Black Cow????????????

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danielsumner

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Location
Miami Florida (Soon to be Southeast Georiga)
Well this is my first post outside of the Welcome forum. I go to and also watch online, all the cattle auctions I can. The vast majority of cattle sold are black, and they are the ones that bring the most money. Is there a reason that they are prefered? My soon to be retirement home is in southeast Georgia, most of the cows are black or mostly black.

Daniel
 
Welcome to the forum.

There are a lot of opinions on color. Mostly I think it is marketing and consumer influence thereof. Mostly I run brangus which are black. I have some brindles, F1 charlais crosses etc. When I have a calf that is colored up, I put it in the freezer for myself.

When you look at the real tests, Murray Greys are number 1. They are not black. I don't own any MGs so this is no sales pitch. But if it is really about quality of meat, why are MGs not the animal the consumer is demanding? (The answer is marketing and advertising)
 
backhoeboogie":2kaigcyb said:
Welcome to the forum.

There are a lot of opinions on color. Mostly I think it is marketing and consumer influence thereof. Mostly I run brangus which are black. I have some brindles, F1 charlais crosses etc. When I have a calf that is colored up, I put it in the freezer for myself.

When you look at the real tests, Murray Greys are number 1. They are not black. I don't own any MGs so this is no sales pitch. But if it is really about quality of meat, why are MGs not the animal the consumer is demanding? (The answer is marketing and advertising)

Bingo!

I've always said ... any breed could be what angus is today ... angus were just the smart ones that went out there and did the publicity, marketing, etc, and they reap the benefits. The rest of the breeds sat on their bums and watched.
 
Another fact that gets me giggling is when restaraunts and burger joints claim their beef is "100% certified angus beef".......once the hide comes off, they have no idea what they are getting unless it is purchased privately. I had a burger at one of those places yesterday, I could have sworn it was hereford.........
 
backhoeboogie":290qg04p said:
Welcome to the forum.

There are a lot of opinions on color. Mostly I think it is marketing and consumer influence thereof. Mostly I run brangus which are black. I have some brindles, F1 charlais crosses etc. When I have a calf that is colored up, I put it in the freezer for myself.

When you look at the real tests, Murray Greys are number 1. They are not black. I don't own any MGs so this is no sales pitch. But if it is really about quality of meat, why are MGs not the animal the consumer is demanding? (The answer is marketing and advertising)

Seems that those sorry Angus can improve a lot of cattle. :lol:

BrANGUS = 5/8 Angus 3/8 Brahman
Murray Greys = 1/2 Angus 1/2 Shorthorn.
 
danielsumner":2n98w0u2 said:
Well this is my first post outside of the Welcome forum. I go to and also watch online, all the cattle auctions I can. The vast majority of cattle sold are black, and they are the ones that bring the most money. Is there a reason that they are prefered? My soon to be retirement home is in southeast Georgia, most of the cows are black or mostly black.

Daniel

Welcome to the boards. For your first post, you picked a interesting topic. :) Yes, there are reasons black cattle sell for more than other similar cattle. Black is equated with Angus. Angus are equated with performance in the feedlot and on the rail. And there's demand. Take a look at this USDA link below and notice how many branded beef programs have the word "Angus" in their name. Those programs are almost all based on color (black). So to fill those programs, buyers need black cattle. Even some fast food joints are selling an "Angus" burger. Then there's Certified Angus Beef. It's the oldest and most successful branded beef program around.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fet ... acct=lsstd
 
Keren":1ctctkvx said:
backhoeboogie":1ctctkvx said:
Welcome to the forum.

There are a lot of opinions on color. Mostly I think it is marketing and consumer influence thereof. Mostly I run brangus which are black. I have some brindles, F1 charlais crosses etc. When I have a calf that is colored up, I put it in the freezer for myself.

When you look at the real tests, Murray Greys are number 1. They are not black. I don't own any MGs so this is no sales pitch. But if it is really about quality of meat, why are MGs not the animal the consumer is demanding? (The answer is marketing and advertising)

Bingo!

I've always said ... any breed could be what angus is today ... angus were just the smart ones that went out there and did the publicity, marketing, etc, and they reap the benefits. The rest of the breeds sat on their bums and watched.

I am going to step out on a limb and disagree. Angus provided, and is providing, a product that is and was superior in the marketplace. The market is smart. People are smart. We buy products that work. What color is Angus? Mostly black. So there is your answer.
 
Frankie":3huktpee said:
danielsumner":3huktpee said:
Well this is my first post outside of the Welcome forum. I go to and also watch online, all the cattle auctions I can. The vast majority of cattle sold are black, and they are the ones that bring the most money. Is there a reason that they are prefered? My soon to be retirement home is in southeast Georgia, most of the cows are black or mostly black.

