TexasRancher":2gld8pgc said:
Anyone in and around Texas area that can help shed light on your "ideal" beef cattle and reasoning. Additonally, what type of grass do you seed...coastal?
Anyone outside the Texas area that knows cattle and grasses and can share their insight too would be appreciated. thanks
Crazy question....are there "training cattle"....are some breeds increasingly more difficult to handle and upkeep than others?
Your questions are so general that it would be almost imposable to answer.
Grass; Check with your county agent. Your input cost and years to pay out that cost is an important issue, Seeded grasses will be less expensive vs. sprigged. Yearly rainfall and fertilizer requirements will also be important issues.
As far as breeds concerned we all have our favorites and our biases. I believe it is more important to choose cattle on an individual basis. If you look around your area you will find that most every breed is being raised and that most all are doing fine depending on the management given.
The most important thing to do is increase your knowledge about cattle. You can fine good and bad things within any breed of cattle, good and bad conformation, easy or poor keepers, good and bad calf raisers, big frame and small frame, tender and tough, marbled or lean, and the list goes on. The most important may be value at market, or breed improvement depending on your goals.
I assume by your question that you are new to cattle. Given that I would stay away from Brahman influenced cattle. I am very partial to them but they can be high strung as a general rule and not for the newbe's. Pure bred Brahman are actually much easier to handle and can become the family pets. This will be dependant on how they are handled, and of course selection of the ones with the right temprament.
I would start with pasture improvement and take my time in selection of the cattle.