Craigslist cattle

[Caustic Burno]

Everyone loves to hate on the AAA, but the blame falls on all the other breed associations. All the AAA was trying to do was create a market for higher quality beef than most people were used to, therfore creating a better market for angus bulls. They were willing to gamble a shyt ton of money to make it work. Anyone could have done the same thing. Problem is, everyone else refused and I'm guessing snickered that the AAA were idiots because it was something never done before. It took DECADES for other breed associations to realize they missed the boat, but by then high quality beef in the US was synonymous with black angus.
Its also worth mentioning that theres a reason so many feedlots want angus based cattle, beyond just the possible CAB premiums. Because they make more money with them, CAB or no CAB. No smart business is paying more money for a product that may or may not provide a good return, not for 40 years at least. CAB would have faded away if feedlots didn't know for certain that angus cattle make them enough money to offset the increase cost to buy black calves, CAB isn't the reason for that.

No the AAA came up with a scheme to sell behemoth 900 lb bulls.

 

[Hogfarmer10]

My cousin is a usda meat inspector that travels to different slaughterhouses. Back during Covid, they were "retrained" (during all the food shortage chaos). New training allows them to label an animal angus if it has a dark colored nose and a 3" diameter black spot on the hide.

 

[Warren Allison]

My cousin is a usda meat inspector that travels to different slaughterhouses. Back during Covid, they were "retrained" (during all the food shortage chaos). New training allows them to label an animal angus if it has a dark colored nose and a 3" diameter black spot on the hide.

Now that is odd! Hmmm.... Do you know what slaughter house this is? USDA inspectors that inspect for CAB and other angus programs, never see anything but the hot carcass before they start their evaluation. The packers' inspectors will mark a carcass that have the visual qualifications, to be sent to the CAB inspection station or if not....on to regular processing ,. There is a USDA inspector that watches the kill floor form upstairs inside, and IF they saw an animal that didn't have the required traits to be sent over to be evaluated for CAB, they will shut the whole plant down. If people at the USDA were worried about a beef shortage during COVID, then they would NOT be classifying illegal animals to a HIGHER priced label. If anything , they would be turning down CAB qualified meat, to lower the price.. IF your cuz told you that, he was BS-ing you or you misunderstood him

 

[blackladies]

And yet you put the same effort and money into producing calves, regardless of their color.

So what you are saying is that if you have a neighbor on the right that is producing red calves, and a neighbor on the left that is producing identical quality black calves, same effort, same financial investment... that the one on the left should be able to send their kids to college but the one on the right should suck it up and just go bankrupt. Because their cattle are red instead of black.

Really like a lot of your posts and replies but yes the producer needs to make what the market wants if they want top dollar. Could it cause problems in the long run possibly. Could say the same thing about groceries, people won't pay top dollar for always save or great value and some people are willing to pay more for name brand. You're allowed to have your own opinion on the situation everyone is but it's kind of crazy to fight what pays unless you've created a niche market or just want to be different. I've got two longhorn heifers on the place right now that it doesn't make sense to have, but I made a mistake and I'm curious to see what calves they throw. Everyone is doing their own thing. Doesn't make it right or wrong and life isn't fair. If the market is telling a producer they want something, shouldn't that producer provide it?

 

[Hogfarmer10]

@Warren Allison. He travels to different slaughterhouses over the southeast. He gets a new assignment usually every 3 months. I didn't say it was for CAB. But if you'll notice, many grocery stores and restaurants sell "angus meat", just not CAB.

 

[coachg]

Sorry to hear that. I've seen some really great shorthorn and they always made a superior cross. Hard on your dad, I'm sure.

But I think it proves my point about CAB...

I wish we could just promote good beef and good breeds instead of homogenized color.

Totally agree with you on this . If you raise good cattle you should get the same price. Really did love our shorthorn cattle . Offered my neighbors a bull , 2 calves the first year and 1 calf out of the bull the second year . No takers . Only bulls we sold we took to a breeder in Marianna Fl , sold two at the Clemson SC shorthorn sale and cookeville Tn , the Tennessee shorthorn sale . After dad got sick we sold the whole herd to a local guy .

 

[Travlr]

Totally agree with you on this . If you raise good cattle you should get the same price. Really did love our shorthorn cattle . Offered my neighbors a bull , 2 calves the first year and 1 calf out of the bull the second year . No takers . Only bulls we sold we took to a breeder in Marianna Fl , sold two at the Clemson SC shorthorn sale and cookeville Tn , the Tennessee shorthorn sale . After dad got sick we sold the whole herd to a local guy .

Ya know... in all my years and two ranches in different states, and cattle in one more state, I was always wanting a few good shorthorns but they never seemed to come my way. The shorthorn cows always impressed me with their mothering ability and good udders. I had a lot of Lims and they were great cows but universally they seemed to have odd udders.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

I spent a week in a packing house in Green Bay, the skinny dairy crap that went through for cutters was appalling.

 

[Travlr]

the producer needs to make what the market wants if they want top dollar. Could it cause problems in the long run possibly.

