Angus or Herford

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Anonymous

Just starting a new herd. Trying to decide between Angus bull on Herford cows or Herford bull on Angus cows. I will be selling market steers and replacment heifers in North Texas.Any comments or ideas?

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Doesn't sound like you have the cows bought yet either. I would scout around for a good buy on a good set of good cows, then buy the best bull you can afford to put on them. Remember you won't save money by paying less for a bull if he gives you less pounds to sell in the end. Pay for a great bull and make the money back on the calves.

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Since it sounds like you have not bought the cows I would offer you something to think about. Baldies are popular but you might look at another cross. If you go with a herd of saler cows crossed with a purebred angus bull you will get more pounds of calf at weaning both from the fact that the saler steer/heifer is larger but more importantly because you can make better use of hybred vigor by crossing British (Angus) with Saler (Continental). Herfords are a British breed so your level of vigor with that cross will be lower than with a British/continental cross. Your calves will hit more select markets with a 50/50 mix than with a 100% British mix . Saler cows are good foragers and have better calving ease (as a rule) than Herfords. Just something to think about. I wish I had a copy of the article in the Salers Journal Commercial Cattlemans Edition from a year ago but in there they referenced a large study by the University of Wyoming that compared the Angus/Herford cross to the Saler/Angus cross. The long and short of that study was that, from a financial standpoint, the Saler/Herford cross was more profitable on both a 1 year period and a 10 year period. Just something to think about.

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In so many areas Herefords are heavily discounted and can be purchased very reasonably. If you can find a number of good Hereford cows at a bargain price start with them and spend the money you saved for a top of the line Angus bull

dunmovin farms

> Just starting a new herd. Trying
> to decide between Angus bull on
> Herford cows or Herford bull on
> Angus cows. I will be selling
> market steers and replacment
> heifers in North Texas.Any
> comments or ideas?
 
My opinion. Number one is they aren't black. Number two is that in year past there were problesm with lack of muscle. There is the pinkeye issue, which can be taken out of the equation with proper managment. Number four is becasue they have been traditionally docked because of the above so they can be. Doesn't make sense to me, but in some areas they aren't docked. Where we are they are, seventy miles west the aren't.

dunmovin farms

> Why is the Hereford discounted?
 
Listen to DM.......spend LOTS of money on an Angus bull........he will make you money!

> Just starting a new herd. Trying
> to decide between Angus bull on
> Herford cows or Herford bull on
> Angus cows. I will be selling
> market steers and replacment
> heifers in North Texas.Any
> comments or ideas?

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Husband suggested that perhaps if we could convince the Hell's Angels to wear RED leathers, rather than the traditional black, we could turn that black hide thing around

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The real reason Herefords are discounted is that too many are small framed with excess fat cover. There are some awesome Hereford cattle out there, but many are not. Right or wrong they get discounted.

Black hides are popular because black came from Angus. It isn't the color that matters, it's the quality of the cattle. Angus have a reputation for being excellent beef. Smart buyers won't pay the premiums for black limos, black salers or other imitations, although they may take a chance they are half Angus.

Jason Trowbridge Southern Angus Farms Alberta Canada

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