Strong Yearling Market
- Thread starter Stocker Steve
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farmerjan
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@Stocker Steve .....Surprisingly, the limi crosses are actually a better fit for the jerseys as far as growth... even with the "attitude" that many limi's are known for... the calves don't seem to inherit the "stupid attitude" when used on the jersey.... Don't ask me to explain the genetics of that....
I like a hereford when using a beef/dairy cross mostly... but have only had 1 jer/her cross and he was a puppy dog to raise... HATED when he had to go because he was so quiet and friendly. The jer/ang crosses just don't seem to have that same friendly attitude.
But, here you are catering to the "black is better market"...
Actually, had a couple of nice calves from our Red Poll bull crossed on dairy cattle... they mostly came out red (and some white when used on hol x), or had a reddish tint to them... our Red Poll bull was a real good dispositioned one and we buried him at 12+ yrs old, a few months ago when he was found dead in the pasture... So I guess you could say I have most experience with the Red Poll bull on the jerseys other than the angus ones now. Always liked the hereford/hol crosses.
Also like the Montbeliarde and Normandy crosses on the dairy but they mostly make a good milking animal and the bull calves make a growthy and easily fattening steer... again, you get mostly red from them though....
I may try breeding my hol/jer to a Montbeliarde, AI this time.
I like a hereford when using a beef/dairy cross mostly... but have only had 1 jer/her cross and he was a puppy dog to raise... HATED when he had to go because he was so quiet and friendly. The jer/ang crosses just don't seem to have that same friendly attitude.
But, here you are catering to the "black is better market"...
Actually, had a couple of nice calves from our Red Poll bull crossed on dairy cattle... they mostly came out red (and some white when used on hol x), or had a reddish tint to them... our Red Poll bull was a real good dispositioned one and we buried him at 12+ yrs old, a few months ago when he was found dead in the pasture... So I guess you could say I have most experience with the Red Poll bull on the jerseys other than the angus ones now. Always liked the hereford/hol crosses.
Also like the Montbeliarde and Normandy crosses on the dairy but they mostly make a good milking animal and the bull calves make a growthy and easily fattening steer... again, you get mostly red from them though....
I may try breeding my hol/jer to a Montbeliarde, AI this time.
chaded
Well-known member
I thought from what a lot say on here is that everyone was going bankrupt having cattle but just keep doing it anyways. They just don't know it yet.
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
There's money to be made, you just have to be smart about it.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
Modern Limis have good dispositions. Some of the old lines were like working deer.
I don't like Limi cross beef cows because they mature slowly and can get extra-large. How big do the Jersey x Limi females get?
farmerjan
Well-known member
My experiences with limi's is that they are fairly fast growing... so am a little surprised by your comments about them maturing slowly. I find Simmentals to be slower growing/maturing, and getting big.
The limi jersey crosses will mostly tend to be a little smaller towards the jersey size than the limi size.... but the steers tend to grow pretty good. They all seem to have had a little lighter bone structure than the straight beef... but again, some will take after one side and others after the other side. Right now I have 2 hol/beef steer calves, along with the cow's own calf, on my nurse cow. Both out of heifers on one of the dairy farm's I test, both are 1100+ lbs as first calf heifers... good big heifers. Milking good last month. One is angus sired, and the other is a limi sired. The limi is more brownish tint, has more muscle and more weight... the angus is smaller and narrower, jet black.... just 2 random calves bought off a dairy to put on the nurse cow along with her calf. I needed 2 and these 2 were born 1 day apart. All 3 come in for some creep feed and I see all on the cow together.... So you never know. And the limi one is friendlier and comes up to get scratched when I put feed in the bunk for them... the black is a little less accepting and her own calf is a very standoffish little witch. She is 1/2 angus also.
Granted this is a very small comparison group.... but it is totally random. I get small groups/pairs like this most times... get what is available at the time I need them.
The limi jersey crosses will mostly tend to be a little smaller towards the jersey size than the limi size.... but the steers tend to grow pretty good. They all seem to have had a little lighter bone structure than the straight beef... but again, some will take after one side and others after the other side. Right now I have 2 hol/beef steer calves, along with the cow's own calf, on my nurse cow. Both out of heifers on one of the dairy farm's I test, both are 1100+ lbs as first calf heifers... good big heifers. Milking good last month. One is angus sired, and the other is a limi sired. The limi is more brownish tint, has more muscle and more weight... the angus is smaller and narrower, jet black.... just 2 random calves bought off a dairy to put on the nurse cow along with her calf. I needed 2 and these 2 were born 1 day apart. All 3 come in for some creep feed and I see all on the cow together.... So you never know. And the limi one is friendlier and comes up to get scratched when I put feed in the bunk for them... the black is a little less accepting and her own calf is a very standoffish little witch. She is 1/2 angus also.
