Best breed for weaning weight

[Central Fl Cracker]

What breed has the highest weaning weight. I currently run Angus Bulls on black cows and my average wean weight is 550 lbs at 10 months.

 

[dun]

We run mostly Red Angus with some Red Angus crossed to Polled Hereford. With just the typical crappy pastue we've had the past few years out average runs in the mid 6s. But our cows run closer to 1300-1400 lbs.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

My cows run about 800 to 1000 lbs. Will a Brangus bull wean a higher weaning weight calf?

 

[3waycross]

We just weaned our first calves of the year. They were born late Jan early Feb.

They averaged 625lbs. No Creep. Gelbvieh Bull on Commercial Shorthorn cows.

Got docked a nickel for a little color on one calf. Didn't care!!

 

[vs_cattle]

Look into Charolais and see whats available in your area they would bring your wws up

 

[KNERSIE]

What breed has the highest weaning weight. I currently run Angus Bulls on black cows and my average wean weight is 550 lbs at 10 months.

seems like your cowherd could do with a little more milk and growth.

ideally a cow should wean a calf very close to 50% of her own weight by the time the calf is 7 months old.

I personally would infuse a little simmental into your cowherd to help with milk and growth. The simmentalX steers will grow quick and the retained heifers should do well for you if your grazing conditions are decent. If your conditions aren't as great I'd go with hereford. When you've a cow herd with more milk and weight a charolais bull will really lift the weaning weights.

Off course you can also find these qualities in bulls of various breeds, but to generalise you won't go far wrong with what I suggested.

 

[Jogeephus]

Look into Charolais and see whats available in your area they would bring your wws up

I got a lot of respect for Charolais. It is a fine breed. Can't say I've seen any breed that can compete with their growth. But personally I'd be scared to death to put a Charolais bull on this size cow. Would be similar to putting a hemi in a volkswagon. I've seen some calving disasters with this combination in years past but am sure ya'll have taken measures to fix this problem but you know the ole saying, "once bit, twice shy".

 

[vs_cattle]

Charolais have improved from the monster calves of the past you can find bulls that calve 70-80lbs calves If you search hard enough you may find 60s+ BW

 

[Brandonm2]

Charolais have improved from the monster calves of the past you can find bulls that calve 70-80lbs calves If you search hard enough you may find 60s+ BW

Chars have made progress. More in improving the shape of the calf than in decreasing the actual size. It is however a stretch though to suggest that a Char bull is going to consistently throw a 60 weight calf. If you use the cross breeds EPD table a Char with a 0 birth weight EPD is ~the equivalent of an Angus with a +10.5

http://www.albcia.org/Across_Breed_EPD_Table.html

The most extreme heifer specialist Charolais that ABS has is a:
-4.8. ~the equivalent of an Angus with a +5.7 birth weight EPD which is slightly less than the heaviest birth wt EPD Angus bull in the ABS stable.

http://abs-bs.absglobal.com/beef/charol ... o=29CH0176

http://abs-bs.absglobal.com/beef/angus. ... o=29AN1603

I don't trust that cross breed EPD table very much and I kind of expect that the Char heifer bull throws a lighter calf than that Angus extreme growth bull; but I doubt either one of them throws many 60 lb calves in a typical cow herd.

 

[Jogeephus]

Brandom or VScattle, just out of curiousity, what is the ADG you can expect from Charloais without pushing them? Also, what can you expect if you do push them? (I've viewed but never measured)

 

[J&T Farm]

we run Black angus bulls and were weaning at 6 months they average about 500- 600 lbs our cows are 900 to 1100, this year we kept them on till 7 months and are still waiting on the check to see how they did. Sold 21 last week. We'll see if they weighed more, they looked bigger. Our neighbor was running char cows and a char bull his were only weighing 350-400 at 6 months and he has some big cows he has an angus bull and a limo bull and he is very happy with the new wean weights said he should have changed years ago if he knew it would have made such a difference. We do not creep feed our calves, they get momma and grass and minerals.

 

[CowpokeJ]

What breed has the highest weaning weight. I currently run Angus Bulls on black cows and my average wean weight is 550 lbs at 10 months.

I've been getting 5-600 with 150-180 days on charolaisxcommercial cattle. One right off the top of my head, born mar 26 sold sep 1 weighed 530.

