Give me some opinions

[Dale L]

We have a Simmangus bull and right now our cows are just a bunch of angus crosses. Some are angus x saler, angus x char, angus x Hereford. I am looking to get a few more cows in a few months and am looking at some maine x angus. What do some of you more experienced guys think of 50% angus 25% simm and 25% maine. Almost all of our calves are sold at the local sale barn other than a few heifers we may keep from time to time and a calf or two for the kids to show at the fair. Just thinking out loud and looking for opinions on this cross. Thanks for any input.

 

[Nesikep]

I'd say judge the cows by their merits.. if they're good cows and fit into what you already have, might be just fine. I really don't know anything about Maine's so I can't comment on that.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

We have a Simmangus bull and right now our cows are just a bunch of angus crosses. Some are angus x saler, angus x char, angus x Hereford. I am looking to get a few more cows in a few months and am looking at some maine x angus. What do some of you more experienced guys think of 50% angus 25% simm and 25% maine. Almost all of our calves are sold at the local sale barn other than a few heifers we may keep from time to time and a calf or two for the kids to show at the fair. Just thinking out loud and looking for opinions on this cross. Thanks for any input.

Dale L-

Pause for a moment and read the highlighted portion of your post above. If you are "- - looking to get a few more cows in a few months - - ", I would suggest that you consider the primary goal that you have in mind for the type of Herd that you intend to use for your future operations in the beef business. "Breed Jumping" from one combination cross to another to another is just going to get you a mongrel herd of different colors and different phenotypes and certainly a mongrel herd of different GENETICS!

It may take a few generations to solidify a type of beef animal that you wish to produce, but you will be able to have some consistency in your progeny, and therefore expect to realize a reasonable profit from producing qualitative and quantitative traits and characteristics of crossbred breeding stock and the resulting heterosis derived therefrom. Selecting breeding stock by balancing TYPE instead of five or six "mixmaster" breeds is far more desirable for expected PROFIT than just juggling breeds.

. . . . and throughout all of your planning and selecting, bear in mind that BALANCING traits and characteristics from all animals is the focus point of achieving success, not just 'guess and hope' for the best.

DOC HARRIS

 

[Kingfisher]

Geez how many cows do you own and what's " a few more" really mean?

 

[JWBrahman]

Dale I have 1 registered Maine Anjou heifer so I am far from an expert, but I really like what the breed has to offer in the way of docility, better udders, and they cross well with Hereford.

 

[Taurus]

Dale I have 1 registered Maine Anjou heifer so I am far from an expert, but I really like what the breed has to offer in the way of docility, better udders, and they cross well with Hereford.

Yeah Herefords cross well with almost every breed so it is expected. That said multiple breeds in a single herd, you will expect loss in uniformity of calves even if they are all same colors. I think Sim x Maine will add more frame even if the calves are only half Angus. But you should get some nice terminal calves out of this cross.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

Geez how many cows do you own and what's " a few more" really mean?

OPINION: It makes no difference whether one has 1 cow, 10 cows, or 1000 cows - the principle remains the same. "Cross bred Hybrid Vigor (Heterosis) nets more $$ per cow per year. Balancing traits, characteristics, and accuracies of any and all breeding seedstock will ultimately result in a balanced TYPE - which will result in more profit and saved time. In the Beef Production BU$INE$$ - we never have enough time to achieve the results that we really want or need!

"Think" - before you make major decisions. LIKE BEGETS LIKE.

DOC HARRIS

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

I agree with the statements above. But I thought a visual in this case would be good. Here is a 1/2 Simm, 1/4 Maine. 1/4 angus looks like. She won the 2009 South Central Regional Simmental show (as a percentage, of course), and has gone on to produce an outstanding bull each year. I just wish I could get some heifers out of her!

One of her calves, a 3/4 blood sim bull

A picture of her in production

And another one of her bull calves

We like that little shot of Maine in them!

 

[JWBrahman]

I agree with the statements above. But I thought a visual in this case would be good. Here is a 1/2 Simm, 1/4 Maine. 1/4 angus looks like. She won the 2009 South Central Regional Simmental show (as a percentage, of course), and has gone on to produce an outstanding bull each year. I just wish I could get some heifers out of her!

One of her calves, a 3/4 blood sim bull

A picture of her in production

And another one of her bull calves

We like that little shot of Maine in them!

She is gorgeous Fire Sweep, drop dead gorgeous. :clap: :tiphat:

 

[Dale L]

I am looking to go mainly to the Maine, Simm, Angus cross in the future. I like the ones I have seen. We will be getting our first calf crop out of our Simmangus bull this spring. He is a son of Remington Lock N Load. Consistency is my goal but it will take a while to get there. My dad has always just kept whatever and the herd is pretty mixed up right now.
Fire Sweep I like your cattle a lot.