Granted this is a very small comparison group.... but it is totally random. I get small groups/pairs like this most times... get what is available at the time I need them.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
We grazed out crops during the drought last year and then sold the biggest cows rather than pay for expensive hay. The biggest XXL Simi x were over 1800# and the biggest XL Limi crosses were over 1600#. Tooo much cow.
Simi crosses will bred up as heifers, but some of my Limi crosses are not cycling by 15 months of age.
Simi crosses will bred up as heifers, but some of my Limi crosses are not cycling by 15 months of age.
TexasJerseyMilker
Well-known member
My old pet Jersey all her calves were sired by Angus because that is what we had on the ranch. 2 were heifer calves, the rest became steers. The first bull calf she had was red. You could hardly tell he was half Jersey and he brought a good price, over $1000. Each successive angus cross calf became screebeeyer and screebeeyer ( we call them screebs) with more and more dairy character, even from the same bull. The two heifers I halter broke and gentled to sell as family milk cows but they became wild anyway. I think they inherited the Scottish disposition. I took all of them to the auction hoping to slip them in on an order buyer's truckload because they were black.
By the way, I found the reason the heifer fence crawling was the fence had shorted out. I fixed it. While I was fixing the fence her dam, my old pet Jersey, followed and was licking me. I like the Jersey disposition. I'd prefer to sell her heifer to a local rancher for a brood cow. All they milk could raise a nice calf. The Angus that sired her is built like a brick _house.
By the way, I found the reason the heifer fence crawling was the fence had shorted out. I fixed it. While I was fixing the fence her dam, my old pet Jersey, followed and was licking me. I like the Jersey disposition. I'd prefer to sell her heifer to a local rancher for a brood cow. All they milk could raise a nice calf. The Angus that sired her is built like a brick _house.
rocfarm
Well-known member
They were sending almost everything straight to slaughter in central Texas in July and August, even some of the young calves.
But wouldn't count my chickens yet. Long term forecast still says might have persistent La Niña in the spring. That combined with high grain prices could get interesting for the cattle market.
I would definitely balk at getting in right now with new stock. It is not worth the risk of paying that much for heifers IMO.
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TexasJerseyMilker
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What does a persistent La Ninya spring do for the pastures in Texas?
BC
Well-known member
La Nina is what we have had this past year. Drier than normal.
DCA farm
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I'm probably gonna retain all my heifers this year and claim the loss. Wife wants to hold on to them more than me so I'm sure that's how it'll be
rocfarm
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TexasJerseyMilker
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I guess I'm glad we sold the ranch 2 years ago.
tex452
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Dave
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No scale here so I don't know what the gain was over winter. But purchase in December through sale in August the steers did 1.75 - 1.86 pounds a day. Decent pasture but not the best April 10 to August 23.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
Still a very strong yearling market here. Some of the benchwarmers are predicting a cattle price crash, but cannot give me a date for this...
So I tried to pick up some 3 wts.. A few guys are after them, they averaged about U$S 210, and they up about 10% from August.
So I tried to pick up some 3 wts.. A few guys are after them, they averaged about U$S 210, and they up about 10% from August.
tex452
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I have been hearing the opposite, auction barn owners are thinking there will be a spike this fall.
I picked up 20 last week, lighter weights from275-400 lbs. heavier calves were too high.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
Don't listen to the benchwarmers. They don't have a herd or a goal.
Some local backgrounders are holding back because they got burned in 2016. One went bankrupt. It takes a while to get over an experience like that.
Some local backgrounders are holding back because they got burned in 2016. One went bankrupt. It takes a while to get over an experience like that.
rocfarm
Well-known member
Actually, do have a herd and goals. Just trying to be smart about the money to be made, as other experienced members have admonished new members to do. The most experienced guys from NRCS seem to think it's a big newbie mistake to buy replacements at these prices unless you have to.
Summer in central Texas saw few replacements available, but they were cheaper. Pretty high now after the rains. Gonna stick with a lower stocking rate and hopefully end up with the option of leasing some grass out or retaining my calves to be yearlings if I don't like the market next summer/fall. Gives more flexibility than just rolling the dice and hoping for the best with our current weather situation down here.
Summer in central Texas saw few replacements available, but they were cheaper. Pretty high now after the rains. Gonna stick with a lower stocking rate and hopefully end up with the option of leasing some grass out or retaining my calves to be yearlings if I don't like the market next summer/fall. Gives more flexibility than just rolling the dice and hoping for the best with our current weather situation down here.
