jwtexas
Active member
First hello, I have been reading on the this site for a few months now and love it. My question for yall is this, how much harder is it for black cattle vs red cattle in the summer heat? Thanks in advance for any replys.
Black cattle in Texas heat.
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Someone once told me it was only about 2 degrees difference but I have not seen any studies on this. I personally feel it's easier for red than black but I don't know. I think of it as what shirt am I most comfortable working in when I'm out in the sun. I would be interested in hearing from those who know more also. Anyone seen any studies?
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
well we all know that black color soaks up the heat. and black bos tarus cattle have a harder time shedding it during thoses hot humid summer days.it takes about all night for there body temp to return to normal so they spend the days in the shade and do alot of there grazing at night. but aint north texas winters pretty rough? FARMHAND i just seen your post but i would think there would be more than 2 degrees differance in the south that is
To be honest with you - I thought it was more than 2 degrees also - anywhere. I know anything soaks up heat with sun shining directly on it. Can anyone take this comparison further? Such as comparing between red and black. Then compare north to south. My thinking is summers are harsher in the south and winters are harsher in the north. I'm curious to the difference in my red cows vs my black cows. Then what would it be if I moved my cows to Texas.
jwtexas":3sopsqjk said:
I don't think black cattle that are aclimated to the hot weather have any harder time than any other colored cattle. If you shipped black cattle from Minnesota to Orlando they'd probably suffer for a while, but I think they'd get used to it.
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
There are non brahman influance black cattle born & bred in the south that have a hard time with the southern heat they survive and can tolerate it but that dont mean they perform well in it .
C HOLLAND
Well-known member
TennCattleMan57":2xnoiw8w said:
What a life,,,just eat, lay in the shade,poop and poop some more.
good one TCM57
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Well boy's and girls I got black red white and striped. Somebody needs to tell them black ones standin the stock tank they aint hot in 100 deg heat with 90% humidity.
I think our winters are harder than up north 35-40 degress raining all the time is hard on them critters. Be a lot easier if it got below freezing at least they could dry out and conserve body heat. Summers are murder 100+ 90%+ humidity.
I think our winters are harder than up north 35-40 degress raining all the time is hard on them critters. Be a lot easier if it got below freezing at least they could dry out and conserve body heat. Summers are murder 100+ 90%+ humidity.
I don't know about Louisiana, South Florida, or South Texas; but I think the Black cattle handle the heat just fine in the South. I think that is one of those exaggerations we hear over and over again (usually from people NOT raising black cows); because I see a LOT of black cows weaning 600++ pound calves on Alabama fescue. Is there an advantage in running red cattle? or red and bos Indicus cross cattle in the south? Probably; but if you want to run straight Angus down south, you should have no problem (a lot of people ARE doing it and are successful doing it).
houstoncutter
Well-known member
Bout the only folks running black cattle in the south that will preform , are brangus.... Seedstock producers running their black cattle in the south that dont have some ear just dont get the job done. Its sorta like running eared cattle in the north, its not to say that you cant , but they will not preform to their potential.
houstoncutter":b5dtpg4s said:
That might be true in the Houston area; but that is not true of Alabama. Mississippi, and Tennessee where the cowherd is becoming much more Angus based every year. True an Angus or a Hereford in Montana will outperform and outgrow his southern cousins; but Alabama is a majority Angus state. There are 33 Alabama Angus breeders advertising in the "Alabama Cattleman" compared to 9 beefmasters, 3 Brahman, 8 Santa Gertrudis, and 9 Brangus breeders and the numbers of eared breeders is half what it was 15 years ago. And I am not even counting the Limousins, Gelbviehs, and Simmentals which are overwhelmingly all black cattle now.
C HOLLAND
Well-known member
Hey TCM,,,,just raise them eared cows on the south side of them hills and keep those ole Angus on the yankee side of them hills.
and TCM I would give up my desk job any day if I could just stay home and work with the cows. 8 MORE years then home here I come.
and TCM I would give up my desk job any day if I could just stay home and work with the cows. 8 MORE years then home here I come.
MoGal
Well-known member
It got pretty hot here in SE mo this past summer, 98 degrees and 98% humidity and didn't matter what color, white, red, black, they were all in the shade from what I seen.
cypressfarms
Well-known member
South can be defined many ways I guess.
While many people can and do have great herds of angus in the "south", I think the farther south you go, the better performance you will get from intrducing brahman blood.
If you look at a map the farthest southern point in Louisiana is farther south than bama,miss, etc. Texas extends even father south.
I'm close to Baton Rouge,LA which is farther south than points in Miss., Bama, & Georgia. and I think I'm really close to that area where you start to see more brahman influence. There are angus farms, but most cattlemen have brangus or some other form of brahman influence. Not to say that angus wont perform here, they will - and people do have them, but not as good if you put in a little brahman blood. My guess is that you need about 25% brahman here, but some believe 3/8's is the way. Either way, I try to keep it low so those ears don't get in the way.
While many people can and do have great herds of angus in the "south", I think the farther south you go, the better performance you will get from intrducing brahman blood.
If you look at a map the farthest southern point in Louisiana is farther south than bama,miss, etc. Texas extends even father south.
I'm close to Baton Rouge,LA which is farther south than points in Miss., Bama, & Georgia. and I think I'm really close to that area where you start to see more brahman influence. There are angus farms, but most cattlemen have brangus or some other form of brahman influence. Not to say that angus wont perform here, they will - and people do have them, but not as good if you put in a little brahman blood. My guess is that you need about 25% brahman here, but some believe 3/8's is the way. Either way, I try to keep it low so those ears don't get in the way.
I have run BA for years down here. Some years back I decided I would see how the Red Angus did so I got started with them also. At first I thought I saw a difference right away. In the heat of the day I could see some red's out eating while the blacks were in the shade. Then I saw the blacks out and the reds in the shade. I don't see a whole lot of difference in them or their offspring. Both do well given some shade areas for them to rest. I even see my Heinz 57 cows going for shade the same time as the rest and they have some ear in them.
Most all of my cattle are Fl born and raised except for a few Montana Red's so maybe that helps. I'm not saying the blacks don't suffer more than the red's but if they do they haven't complained to me.
:lol:
Most all of my cattle are Fl born and raised except for a few Montana Red's so maybe that helps. I'm not saying the blacks don't suffer more than the red's but if they do they haven't complained to me.
:lol:
bobrammer
Well-known member
We're running registered Black Angus just south of Dallas. When it gets hot they gather under the trees. Sometimes take a dunk in the pond. They always come running when the truck pulls in, so I think they're dealing with it. Probably just like folks who work outside all the time. You get used to it. Same up north. I know I couldn't get outside in MN or WI and work
for long. It's just a matter of what you are accutomed to.
for long. It's just a matter of what you are accutomed to.
I think it has to do with shade availability. If there isn;t any shade the blacks should in theory get hotter, but if they shade up out of the direct sun it may take them longer to cool off, but they should get to the same point in body temp that the other colors do.
dun
dun
TxSimbrahShower
Well-known member
We have some black Simbrahs, don't see them acting any different from the rest of the herd. I think it has alot to do with the Brahman influence.
Now we adopted a red and white Maine, she stays in the ponds during the summer heat. When her calf was small, the poor little thing would run back and forth along the bank bawling for mom to come out and give her some milk. :roll: Had to put them in a smaller pasture with a little water hole.
mom
Now we adopted a red and white Maine, she stays in the ponds during the summer heat. When her calf was small, the poor little thing would run back and forth along the bank bawling for mom to come out and give her some milk. :roll: Had to put them in a smaller pasture with a little water hole.
mom
