best beefmaster cross?

[heath]

If you were to cross beefmaster, what breed would add the most? Looking for something that will produce heavy steers and still be able to produce replacements.

[jerry27150]

red angus

[heath]

Why red?

[ALACOWMAN]

Why red?

why not??? good Simmental would be just the ticket for that.. but you need to consider the size cows you'll be producing

[Beefy]

charolais, simmental, angus all cross well from experience. hereford would too.

[Isomade]

charolais, simmental, angus all cross well from experience. hereford would too.

The Char cross cows would be too big for my taste, I like the Angus though. The Char would be my choice for terminal of course.

[dieselbeef]

brafords

[Lucky_P]

Worked on/with a lot of Beefmasters in TN, back in the '80s. They are good cattle, and have their place - I just don't think TN/KY are where they really shine. Anyway, a number of our Beefmaster folks were seeing 'the writing on the wall' regarding buyer discrimination against ear and leather in that area, and started crossing back to English or Continental breeds. Hands-down, by far and away, Simmentals crossed onto those BM cows produced the best calves.
This was before Simmentals became black cattle smaller in frame size than Angus, but I still think it would be my first choice.

[heath]

Why red?

why not??? good Simmental would be just the ticket for that.. but you need to consider the size cows you'll be producing

I got nothing against red cattle just curious of why RA over BA. Assuming they have the same traits, and black gets premium at the stockyards. Is it they do a little better in the heat.

[Jovid]

Red Poll

[oscar p]

I would go Charolais. Have used Charolais bulls of Beefmaster cows forever. Have never had any reason to change. Love the cross.

[heath]

How would gelbvieh do? I bought a gelbvieh cow this fall that was in a set of cows, and everything I've read about them seems to sound good to cross with.

[Massey135]

THERE IS AN EQUIVALENT IN ALL BREEDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PICK A BREED YOU LIKE AND FIND THE INDIVIDUAL WITHIN THE BREED THAT SPECIALIZES IN THE AREA YOU'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON!!!!!! Nothing is more elementary than to see people suggest breeds in general with no regard to type. There are 5 frame charolais' and there are 7 frame angus. Don't tell me Charolais cows are too big. Whose Charolais Cows are too big? Mine or yours???

If your considering keeping replacements, I would select a bull thats epds suggest he is geared or specialized towards the maternal characteristics. Calving Ease, low Birthweight, average ww, average or below yw, moderate to high milk (although your beefmasters should have adequate milk), high maternal calving ease numbers, moderate to high docility, and so forth. Avoid any kind of high bw- high growth(above average) genetics as growth and maternal ability are antagonistic by nature and you cannot get one with out giving up some of the other. YOU CANT DO IT. You can afford to give up a little weaning weight in years you plan on retaining heifers. You CANNOT afford to give up any maternal quality.

[heath]

If your considering keeping replacements, I would select a bull thats epds suggest he is geared or specialized towards the maternal characteristics. Calving Ease, low Birthweight, average ww, average or below yw, moderate to high milk (although your beefmasters should have adequate milk), high maternal calving ease numbers, moderate to high docility, and so forth. Avoid any kind of high bw- high growth(above average) genetics as growth and maternal ability are antagonistic by nature and you cannot get one with out giving up some of the other. YOU CANT DO IT. You can afford to give up a little weaning weight in years you plan on retaining heifers. You CANNOT afford to give up any maternal quality.[/quote]


If they have high milk numbers, shouldn't they have a high ww? If not what's the point of a strong milker?

[Massey135]

No.. think of a jersey. 800lb cow that milks 80lbs a day. very high milk #s, very low growth #s. You want to inject the growth with the sire. There is no point in feeding 1500lb cows. Ideally, I would have 1000lb cows that are heavy milkers and when crossed with a high growth bull, the resulting calves would get the growth genetics from their sire and the fuel to grow from their mothers. This is the situation where you look out and see calves suckin on their momas that are taller than they are. When you start seeing animals that are high ww and high milk, be learly. While the ones with high ww may also milk more than average- I guarantee you its not more relative to their mature size. Many of these type animals are highly inefficient in their conversions of grass/feed to lbs of gain or lbs of milk production. Think dual purpose. They do both but lack the specialization in either.

The only reason people generally shy away from high milk numbers is that high milk numbers are generally associated with harder doing cattle because the majority of those heavy milkers are jus big ass cattle. Find the ones that aren't. They do exist. Perfect example is the shorthorns that J Bar J has in Fallon Nevada http://joycebarnes.vpweb.com/Ranch-Cattle.html While JbarJ refers to them as "milking shorthorn", they are not the type that most associate with milking cattle... or milking shorthorns for that matter. They are 1000lb cows that milk heavily and because of their reduced mature weight, they have the ability to milk heavily without falling apart in the pasture. You put this "TYPE", notice I didn't say breed as Im sure there are animals of this TYPE in many breeds, of cows with a terminal continental sire and you'll be sailing down the Tahlequah singing Kanye's "La,la,la,la wait till I get my money right" $$$$$$$$$$$$$