My ideal size calf is one that is born unassisted, gets up and sucks and survives then grows on mama and pasture to over 50% of dam weight at 205 days weaning.

I don't weigh calves. I feel that it is important to leave them alone with mama for the first couple days.

Rather than weight, I have had good luck relying on a registered bull from an honest breeder with a good composite CED (=Calving Ease Direct in the Herefords) EPD.  The CED includes more than just birth weight. In a small operation I have to use the same bull for heifers and cows.

I also retain my best bull calf from a registered, good CED bull and one of my best (easy breed back, easy calving and good conformation) cows each year to improve and spread the good genes.

My current registered bull has a Hereford fall 2014 CED of +9.1 which is in the top 1% of Hereford bulls. I would say that results this past spring confirm that CED. All 13 of his calves about fell out of the back of my cows and heifers.

I am sold on a top CED bull rather than birth weight as a measure of calving ease. At current cattle prices just losing one calf or paralyzed heifer is a very significant loss and would likely pay the difference in price for a good CED bull over an average bull. The Hereford breed appears to be doing a good job on epds especially with bull DNA records now in place.

jmho and experience as a relatively new and small operator.

Jim