Belted Galloways ????

[cmf1]

I can't help it.
Every time I see one of these I get curious.
Probably because my wife's been wanting a couple for a while now.

Tell me anything and everything you know about them.
I've done a fair amount of research and met some breeders.
Found that they are pretty much like any other breeds in that there are good ones and bad ones.
But it seems they have more of a stigma attached to them than most moderate frame breeds.
Just wanting to know what'ya know.??.. in case I get weak.

 

[jenran]

Well .. I have a neighbor who had only about 4 belted galloways .. anyway .. I could not believe it .. but the calves they raised were awesome !!! LOL ! Everyone seems to always joke a bit about them .. but these were great calves .. moderate cows for sure .. I'll bet that they weaned at least 60% of their body weight with those calves. Other than that I don't know a darn thing about them .. if I were wondering about things it would be how functional they are .. especailly on temperment and calving ease .. just because they are small doens't mean they are friendly !!!

Jen

 

[kenny thomas]

Don't know much about them but don't plan on selling them at the stockyards here unless you take a BIG discount.

 

[cmf1]

That's what I know to be the case around here too...heavy docking at the sale barn.
But the thing is I have no interest in selling anything at the sale barn. Down here in La., to me, that's like having a fire sale on non damaged first run goods. I have been fortunate enough and small enough to sell my production for more realistic prices, and I don't think my customer base will mind the stripe. Once it is vacuum sealed. But if I ever get in a bind, I know it will hurt having to dump them there.
I'm really more interested in longevity, temperment, milking, feed efficiency, heat tolerance, and such as that.
First hand knowledge of beef quality as well? Their assoc. touts it highly.
If I did get any, I would be crossing them with another british, so no heterosis, but it would give me another pool of females to select from as the MG's are not plentiful around me.
It's not something that needs to be done, but if it makes momma happy, and don't sting too much,...well...

 

[3waycross]

That's what I know to be the case around here too...heavy docking at the sale barn.
But the thing is I have no interest in selling anything at the sale barn. Down here in La., to me, that's like having a fire sale on non damaged first run goods. I have been fortunate enough and small enough to sell my production for more realistic prices, and I don't think my customer base will mind the stripe. Once it is vacuum sealed. But if I ever get in a bind, I know it will hurt having to dump them there.
I'm really more interested in longevity, temperment, milking, feed efficiency, heat tolerance, and such as that.
First hand knowledge of beef quality as well? Their assoc. touts it highly.
If I did get any, I would be crossing them with another british, so no heterosis, but it would give me another pool of females to select from as the MG's are not plentiful around me.
It's not something that needs to be done, but if it makes momma happy, and don't sting too much,...well...

Just a question but why would you be considering a breed for La that is known to have hair like a bear.

 

[farmwriter]

Just a question but why would you be considering a breed for La that is known to have hair like a bear.

You really don't see them much in AL, and since they are so scarce, I assumed they were one of two things:
1 - a dairy breed
2 - cold weather cattle

First hand knowledge of beef quality as well? Their assoc. touts it highly.

Show me an association that doesn't. :roll:

 

[cmf1]

cmf1 wrote:First hand knowledge of beef quality as well? Their assoc. touts it highly.

Yeah, Meant to put that in quotes with a big "DUH"

There are herds I know of in Florida, Texas, and So.Mississippi, and one of the bigger U.S. herds in coastal So. Carolina.
From that I'm guessing they are fairly adaptive so far as hair and heat.

My wife likes them for the look.

I'm wondering if I could like them for producing moderate 550-650 pound weaners that grow well with minimal inputs.
Their better animals are in my target range for frame and bone and phenotype.
I could be talked out of them just as easily as I could be talked into them.
I'm okay just sitting on the fence wondering too.
But I would like to hear as much input as is available as I like the way they look too.
And my informed decisions seem to hurt less than my uninformed ones.
Sometimes.

 

[LoveMoo11]

I'd say get the wife one to keep her happy but spend your money on a breed you can make money with at the sale barn if you want to be in the cattle business. I think your wife might be disappointed though..all the belties I've met have been nasty little critters. :lol:

 

[gallowaygirl]

While I could say a lot here, to save everyone's poor eyes reading on a computer screen twice, I suggest to go to the American Galloway Breeder's Association Website or the Belted Galloways website and read through all of the information. It is as true as it gets. The cows raise wonderful calves, every year, late into their teens. I am in frequent contact with a Beltie breeder and she has two cows that are 13 and 15 respectively in the cowherd, and not looking anywhere near to slowing down. This is not to say that just like any cow something might happen to reduce their chances of breeding that long, but they are more likely to continue producing, holding their weight, and giving excellent calves for a longer period than most breeds.

The disposition is wonderful, many people turn them into "pets" at young ages, which usually leads to the pushy, constant following cattle. However, they adapt to any situation just like any other breed .

And yes, they adapt quite well to heat, and the hair is actually beneficial in humid climates because it protects the cattle from the biting insects. Plus, they shed out slick like any Angus, Hereford, Charolais, etc when the temperatures rise. And they are cattle that are definitely hardy enough to not care if their feet get a little wet or muddy. Foot problems, at least in most of the herds I know of, are almost non-existent.

