Post Oak
Well-known member
If you we're doing a rotational cross between Herefords and Angus,what bloodlines of each breed would you use? Example: Wye/Victor Dominos, Gardiner/Line One,Ohlde/Trask,etc.
I have had a Line One bull I liked the results. I grew up with Victor Dominos because My great uncle raised them next door to me. I love Trask cows,but I just don't see them being commercially viable except in the grass fed market. I like the Ohlde and Wye type angus because they appear to be stacked tight and built right like angus from back in the day unlike those "something in the woodpile" angus .AllForage":6l95ovpt said:Post oak,
Why are you interested in these older line bred lines?
Where I live cattle are disappearing because of suburban encroachment and the next generation being too lazy to carry on with cows. Small operators like me with 10 to 25 momma cows are dependent upon saling calves at weaning at the sale barn,but I believe that a sale barn close to me may be gone in the next 10 to 15 years due to decreased cattle numbers. Basicly I just wanna be able to sale at the sale barn and get good prices at the time being,but be genetically a bull away from the grass fed market if I have to go that way.AllForage":8w2kzb58 said:Post oak,
What market are you looking to serve and what are your herd goals?
Yes,very much so and mostly bahiagrass at that.AllForage":29rsdnt4 said:Post oak,
Are you looking to be a grazing only type of operation?
I have a 5 year old Victor cow now that will have 4th calf soon and she stays pretty healthy on bahiagrass, breeds back quick,and weans off a 500 or plus calf. You have to watch the tits on Victors though. I like my cow that is 1/2 Line One,1/4 Victor,and 1/4 Longhorn because she is not big or pretty,but she weans off a bigger calf than the Victor cow every year. I cannot wait to breed her to the OCC Prototype son that I just bought.AllForage":rnna0amr said:Postoak,
With urban encroachment marketing grassfed now may not be a bad idea. Although I realize if you want to concentrate on building a cowherd the 18-24 month finish time can decrease your cow numbers for stocking.
If you made baldies out of Trask cows I don't anyone at the barn could tell. I would use the cow line that is most conservative for your climate and forage resources. Victors tend to milk heavy, not sure if Bahia can support that. These type of calves are more valuable to a grass finisher. I would skip the barn and try to forge a relationship with one. I would pay for those calves. I think trask cows with wye bulls would be great combo.
Btw, you are on the right track with spring calving. Follow nature like the deer, that's the lowest cost solution.