Black cattle in Texas heat.

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Sounds like with plenty of trees and water I should be ok. I am northeast of Dallas, it gets plenty hot but not Houston hot. I would like to have some black and red in the herd, but if I find in a summer or two that the red do better I can just slowly weed out the black.
 
0ne of the top angus producers in the state came by here today in fact just has left. a man i have a ton of confidance in his bulls are always at the top of the BCIA program. he said his own cattle have a hard time with the heat.but the other benefits far out weigh the negative so this is about the best way to look at it a far as im concerned ;-)
 
According to the range "experts" I talked to yesterday, they said as long as they have some shade, it don't really matter. In fact, if you have cows without shade and cows with shade, the cows without shade will lose more weight than the other cows, even if they are not grazing in the shade.

Heat is hard on all animals. In fact, even the red harvester ants won't venture out in the heat of the day.
 
Dusty Britches":10oebh9l said:
In fact, even the red harvester ants won't venture out in the heat of the day.

Sort of the "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day sun"

dun
 
Besides the Simbrahs and Brahman cattle, we have red and black Simmentals (and a few blonds left as well) and without a doubt the black hided cattle suffer more in the heat than the reds do.

Of course there are exceptions to this, but as a general rule, that's what we've discovered. But a little "ear" on them, and the problem is solved.
 
Hey Dun ants won't come out in the noon day sun.Because
some kid is waiting with a magnafiy glass to ZAP them.







MADE IN THE USA
 
May be there is no significant difference between red and black heat tolerance since no studies have been referenced by this august group. Seems to fit into the category, "If it don't itch don't research it.".

Personally I'll go with the black shirt vs white shirt theory: but then I'll also agree with the you get aclimitized ( if thats a word) to what you are forced to tolerate crowd.

It don't make no nevermind, my mixed breed ol' gals just keep giving me calfs to sell and they bring about as good a price at the sale barn as those "quality" reds and blacks. Lots of them are something akin to grey/red since their poppa is charolaise.

I'm thinking that given good grazing, adequate minerals, good shade and plenty of water there is little difference in the end result other than exceptional breeding and great marketing (such as angus breeders have going and others who are capatilizing on the "Natural" or "Organic" crase.

Does anyone deliver their registered reds or blacks to the sale barn? Not unless its a "Special Sale" I bet.

Two cents or less!

Jay
 
J-CCCC":3agn59a7 said:
Does anyone deliver their registered reds or blacks to the sale barn? Not unless its a "Special Sale" I bet.

Jay
Yep.I do if they culls.
 
J-CCCC":2m4aid25 said:
Does anyone deliver their registered reds or blacks to the sale barn? Not unless its a "Special Sale" I bet.

Two cents or less!

Jay

Absolutely! We raise registered Murray Greys, if an animal comes up open, aborts, turns mean, or just doesn't perform - they get loaded and delivered to the local sale barn in a heartbeat! A few exceptions, but very, very few! Our registered herd bull bought himself a one-way ticket to the local salebarn this past summer, also. He decided he wasn't happy in a contained area - be it pasture, corral, or anything but the stock trailer.
 
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.[/quote said:
Didn't think about rain with a cool wind. Got a point there. Mud is hard on them too. I was just thinkin' of the blowing snow drivin' them out to the furthest fence where they freeze in their tracks. Think I'll change my opinion now. Winter anywhere is hard - just for different reasons.
 
la4angus & MSSCAMP

Okay you got me! Ofcourse you take your culls to the sale barn. But, excluding culls, what percent of your product is offered at the local weekly sale barn event. Small percentage I suspect.

I'm just envious that you have the where-with-all to support a registered operation and are able to market your product thru breeder or other special sales or individual contracts.

There's a nitch for all producers. Gives me a good feeling to be a small peg in our great supply chain. Together we can supply much of the world with quality beef from black/red/or other...

Jay
 
J-CCCC":3i2mb83h said:
la4angus & MSSCAMP

But, excluding culls, what percent of your product is offered at the local weekly sale barn event. Small percentage I suspect.
Jay
Very small. Like 0% go to the salebarn for their regular weekly sale. That would be kind of foolish.
 
My own observation in summer 04 on 2 BA calves, and 2 RA calves was that the blacks spent alot (probably twice as much) more time standing in the tank than the red ones. The 2 reds were two weeks to a month older than the blacks. Granted, 4 calves does not make a statisticaly high confidence interval, but the observation would seem to support the laws of thermodynamics. Below is a pic of the test subjects.

trough1.jpg
 
There has been research over the years that shows black cattle are more stressed by heat, lower fertility is cited as one of the main concernes. In our 110 F summers, even neighbours with improved pastures avoided black cattle of any breed, where Angus where used in crossbreeding or terminal crosses, Reds were used, with Sussex bulls preferred to cover after insemination,as they proved to be the most heat tolerant British breed. Our main breeds for adapted female lines on which we crossed, were Africana, Tuli ,Bonsmara and Brahman.
Our performance scheme showed the Sanga breeds to perform the best,particularly on poorer grazing.
 
J-CCCC":2mnnq2m8 said:
la4angus & MSSCAMP

Okay you got me! Ofcourse you take your culls to the sale barn. But, excluding culls, what percent of your product is offered at the local weekly sale barn event. Small percentage I suspect.

I wasn't trying to 'get you', just answer your question. :oops: You're right, except for culls, the percentage of the girls that are sold through the salebarn is very small.

I'm just envious that you have the where-with-all to support a registered operation and are able to market your product thru breeder or other special sales or individual contracts.

It took a lot of years to get where we are. Dad's been doing this for better than 50 years, we've only had registered stock for about the last 25, we bred up from Black Angus. Hang in there, you're time is coming! ;-)

There's a nitch for all producers. Gives me a good feeling to be a small peg in our great supply chain. Together we can supply much of the world with quality beef from black/red/or other...

It should! :)

Jay
 

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