what kind of operation?

[Txwalt]

Dont be shy.

Walt

[Running Arrow Bill]

I couldn't vote since the questions were a little one-sided. On the other hand:

Our operation is producing registered seedstock. We run several bulls we have purchased for our breeding program. Our own bull calves are usually steered at or before weaning unless someone wants a "bull" calf for their cross-breeding or beginning longhorn program. We also put one of them in our own freezer each year.

We buy better breeding females as well as keep our top genetics females for replacements. If we have a "promising" bull calf, we'll hang on to him until 14 mos. breeding age. If he turns out good, we'll collect semen on him and then put him with a "few" 1st calf heifers for a trial. Then, we will put him up for sale. All of our herd sires are purchased to improve our bull genetics.

We also slaughter one or two of "our breeding program" less promising animals (that haven't sold) for our USDA inspected retail meat program.

[LazyARanch]

My husband and his family have had a commercial cattle operation for many years. My FIL ran between 75-100 head
of mixed breed beef cows and used a variety of bulls (mostly black) on them and then ran the calves on grass after weaning and sold them as yearlings. Our calving season runs from April My FIL passed away 2 years ago and my husband and his brother split the herd and we now have a nice group of cows (angus X, char X, simi X and herefords) none of them are registered. We still run Angus bulls but I'm trying to talk my hubby into trying a black polled homozygous something else. I have nothing against the Angus but my personal preference tends towards something with a beefier butt. Probably comes from my many years of having Quarter horses! (ha!) I just want to try something different but my husband thinks we should stay the course. I like the looks of some of the balancer bulls I've seen, as well as the Aubracs but I most definitely want to stay black, or bwf for our young stock. We raise and keep just a few good heifers each year and cull out old or non-productive cows.
I have a lot to learn and I appreciate what I am learning from you folks on here. I also really like the websites that some of you have provided on body condition, frame scores and safe handling practices.
We do a lot of our own vet work to save some expense such as giving shots and castrating, and we do our own hauling.
I'd like to get into AI but since we both work off the ranch that would not make much sense at this time.

we hauled our yearlings to market last week and our steers averaged 1100 lbs! Grass fed only....
our pastures were really good this year and we don't run too many animals on them.

[ToddFarmsInc]

.... I have nothing against the Angus but my personal preference tends towards something with a beefier butt. Probably comes from my many years of having Quarter horses! (ha!) ....

Mmmmmmm....... I've never tried Quarter Horses... .but they sound yummy!



I've got lots of variety. They are several Generation Angus Sired, but the color throw backs are still dominate in the calves, so I have some mouse colored cows that were at one time Charlet, Several Black White face, I have however culled out all the red cows, because every year I cull out the ones I consider "mean" and I don't want to die from, funny thing... that catagory usually included a read cow. Now my herd is very gentle, except when you grab their newborn, which is a good thing I think.

I do spend the money on a couple of good new angus bulls when it's time to replace them. The Cows are either kept back heffers, or I will buy cow calf pairs from one person, a neighbor whom I usually buy my bulls from who keeps exemplairy records on his registered angus, and guarentees me the linnage of the cows in relationship to the bulls and their preformance which he gives me computer print outs on. I'm always amazed by his operation, and some day when I'm old and gray I will have a setup like that.

I have contemplated the idea of starting a second herd for better pasture rotation and management. One thing I've considered is a different breed other than black for the second herd, so I can easily tell when one gets in with the other herd.... Red would be an easy color to spot, but I don't want a red headed temper.

[Txwalt]

Any kind of registered operation would be the first one.

Walt

[LazyARanch]

.... I have nothing against the Angus but my personal preference tends towards something with a beefier butt. Probably comes from my many years of having Quarter horses! (ha!) ....

Mmmmmmm....... I've never tried Quarter Horses... .but they sound yummy!

LOL, OKKKKKKKK I probably should have rephrased that! You sure gave me a laugh!

Ya Brat! Good thing I'm not a red-head! hehe

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

So I guess I should have marked the PB keeping best replacements, but I marked OTHER.
We offer for sale all our heifers, letting buyers pick our best. It is rare that one of our heifers wouldn't be replacement quality. We purchase top quality repacements occasionally - mostly bred heifers or cows.
LazyARanch - by yearlings, do you mean spring born of 2008?

[HerefordSire]

Good thing I'm not a red-head! hehe

Red headed and Italian with a splash of PMS.

[AngusLimoX]

Why no "Failing" option?

[dun]

Red would be an easy color to spot, but I don't want a red headed temper.

Ref Angus or Hereford either registered or commercial. If you oculd find some red Gelbvieh genetics.............

[LazyARanch]

LazyARanch - by yearlings, do you mean spring born of 2008?

Hi Jeanne,

yes, our 2008 crop, ranging from approx 16-19 months old.

Mind you, it wasn't a large group, and our heifers from 2008 averaged 950 lbs, but there was only 5 of them.

[LazyARanch]

Good thing I'm not a red-head! hehe

Red headed and Italian with a splash of PMS.

Nope... blonde going silver, all nordic, and only occasional PMS

(my husband asked me what my definition of "occasional" was!!!)

I say it keeps the mystery in our relationship!! LOL

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I'm mostly silver (I like that better than grey) gone blonde!

[HerefordSire]

Good thing I'm not a red-head! hehe

Red headed and Italian with a splash of PMS.

Nope... blonde going silver, all nordic, and only occasional PMS

(my husband asked me what my definition of "occasional" was!!!)

I say it keeps the mystery in our relationship!! LOL

I have experience with my subject words.

[Txwalt]

Does anyone think the results seem a bit strange. Maybe not surprising but...

Walt