Yup, and in all my posts I acknowledge that the market pays more for black calves regardless of quality, and I've often said black bulls result in more uniform calves. I'm the poster boy for selling black bulls... But you are correct that the artificial pressures forced by CAB have some downsides and I don't mind at all pointing them out.

You're allowed to have your own opinion on the situation everyone is but it's kind of crazy to fight what pays

It's only crazy that more people are fighting the program. It's hurting producers, breeds, and the industry as a whole... and it's all built on an artificial premise that breaks down even before there there were black animals in most breeds.

Doesn't make it right or wrong and life isn't fair.

Nope, life ain't fair. Doesn't mean we can't make some small effort to make it fair for our neighbors and fellow cattle producers. Personally, voicing the facts and spreading good information is something I thought we were all here to do.

If the market is telling a producer they want something, shouldn't that producer provide it?

You bet. And the market is telling producers they want superior meat animals. Some of the superior animals are red or white. I'd bet in any crowd of buyers and/or packers there is a lot of talk about how CAB is ridiculous.

 

[wbvs58]

That website is from Australia. I know very little about black simmental in Australia or the history of them there. But that does not fit the situation of black simmental in the USA. There is no "Black simmental register" in the USA. One registry with all percentages (0 to 100) and includes many cattle of other breeds. "Purebred" status in USA is 7/8, not 15/16. Was set to 7/8 many years ago.
I suspect that I don't know nearly as much as I think I know, but pretty confident of my understanding of the history of simmental in the USA.

I don't feel like the simmental producers in the USA are in competition with angus or had to turn their cattle black in order to be competitive. Many serious purebred breeders have multiple breeds that complement their programs, not compete within their program. May be pork, chickens and Corrientes that are the real competition.

Simme, you are correct, that was written by a public servant in the Dept of Primary Industries in NSW and they would have gotten that info by googling it to complete their fact sheet on cattle breeds. I wouldn't be betting the house on the information they provided.

Ken

 

[Little Joe]

Is it really a long horn after the horns are cut?

Didn't you know that's where shorthorn cattle come from

 

[sassafras manor]

As an everyday reader but random poster, it's becoming less entertaining for every post to turn into an argument about black-hided cattle vs others nonsense. We don't all have to be right all of the time. Please humble yourselves and let this topic return to it's original purpose - "Craigslist Cattle".

 

[coachg]

As an everyday reader but random poster, it's becoming less entertaining for every post to turn into an argument about black-hided cattle vs others nonsense. We don't all have to be right all of the time. Please humble yourselves and let this topic return to it's original purpose - "Craigslist Cattle".

Amen sassy ! I couldn't stand it anymore and put my 2 cents in . I apologize !

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Totally agree with you on this . If you raise good cattle you should get the same price. Really did love our shorthorn cattle . Offered my neighbors a bull , 2 calves the first year and 1 calf out of the bull the second year . No takers . Only bulls we sold we took to a breeder in Marianna Fl , sold two at the Clemson SC shorthorn sale and cookeville Tn , the Tennessee shorthorn sale . After dad got sick we sold the whole herd to a local guy .

Shorthorns were always a beautiful colored breed, great temperament, good solid breeders. They had their faults, which made them unpopular. They milked well, but developed bottle teats making it almost impossible for calves to nurse. Their carcasses tended to lay on a LOT of patchy fat pockets way before the marbling developed in the meat. Packers discriminated against them. Just like packers used to discriminated against Simmental spotted cattle, because they got too big on the feedlot after being backgrounded.
Shorthorns are now popular as a % in the clubbie market - giving them pretty color.

 

[coachg]

Shorthorns were always a beautiful colored breed, great temperament, good solid breeders. They had their faults, which made them unpopular. They milked well, but developed bottle teats making it almost impossible for calves to nurse. Their carcasses tended to lay on a LOT of patchy fat pockets way before the marbling developed in the meat. Packers discriminated against them. Just like packers used to discriminated against Simmental spotted cattle, because they got too big on the feedlot after being backgrounded.
Shorthorns are now popular as a % in the clubbie market - giving them pretty color.

Great mommas but you are correct on the balloon teats . Not all but by the 6-7 calf it usually happened. Never owned one that didn't milk . We even owned a couple registered milking shorthorn. Too much trouble !

 

[puzzled in oregon]

CertifiedAmericanBeef would be nice.

 

[simme]

CertifiedAmericanBeef would be nice.

That would be COOL to label them that way.

 

[Warren Allison]

@Warren Allison. He travels to different slaughterhouses over the southeast. He gets a new assignment usually every 3 months. I didn't say it was for CAB. But if you'll notice, many grocery stores and restaurants sell "angus meat", just not CAB.

I have looked at about 20 USDA Angus program regs the last 24 hours or so, and will eventually locate all of them. But so far, I have found no such amenmdments as that, either pre- or post- Covid.

 

[gman4691]

As bad as education has become, you could probably convince people that the red and white hide is reflective of the marbling in the meat...lol...then market the red and white cattle as "Inside-Out" beef...a good many people would probably nod their heads and open their wallets...just a thought

 

[Ebenezer]

Didn't you know that's where shorthorn cattle come from

If you breed a shorthorn to a longhorn do you get a mediumhorn?