Best Breed...

[Bestoutwest]

I know this is a loaded question, but I'm going to ask it anyway. I'm new to this side of cattle and I'm looking to start with a couple cows to get going. In your opinion what would be the best breed for:
A) Value at sale barn
B) Gentle personality


I have red and black angus, breeders, beef master breeders in the area.

Thanks for the help. :help:

 

[snake67]

There isn't a best breed - period

They all have value at the barn - quality always sells - crap will always take a hit. And that is with any colour.

You need to provide more info on your experience, time available, ability to do hard work, land base, money available, feed capability, equipment on hand, housing, fencing and more

Best to all

Bez

 

[novatech]

As far as best breed at the sale barn, the only way to know is go to the sale barn.
As far as docility, I have seen animals of every breed that were extremely gentle. Just choose the right ones in the breed you decide upon.
Just something you need to always remember if you don't already know. Gentle cattle have hurt more people than mean ones.
And docile cows are not always docile when they have a calf.

 

[jerry27150]

red angus are docile & sell good

 

[dun]

Is this range or pasture? For pature just about anything will work. For range you need a little Brahman influence so they will more effectively cover the area and utilize the forage. That touch of Brahman is even more important if the water points are miles in between.

 

[Nite Hawk]

It depends on what works for YOU in YOUR area.
Different management, different climates,and different local diseases tend to require, within reason, different types of cattle.
Talk to your local cattlemen /women and find out why they raise the breeds they do raise in your area.
Some breeds do tend to be more "hotheaded" than others, but there is temperamental variation within the different bloodlines within a breed. Calm cattle can be found in most breeds, one just has to find a good breeder who has a reputation for selecting for good calm animals.
Nite Hawk

 

[gonzo]

tosell black in my area , personality WHITE PARK . :welcome:

 

[ohiobeef]

I'll take a calm, docile Hereford over the crazy black cattle,any day, even if they bring a bit less at the sale barn. If you have to work with them ,it's worth it . :tiphat:

 

[bigbull338]

now im 1 sided as i breed beefmasters.so i say go with them if you can find good gentle cows.my 2nd choice would be hereford cows.an there again find a breeder with gentle cows.i to have had reg polled herefords years ago.

 

[Taurus]

I'll take a calm, docile Hereford over the crazy black cattle,any day, even if they bring a bit less at the sale barn. If you have to work with them ,it's worth it . :tiphat:

Pretty sure most black angus cattle are docile. I had few crazy red baldies and a crabby hereford cow in the past.

Dexters on other hand.....are nothing but a mini vicious cattle.

 

[Karin]

I'll take a calm, docile Hereford over the crazy black cattle,any day, even if they bring a bit less at the sale barn. If you have to work with them ,it's worth it . :tiphat:

Pretty sure most black angus cattle are docile. I had few crazy red baldies and a crabby hereford cow in the past.

Dexters on other hand.....are nothing but a mini vicious cattle.

And you can get the exact opposite with dexter and angus from what you mentioned.

 

[Taurus]

I'll take a calm, docile Hereford over the crazy black cattle,any day, even if they bring a bit less at the sale barn. If you have to work with them ,it's worth it . :tiphat:

Pretty sure most black angus cattle are docile. I had few crazy red baldies and a crabby hereford cow in the past.

Dexters on other hand.....are nothing but a mini vicious cattle.

And you can get the exact opposite with dexter and angus from what you mentioned.

Honestly I seen too many high-headed dexters than black angus.... I culled two mean angus cows so far in my whole life but then again I have too many docile angus cattle. For some strange reason I seems have trouble to keep red baldies as replacements, all of them were culled because of their disposition. The most dangerous cow I ever dealt was a feral holstein cow.

 

[Bestoutwest]

I appreciate the responses. This will be a very small operation as I will be running them on a small 20 acre parcel that will be split up into several small pastures so I can rotate. That, however, will take a few years b/c right now it's in alfalfa. As far as working pens, what do you guys suggest I make them out of? Panels or railroad ties with posts? Also, what about fencing? 4 strand barb wire with a strand of hotwire, field fence with a strand of hot wire, what works for you?

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Karin]

You sound like you're wanting to fence in a bunch of wild fence-crawlers, not a couple docile cows. Permanent fence can just be barbed wire, four or five-wire fence as permanent perimeter fencing. If you're rotational grazing a single strand of hot wire will work just fine.

Working corrals can be simply panels. Stand-alone ones are my personal preference, though the other types where posts are needed to install them would work just fine for calm cows too.

 

[backhoeboogie]

The best breed involves your forage, your climate, and your market.

Lots of good answers in this thread and lots of surprises too.

Taurus choices are okay by me. Just keep them dadgum bulls out of my pastures. I am sick of those bulls and can't keep them out. My bull just broke my neighbor's bull's leg. I couldn't help but smile.

 

[KNERSIE]

Sit through a few production sales where the seller breeds both herefords and angus and observe the bull's behaviour in the ring and waiting to go into the ring and also leaving the ring, then you should have very little doubt about which breed in the more docile. Although I breed herefords I am also involved with both red and black registered angus.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

now im 1 sided as i breed beefmasters.so i say go with them if you can find good gentle cows.my 2nd choice would be hereford cows.an there again find a breeder with gentle cows.i to have had reg polled herefords years ago.

i wouldnt in Idaho... i would say go with Hereford or Angus.. or both for the ever popular black baldy.. fades will come and go, but they will always welcome black baldies, with open arms....