And the beef is as good as "they" say. We just butchered a Galloway cross and it was the best meat we have ever had, no cooking difference, difference in how the steer was raised, etc. The Best, no joke, and not just because of bias. As a matter of fact, most people who raise Belties raise them to direct-market the meat. And some of them make an excellent living doing so! But it is true that they will take a docking at the sale-barn..

 

[BrownCow]

Our "neighbor" has quite the herd. Not much on the weight gain end of things......

~~BC

 

[Stocker Steve]

Hardy & healthy
Some attitude
Moderate growth
Hard to resell

 

[MoGal]

Not too long ago, I think it was "living the country life" had an episode where they featured the belted galloway. The man said he sold his beef as grass fed so as long as you have your own market in place you'd be okay.

The area salebarn has an occasional one once in a while and they are docked as badly as longhorn or corrientes (in this area). One fella who buys stocker calves had one (belted galloway) and he made the statement to the hubby that he thought he might get burned on him......... I have no idea if he did, but I've never seen him have another one (and that was 2 years ago).

You know the saying, "if Momma ain't happy, no one is happy" so get one or two to appease the wifey but make sure they fit into your herd goals ( and marketing) before you get a whole bunch of them is my .02

 

[chippie]

Isn't there more than one belted cattle breed?

They get docked because of their color and breed.

 

[chippie]

CAB - The animal has to be all black. The term is a marketing tool.

Cattle buyers like uniform colored groups and sizes of cattle. Have you ever driven by a feedlot?

 

[Galloways1]

Isn't there more than one belted cattle breed?

They get docked because of their color and breed.

Sure...I understand that animals get docked because of their breed...but the color thing is what gets me. From all I've read, they are a good eating animal...maybe its because I am very green, but I just don't get the "color" preference. Isn't a Belted Galloway at least 50% black...would they be able to qualify for CAB?

Thanks again,

Tim

Just skip the belted part and get the traditional Black Galloways and sell the calves CAB all day long. No color pattern discount, and better performance (weight gain)

 

[Rahe Family Belties]

Belties are a niche breed and not for everyone.. These are my obesrvations and experiences with the breed.

People are drawn to their beautiful black and white coats, calm demeaners and overall charm.
Mommas do a good job calving every year and usually weaning a heavy calf.(for their size as they are typically moderate)
I have found the cows to be remarkably efficient foragers.
Belties are amazingly hardy. Mine seem to prefer laying in the recent mud and rain rather than seeking shelter inside.
Bulls are aggressive breeders.
Heifers I am growing now are getting fat on very limited grain,4-5 pounds/day, and good grass hay.
I have four young steers on feed now, (once again limited grain,about 6 lb/day, and grass hay) that are growing about 2-2.5 pounds a day. I will push them a little harder later and should get them to 3 pounds/day.
That is not great growth compared to some crossbred and Angus steers I am feeding(3.5-4 pounds/ day), but these are on full feed of 20+ pounds/day.
I think I'll make more money on the Belties, despite the longer feed period.
That may not actually be that much longer as the Belties are usually killed at 950-1000 rather than the 1400 for the Angus and crossbred steers.

I mentioned that Belties are a niche breed. I don't get a lot of respect from other showmen for my choice of Belted Galloway cattle. That doesn't bother me in the least as I get calls/emails weekly from folks around the country who are looking for cattle. In the last year I have had inquiries from about 10 states and one Canadian province. The market for purebred cattle is there! The market for crossbred and mis-marked cattle is weaker. I wish I had more pasture and larger facilities. I would have a lot more cows on hand.

Prices I receive are well above sale barn price and I have not sold one through a sale barn. Had two cows come up short bred recently and a local guy swept them up to use as fall calvers.

Most of the folks that raise/sell Beltie beef have long waiting lists, that is how strong their demand is. I sold a bull last summer to a breeder in IL/WI who shared with me that he averages $5000 in retail sales for each Beltie steer he can raise. That is about $12-15 per pound for the carcass. Sure, he has to absorb processing and marketing costs, but how can you beat that? I'll receive a healthy premium when I slaughter my Belted steers next summer.

Belties are not for everyone, especially folks who deal in large numbers of commercial cattle that rely upon volume and checks from salebarns. They are wonderful for kids and smaller farms where a slower pace is desired and appreciated.

I recently bought three heifers from a family where the lady of the house broke the calves before sale. BTW, she is a very slightly-made 75-ish grandmother. :nod:

Not for everyone, but certainly right for me.

 

[Taurus]

Have owned few purebred belted galloways in the past....I would say that Angus x Belted Galloway crosses do better than purebred belties when it comes to the weaning big calves. We usually kept a belted X steer for our freezer beef and we found them as tastier than Angus steers.

That said, the belt AND the hair (that goes for solid galloways too) will get you docked at the sale barn.

No offense to Galloway2 but you can get docked at the salebarn with solid black galloway calves from having too much hair and their small size. But in my experiences, the hair goes away when you cross the galloways to another breed other than a highland or Brahman.

 

[greybeard]

Hair and belt disappear long before they go in the freezer. As long as they eat good, and the cost/lb to raise a freezer beef is in line, that's all that matters if they aren't going thru the sale barn

 

[Taurus]

Hair and belt disappear long before they go in the freezer. As long as they eat good, and the cost/lb to raise a freezer beef is in line, that's all that matters if they aren't going thru the sale barn

Yup! If your main reason is a freezer beef, it doesn't matter what breed you use....it's beef