beefmaster cows

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

Lack of color consistancy is a fault that can not be argued...period! They can be red, cream, tiger, black, purple with pink polk a dots, etc. They also have more Brahman than most other American breeds.

Edit: Like other American breeds, Beefmasters cross well with both European and British breeds. We have had success with both crosses on our Santas but we personally prefer the British crosses for cows, we consider the European crosses a terminal cross in our operation.

[alftn]

I have been watching the Beefmaster breed since the late 70's, have a operation just up the road from my main farm...I do not much care for them, it hard for me to see them as anything but a composite, and color , any shape, any size, lots of exter hide, just not my cup of tea....With that said, as with any good composite there is a lot of hybried viger , thus size , growth, etc...

I like F-1 crosses, black angus X hereford best ,but there are other good F-1 that make good mother cows..The use of a 3 breed ( THE BULL ) makes a good ter. calf...

It like the beefmaster breeders could not agree on any geno or pheno type animals thus any ( are they 3 way or 4 way cross?) is called a beefmaster, just a personall thing and do not expect anyone else to agree..

I like red cow, black cows and spotted cows, but BREED should have animals that can be see and then you know what they are....

Again I am just a novice, it aint all about money to me , thus i can be pickly...but Breeds of cattle should look alike, and most all old breeds do....

[ANAZAZI]

I have been watching the Beefmaster breed since the late 70's, have a operation just up the road from my main farm...I do not much care for them, it hard for me to see them as anything but a composite, and color , any shape, any size, lots of exter hide, just not my cup of tea....With that said, as with any good composite there is a lot of hybried viger , thus size , growth, etc...

I like F-1 crosses, black angus X hereford best ,but there are other good F-1 that make good mother cows..The use of a 3 breed ( THE BULL ) makes a good ter. calf...

It like the beefmaster breeders could not agree on any geno or pheno type animals thus any ( are they 3 way or 4 way cross?) is called a beefmaster, just a personall thing and do not expect anyone else to agree..

I like red cow, black cows and spotted cows, but BREED should have animals that can be see and then you know what they are....

Again I am just a novice, it aint all about money to me , thus i can be pickly...but Breeds of cattle should look alike, and most all old breeds do....

The beefmasters seem like a no nonsense breed, bred to be functional and not to be uniform in colour. I admire this.

[East Caney]

The beefmasters seem like a no nonsense breed, bred to be functional and not to be uniform in colour. I admire this.

You're right. The founders of the breed weren't looking for uniform color or anything of that nature. The founders of the breed were not looking to create a breed. The breed came about as the result of the high demand for their quality cattle. The only thing they they wanted to be uniform was the quality of calf being weaned from each cow. Nothing else mattered. The problem is that the market isn't interested in quality calves. The market, and those largely responsible for setting the market, are interested in color, horn status, pedigree, and everything else that can't be seen on a hanging carcass.

EC

[DavisBeefmasters]

The beefmasters seem like a no nonsense breed, bred to be functional and not to be uniform in colour. I admire this.

You're right. The founders of the breed weren't looking for uniform color or anything of that nature. The founders of the breed were not looking to create a breed. The breed came about as the result of the high demand for their quality cattle. The only thing they they wanted to be uniform was the quality of calf being weaned from each cow. Nothing else mattered. The problem is that the market isn't interested in quality calves. The market, and those largely responsible for setting the market, are interested in color, horn status, pedigree, and everything else that can't be seen on a hanging carcass.

EC

Well said

[alftn]

To call something a BREED it should have animals that are alike ( pheno type and geno type) if not are they a True breed or just a bunch of good calving cows with good calves? I mean gerts are gerts, brangus are brangus,murry grays are murry greays, beefmasters are a mixed up mess....

[Limomike]

Cons: non-consistant colors, big eared, Brahma influence
Pros: Great momma cows, good milkers, docile.

Best to breed with a Limousin bull to get some great looking calves.

[East Caney]

Cons: non-consistant colors, big eared, Brahma influence
Pros: Great momma cows, good milkers, docile.

Best to breed with a Limousin bull to get some great looking calves.

The following thought applies to my list of cons as much as it does yours...but I suppose it really matters where you are located. Having Brahman influence is as much a pro in South Texas as it is a con in Northern Oklahoma. Thinking back, I apply that thought to my list of cons as well.

To call something a BREED it should have animals that are alike ( pheno type and geno type) if not are they a True breed or just a bunch of good calving cows with good calves? I mean gerts are gerts, brangus are brangus,murry grays are murry greays, beefmasters are a mixed up mess....

You just may be right. Making Beefmasters a breed may be the worst thing that ever happened to them. All these people came along, thinking those same thoughts, and began breeding for a like appearance...red, black, polled, red and polled, black and polled, etc. Meanwhile, they forgot to select for the things that 1. matter to keep the cowherd functional and 2. matter when the carcass is hanging.

Breed or no breed, Tom Lasater's cattle would have continually been bought by the smart cattlemen who knew that those cattle would work for them. The only difference is that maybe, just maybe, the other "breeders" would have left good enough alone. Instead, we have a "Breed." Therefore, we have solid red, polled, light muscled Beefmasters along with big boned, sheath dragging the ground Beefmasters. And let us not forget the pretty side profile but slab sided Beefmasters.

Color is the least of problems for the Beefmaster breed. The biggest problem is a group of people buying them and trying to change them to something other than "good calving cows with good calves." I thought "good calving cows with good calves" was what cattlemen were trying to produce.

A wise man once said "DON'T GET ME STARTED!"

EC

[alacattleman]

To call something a BREED it should have animals that are alike ( pheno type and geno type) if not are they a True breed or just a bunch of good calving cows with good calves? I mean gerts are gerts, brangus are brangus,murry grays are murry greays, beefmasters are a mixed up mess....

so is angus. folks get too thinking they can do a better job at it,,, soon they lose all that the developer intended for the breed to be in the first place