one, Reba 28H above, was National Grand Champion Heifer.  A flush in her sold for $10,000.  The last four National Champion Females have either been sired by a WNH bred bull or have been bred to a WNH bull.

This is more important than a National Championship

To see a Quicktime video of Decathlete daughters in production, click here.  If you do not have Quicktime, you can download a free version of the Quicktime player from Apple Computer's website:  www.apple.com/quicktime/

Click on the names below to get more information and photos of other Decathlete daughters in production:

WNH Ms Nizhoni 9813
WNH Ms Nizhoni 9827
WNH FTR Nizhoni 9801
WNH Ms Nizhoni 9817
WNH Ms Nizhoni 9809
WNH FTR Ms Nizhoni 9818
WNH Ms Nizhoni 9825

Decathlete's First Calf Sold for $11,200!

Decathlete Bull Calf Sold 1/4 Interest for $50,000

Co-Owned with:

Caldwell Hereford Ranch, Ann Zimmerman and Dayne Zimmerman
Allison Polled Herefords, Mike & Carol Allison
Five Australian Owners