How color works in cattle

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If I raised beef cattle I would raise double dilute white Charolaise. They are popular here for crossing in this cooler climate. Many years ago before I met my husband I used to ride through their ranch woods and fields on moonlit nights. The snow white cattle gleaming in the dark with fireflies all around is something I can never forget. Maybe I will sell my Jerseys, just keep one or two to milk and raise seedstock Charolaise
 
Travlr said:
Yeah, with only one solid white calf I think your Charolais is not doing his job. And it sounds like a lot of your black Angus are heterozygous.

But we'll all know more once you click on your profile and scroll down to Account details... and add a location.
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Will you please explain this to me? I have no real need to know it but the bovine genetics are very fascinating. (Plus everyone already told me my Hereford/Charolais has to have something else in her because she is brindle.)
 
claycofarms said:
I have black angus cattle running with a Charolais and Hereford bull. Roughly 40 head, had 24 calves since February 17th and only one is white. I've had several white face either red or black and few solid red and several solid black calves. Don't understand the solid colored calves especially black. I assume calves out of Hereford would always have a white face and out of Charolais would be grey or white. Any thoughts on these color patterns?
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Unfortunately in todays world the Hereford breed's integrity has been lost and with the influence of outside blood the dominate white face has been lost.
 
claycofarms said:
I have black angus cattle running with a Charolais and Hereford bull. Roughly 40 head, had 24 calves since February 17th and only one is white. I've had several white face either red or black and few solid red and several solid black calves. Don't understand the solid colored calves especially black. I assume calves out of Hereford would always have a white face and out of Charolais would be grey or white. Any thoughts on these color patterns?
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Do you have pictures of the bulls that you can post?
 
claycofarms said:
I have black angus cattle running with a Charolais and Hereford bull. Roughly 40 head, had 24 calves since February 17th and only one is white. I've had several white face either red or black and few solid red and several solid black calves. Don't understand the solid colored calves especially black. I assume calves out of Hereford would always have a white face and out of Charolais would be grey or white. Any thoughts on these color patterns?
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My assumption is that your Char bull didn't do a lot of breeding. Your Hereford bull I would guess has only 1 copy of the White Face gene. There has been such a push in the Hereford breed to limit the amount of white.
 
claycofarms said:
I bought the Hereford from my uncle who said "he could get the paper's" if I wanted. Since my cows aren't registered I said no, cause he had to pay like $50 or something to get it done. The Charolais I bought from a reputable Charolais bull seller around here and that's all he deals in.
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do you have photos of your bulls?
 
Randi it is very very nice to see you posting again!! I always think of you when theses genetic questions come up.

Are you still raising those fine cattle and working the sale with that lovely horse?
 
Travlr said:
Are these recent pictures after not having any work to do for the winter? Or are these guys in their working clothes?
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That was today. They have been with 33 ladies for the last few months. Nothing been in heat last 4 weeks. Me and my brother are trying to get our place together. But I had those 2 bulls on my 43 head last May 15th then we moved them to the 33 we own together. We been trying to find another charolias bull to add to the mix but people around here have a waiting list. But this is first time they serviced 2 herds.
 
The Char looks like a typical Char bull. 2 copies of the dilution gene, so all of his calves should be tan, grey or white (depending on the mother). The Hereford, however, looks more like a baldie. Like he only has 1 copy of the whiteface gene. My guess would be that your solid coloured red/black calves are from him.
 
Rydero said:
Charolais - the white works to dilute colour and takes 2 of the gene to make a white animal. Tans are one white one red gene, silver or grey one black one white. If you breed a charolais to a black animal carrying the red gene it's a 50/50 shot of getting a tan or silver/grey.
White to red and you will get all tans.
Breed a tan to a white and you should get half tan half white. Tan to tan and 1/4 red, 1/4 white, 1/2 tan.
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hi, I don't know if you would know but I have a roan shorthorn that had a all white calf, she was with a roan shorthorn bull but also was with a Charlois bull at the same time. I don't know which bull is the father. would it be the white Charlois or would it be the shorthorn .
 
Jul said:
hi, I don't know if you would know but I have a roan shorthorn that had a all white calf, she was with a roan shorthorn bull but also was with a Charlois bull at the same time. I don't know which bull is the father. would it be the white Charlois or would it be the shorthorn .
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Do you have a picture of this calf? Like Jeanne said, white shorthorns are the result of an animal that carries two copies of the roan gene, so it’s most likely out of your roan bull. A Charolais bull would give you a yellow roan if your cow is a red roan, or if she is a blue roan then you could have a yellow or grey roan.
 
Jul said:
hi, I don't know if you would know but I have a roan shorthorn that had a all white calf, she was with a roan shorthorn bull but also was with a Charlois bull at the same time. I don't know which bull is the father. would it be the white Charlois or would it be the shorthorn .
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It would almost certainly be the shorthorn. As stated the Charolais doesn't carry a true white gene, it is a dilutor, if the Charolais bull was the sire the calf would be a diluted red/roan color. Shorthorns carry actual white hair genes. Typically the white gene in a shorthorn is recessive, so two roan(roan is not a gene, it's and expression of two genes) shorthorns will likely each carry a recessive white making a white calf possible. Red and white shorthorns can also produce white offspring when bred to red and white, roan, or white.
 
RockinRB said:
Do you have a picture of this calf? Like Jeanne said, white shorthorns are the result of an animal that carries two copies of the roan gene, so it's most likely out of your roan bull. A Charolais bull would give you a yellow roan if your cow is a red roan, or if she is a blue roan then you could have a yellow or grey roan.
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Thank you for all your comments
 

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