Alfalfa for Corrientes
- Thread starter Ben3
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
sort of like feeding it to burros - they don't need that kind of babying and may founder. the whole point of corrientes is how they can rustle for themselves. If I was going to feed them good alfalfa, I sure would mix it with grass or straw.
callmefence
Keyboard cowboy
I would say yes you can feed them alfalfa.
Feeding Burros. I see your point. That is the other reason for Corrientes in the first place. They don't need high dollar feed and can adapt to most conditions This a theory my son cooked up...after reading about Corrientes and talking with people that have them, he told me about the idea of a light weight, hardy herd that might have an advantage over a 12-1500 lb. cow herd. I thing he is right.
DCA farm
Well-known member
Fella down road fromBen3 said:
Me runs a crap pile of corriente cows with big angus bulls he says he does fairly well with them. He gets quite a few sold black calves but he also gets quite a few painted up calves.
DCA farm
Well-known member
He don't baby them his pastures ain't the best but them little cows raise some good size calves in comparison to themselvesBen3 said:
DCA farm said:
this is such a stupid problem. I am guessing like here, any paints or other non-solid colors get docked badly regardless of phenotype. irritates me no end.
DCA farm
Well-known member
Hippie Rancher said:They get docked but he loves themDCA farm said:
this is such a stupid problem. I am guessing like here, any paints or other non-solid colors get docked badly regardless of phenotype. irritates me no end.
DCA farm
Well-known member
Hippie Rancher said:My uncle raises corrientes he's probably got 60 momma cows but he ropes and leases out steers that's why he raises them. He also has brahmas and some Bradford cowsDCA farm said:Fella down road from
Me runs a crap pile of corriente cows with big angus bulls he says he does fairly well with them. He gets quite a few sold black calves but he also gets quite a few painted up calves
this is such a stupid problem. I am guessing like here, any paints or other non-solid colors get docked badly regardless of phenotype. irritates me no end.
snoopdog
Well-known member
Truth right thereBigfoot said:
5S Cattle
Well-known member
The hay is worth more than the cows with those
DCA and Hippie, If a guy loves his cattle, ropes them or just likes to raise them, its doesn't matter to much that they get hammered at the sale barn. Seems like the buyers are looking for a particular kind of calf and none of them have a market for the native cattle. That is changing a little, but I don't see everyone getting on board with the program. If you don't owe a lot, they don't cost a lot or eat as much maybe they are a better deal.
Bigfoot, Snoopdog and 5S, From a practical stand point. Why fight the established markets? The main breeds have dominated the market for as long as they have been around. I don't know when it started, but in the 70's I became aware that Angus crossed with Hereford topped the market, baldies are always good. We started crossing Charolais bulls with mixed cows and most of them were near the top of the market.
Now, I've been out of cattle for 35 years and things have changed a bit, prices...not enough, but it's hard to get in without breaking the bank, so we are looking at it from several perspectives.
In the 70's I bought a little cow, with a bunch, that weighed 610 lbs. never thought much about her but didn't want to sell her because she didn't look like anything. All black and nothing to look at. Every year I noticed that little biddy cow raising a calf that would be as big as she was and as big as the calves off the Angus/Charolais or any of the other crosses.
What I figured out and now want to experiment with is that it doesn't necessarily take a 1200 lb cow to get a fast growing calf. Price of land keeps going up, price of hay last year got pretty high and the banker always wants his money back. So if a guy can breed a good Corriente/Beef cross, then I think that I might be able to sell a 1/4 Corriente/3/4 Beef calf off a 700lb cow for the same price as I could off a 1200 lb cow. Probably not a perfect plan, but why not give it a shot.
Now, I've been out of cattle for 35 years and things have changed a bit, prices...not enough, but it's hard to get in without breaking the bank, so we are looking at it from several perspectives.
In the 70's I bought a little cow, with a bunch, that weighed 610 lbs. never thought much about her but didn't want to sell her because she didn't look like anything. All black and nothing to look at. Every year I noticed that little biddy cow raising a calf that would be as big as she was and as big as the calves off the Angus/Charolais or any of the other crosses.
What I figured out and now want to experiment with is that it doesn't necessarily take a 1200 lb cow to get a fast growing calf. Price of land keeps going up, price of hay last year got pretty high and the banker always wants his money back. So if a guy can breed a good Corriente/Beef cross, then I think that I might be able to sell a 1/4 Corriente/3/4 Beef calf off a 700lb cow for the same price as I could off a 1200 lb cow. Probably not a perfect plan, but why not give it a shot.
5S Cattle
Well-known member
Sounds like you got your mind made up. I don't like big cows either, but I ain't buyin corriente anything, and I can buy em for about $3-400 around me all day long. Let us know how it works out
EmileVal
New member
Im not sure what to say Margo, my ewes are eating 5 lbs of RFV >140 alfalfa right now, and the feces look pretty normal. are they at least formed? or looser than that?
Janet
Janet
