Angus cattle in real working conditions(in the south)

[soonerboy8489]

My brother breeds registered angus cattle and he has spent a fortune buying these cattle at those high priced angus sales. He ai's them to the best nothern angus bulls. His cattle run on average range conditions here in Oklahoma and are treated just like the other cattle around his area. His calves aren't raised on creep or pampered in anyway.
When I look at his cattle I am amased at how pretty and fat his cows are but when I look at his high bred calves, they look like they have been hit in the head with a rock. I have noticed this for several years and am now wondering is this the real angus or is it just the angus being raised in the south.
His neighbors have superior calves out of Brangus Cows and Maine bulls. Is this just due to the southern eared problem?

 

[Frankie]

My brother breeds registered angus cattle and he has spent a fortune buying these cattle at those high priced angus sales. He ai's them to the best nothern angus bulls. His cattle run on average range conditions here in Oklahoma and are treated just like the other cattle around his area. His calves aren't raised on creep or pampered in anyway.
When I look at his cattle I am amased at how pretty and fat his cows are but when I look at his high bred calves, they look like they have been hit in the head with a rock. I have noticed this for several years and am now wondering is this the real angus or is it just the angus being raised in the south.
His neighbors have superior calves out of Brangus Cows and Maine bulls. Is this just due to the southern eared problem?

Maybe your brother should stop using those "northern" Angus bulls? ;-) We raise our Angus cattle the same as most commercial producers in this area, bermuda hay and cubes during the winter; native/bermuda/plaines bluestem in the summer. No creep for the calves. We still have mostly 700+ 205-day weights on our bull calves. The price you pay for an Angus at those high profile sales doesn't always reflect quality. And if your brother is buying cattle from show animals, he may be buying cattle that require more inputs than his commercial cattle.

 

[jscunn]

Another thing to think about is hair! Cattle from the north have the propensity to retain a lot of hair. You bring those cattle down here and the have a ton of hair in the summer. There are a lot of good programs here in the south try finding one that fits your feeding/grazing program closely before purchasing. Most Angus breeders are more than happy to discuss their management philosphy with a potential customer.