Daniel

Welcome to the boards. For your first post, you picked a interesting topic. :) Yes, there are reasons black cattle sell for more than other similar cattle. Black is equated with Angus. Angus are equated with performance in the feedlot and on the rail. And there's demand. Take a look at this USDA link below and notice how many branded beef programs have the word "Angus" in their name. Those programs are almost all based on color (black). So to fill those programs, buyers need black cattle. Even some fast food joints are selling an "Angus" burger. Then there's Certified Angus Beef. It's the oldest and most successful branded beef program around.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fet ... acct=lsstd

Yes, most everyone advertises an "angus" burger. But at the volume that they have to buy beef, they don't know if it is angus or not. Neither does the general public. It's marketing, not angus. Angus has become a buzz word in the dining industry. Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with eating, or raising angus. They are a great breed. But once the hide comes off, there are some breeds that you can't tell apart. As far as sale prices go, it depends on where you live I guess. Black doesn't bring any more than red here, or baldies, or charolais, or gelbvieh.
 
HerefordSire":fp4bjvct said:
I am going to step out on a limb and disagree. Angus provided, and is providing, a product that is and was superior in the marketplace. The market is smart. People are smart. We buy products that work. What color is Angus? Mostly black. So there is your answer.

The market, in general, is smart in bamboozling the people. People in general aren't super smart, especially considering the direction our country is going, supported by the majority.

How much different are the genetics of red angus to black? It's too bad reds aren't more popular for the cows' benefit. I have a hard time looking at blacks in 90+ heat with humidity. Do all you ranchers in the south wear black in the summer?
 
djinwa":2wurefv2 said:
It's too bad reds aren't more popular for the cows' benefit. I have a hard time looking at blacks in 90+ heat with humidity. Do all you ranchers in the south wear black in the summer?

I had a black sweatshirt on all day and I wear a black ball cap most every day.My black cows go lay under pecan trees in the summer after about 9 or 10 same as my red ones do.
 
djinwa":1ekkne20 said:
HerefordSire":1ekkne20 said:
I am going to step out on a limb and disagree. Angus provided, and is providing, a product that is and was superior in the marketplace. The market is smart. People are smart. We buy products that work. What color is Angus? Mostly black. So there is your answer.

The market, in general, is smart in bamboozling the people. People in general aren't super smart, especially considering the direction our country is going, supported by the majority.

How much different are the genetics of red angus to black? It's too bad reds aren't more popular for the cows' benefit. I have a hard time looking at blacks in 90+ heat with humidity. Do all you ranchers in the south wear black in the summer?

The old vet tells me it is not so much the triple digit days that get angus in trouble here, it is the 80 plus nights that go along with it. The few I have calve in the fall. I don't let them nurse a calf through the summer.

The best producer on my place is a Char/Brahma F1. She consistently raises the best calf with the least input. Her last calf had white flecks and is in my freezer. Some of the best steak I have ever eaten. I do agree the sire was brangus so that steer is just over 1/4 angus. You couldn't tell by looking tho.
 
Frankie":3jmp4xzb said:
backhoeboogie":3jmp4xzb said:
Welcome to the forum.

There are a lot of opinions on color. Mostly I think it is marketing and consumer influence thereof. Mostly I run brangus which are black. I have some brindles, F1 charlais crosses etc. When I have a calf that is colored up, I put it in the freezer for myself.

When you look at the real tests, Murray Greys are number 1. They are not black. I don't own any MGs so this is no sales pitch. But if it is really about quality of meat, why are MGs not the animal the consumer is demanding? (The answer is marketing and advertising)

Seems that those sorry Angus can improve a lot of cattle. :lol:

BrANGUS = 5/8 Angus 3/8 Brahman
Murray Greys = 1/2 Angus 1/2 Shorthorn.

Angus can't cut the climate so the Brahman had to improve them. This comes straight out of Oklahoma State University website "Research at Louisiana has indicated that Brangus cows increased their weights during the summer months while Angus cows lost weight, indicating that they were more adapted to coastal climates." http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/

Shorthorn influence in the MGs made them #1 in beef quality.

It seems to me you have it backwards. Brahma and Shorthorn improved the angus.
 
backhoeboogie":12hpposw said:
Welcome to the forum.

There are a lot of opinions on color. Mostly I think it is marketing and consumer influence thereof. Mostly I run brangus which are black. I have some brindles, F1 charlais crosses etc. When I have a calf that is colored up, I put it in the freezer for myself.

When you look at the real tests, Murray Greys are number 1. They are not black. I don't own any MGs so this is no sales pitch. But if it is really about quality of meat, why are MGs not the animal the consumer is demanding? (The answer is marketing and advertising)
:clap: :clap:
Yup, with just a tad of narrow mindedness.... ;-)
 
Well before the MG folks head's get so big off all these compliments that they can't get their heads out the door to go to work, let me bust the bubble and say there is nothing more pretty than black cows on lush green grass. ;-) :lol2: :lol2:
 
Jogeephus":33plbe79 said:
Well before the MG folks head's get so big off all these compliments that they can't get their heads out the door to go to work, let me bust the bubble and say there is nothing more pretty than black cows on lush green grass. ;-) :lol2: :lol2:

Unless it's red cows or Herefords.
 
Jogeephus":35rkie66 said:
Well before the MG folks head's get so big off all these compliments that they can't get their heads out the door to go to work, let me bust the bubble and say there is nothing more pretty than black cows on lush green grass. ;-) :lol2: :lol2:
Really nothin prettier that any cow on lush green grass...
 

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