 

[flaboy?]

What breed has the highest weaning weight. I currently run Angus Bulls on black cows and my average wean weight is 550 lbs at 10 months.

First I would say a 9-10 month old calf will drag the cow down. I would never leave a calf on a cow 10 months. Anyone else want to pipe in here?

Second I suspect you may have some Brangus cows? If so you weaning weights will be sub-par to other breeds but on the other hand those Brangus cows will live through anything and off of anything.

Third, as a "general rule" our forage for most of the central Florida area is not as high in protein as in other regions in and out of the state. Our hot weather grasses just can't compete with what other states can grow for the most part. So, don't expect the kind of weaning weights you see in other states unless you want to feed out of a bag.

Fourth, I run a few Char cows and put an Angus bull on them. They give me some really nice stocky calves. They don't have to be purebred either. On the other hand a have a couple "woods cows" that will compete with just about anything I have seen in Fla. as far as nice calves.

Fifth, I see the BCS of my herd fluctuate almost yearly depending on the climate. More rain, cooler weather = fatter cows. Less rain, hot, = slimmer cows.

Just my thoughts.

 

[TREY-L]

I raise straight Charolais cattle, and I have a bull that consistantly produces calves that weigh between 65-75 lbs. When they are weaned @ 200+/- days they will range from the the low 600's to the high 600's (600-680) no creep feed involved, mostly dependant on rainfall and available grass. My father in law has a tennant that leases land from us (200+/- acres). He runs a Charolais bull on his Angus and Brangus cows and has very little trouble with calving. Those mousey colored calves bring a premium at our local sale barn.

 

[dun]

I think someone brought up the subject already but it needs to be kept in mind, not all forage bases, climates, regions can suppport cows that will wean that heavy of a calf. Then you have Ol Ma Nature throwing a turd in the punchbowl with drought and or floods that skews the possibilitys.

 

[TSR]

I think someone brought up the subject already but it needs to be kept in mind, not all forage bases, climates, regions can suppport cows that will wean that heavy of a calf. Then you have Ol Ma Nature throwing a turd in the punchbowl with drought and or floods that skews the possibilitys.

Which is why the only true way to compare these weaning weights is with contemporary grouping.

 

[vs_cattle]

Charolais have improved from the monster calves of the past you can find bulls that calve 70-80lbs calves If you search hard enough you may find 60s+ BW

Chars have made progress. More in improving the shape of the calf than in decreasing the actual size. It is however a stretch though to suggest that a Char bull is going to consistently throw a 60 weight calf.If you use the cross breeds EPD table a Char with a 0 birth weight EPD is ~the equivalent of an Angus with a +10.5

http://www.albcia.org/Across_Breed_EPD_Table.html

The most extreme heifer specialist Charolais that ABS has is a:
-4.8. ~the equivalent of an Angus with a +5.7 birth weight EPD which is slightly less than the heaviest birth wt EPD Angus bull in the ABS stable.

http://abs-bs.absglobal.com/beef/charol ... o=29CH0176

http://abs-bs.absglobal.com/beef/angus. ... o=29AN1603

I don't trust that cross breed EPD table very much and I kind of expect that the Char heifer bull throws a lighter calf than that Angus extreme growth bull; but I doubt either one of them throws many 60 lb calves in a typical cow herd.

You cant accuratley say a Charolais 0 is to Angus +10.5
thats like comparing Apples to Ornges. Further more -4.8 In A Charolais Animals is GREAT but if you want to talk extremes I have seen some as low as -8.2 and thats what I seen I know there is less BW score out there but I like more of a moderate scores across the board I got a -2.5 BW Bull and his calves calved unassisted out of first time heifers. I belive calving problems have more then one factor to deal with
- Body (Head, Shoulders)
- Actual BW
- BW EPD
- Calving Ease EPD
- Bloodlines
- Mommas Feed prior to birth (last month or two)
- Calves position in the momma

http://misc.charolaisusa.com/aicapedlink/anilk.aspx?refnum=1995034102

http://misc.charolaisusa.com/aicapedlink/anilk.aspx?refnum=2000040143

P.S. Many breeders dont breed for the extreme LOW BIRTH WEIGHTS BUT SOME DO YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK AROUND