baldie/charlois cross bull calf?

[novatech]

novatech- i agree on your point. i try to buy less popular cows - herefords, horned cows etc. I then try to put a black bull on them and i get black cows that do well at the market. i also try to choose smaller framed cows and stay away for anything 1200 lbs or bigger. Just does not make sense for my little operation. I get the same calves out of the small cows and a black bull keeps the buyers happing. I am not a huge fan of angus bulls but that is what gives me black calves so i go with the market.

Sounds like a good plan. Herfords bred to Angus gives the calf heterosis which in turn is recognized by the buyer which in turn makes you a profit. The buyer is also more likely to make a profit due to the more growthy and efficient calf he is buying.
I buy high quality cattle that fit my breed plan but I do not pay much for them. I do pay a little more than sale barn prices but not much. Most small registered breeders will cull their cows at a certain age. I have found there is very little market for them. I can usually buy them at about 25% of what it would bring as a heifer. I am still able to get several more calves out of the old cull. I AI them to top bulls that also fit my breed plan. When I sell them I can usually recoup most of my original expense. Good heifers calves are kept as replacements. These heifers would bring the same dollars as any other breeder, in my category, would get.
What I am saying is to make money in cattle you have to keep your costs down not necessarily your quality of animal. It does not cost 1 penny more to feed quality cattle than mediocre cattle and if you select for efficiency it will cost less.
Having said this, if you are making money in your current way of doing business I would advise you to continue as you are. All things being equal in the product you sell, the difference between those that make a profit and those that don,t is in what there input costs are. No matter what the final product is.