Willow Oak Ranch Chiangus is not but just a few miles from me. Ive contemplated going to there sale again this February and purchasing a few of there heifers for commercial replacements crossing them with my brangus bull. Anyone ever tried this cross? Any opinions on it?
Brangus/Chiangus cross
- Thread starter CopeMan
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I put a chiangus bull on some brangus cows. I haven't had enough time to get any calves yet. I also plan to breed some charlois to him in the spring. I doubt I keep any hiefers. Strictly a terminal cross for me.
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CopeMan
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Bigfoot":14kmjmwa said:
All I really know about them, or I should say hear about Chiangus is that they are mostly used at club calves I think. Willow Oak Chiangus does concentrate more on commercial cattlemen I think. They were just featured on American Rancher again this past Monday night and it featured some commercial producers in Texas and Montana who use them, I cant remember if they kept replacements or just used the bulls terminally. A terminal cross is all Im looking for anyway. Willow Oak seems like a great source for great cattle real close. I do believe they are doing it right. Chiangus isnt exactly my top choice in cattle breeds, but if they raise a good calf and cycle again fairly quick Im all about them. The heterosis with Brangus would have to be decent Id think. I have heard Chi cattle can be flighty. I do know for a fact that Willow Oak really concentrates on docility, they even have an EPD for it I think and I know for a fact they have a docility score on every animal listed in there sale books. When Ive walked through there sale pens you wont hardly find anymore gentle cattle anywhere.
I've always heard about them being wild, and probably were when they first came here. My bull is equally as gentle as any I have ever had. Ive been a fan of a Charolais cross for a long time as a terminal cross. A high percentage of my char crosses are really crazy. I mean hunt you if you crowd them. Slowly over time I have gotten set up to handle them. Tall catch pens etc. it would be nice if my chi crosses are gentle, if there not it can't be worse than what I'm used to. I might keep a FEW of the brangus/chi heifers, but I doubt it. I'm mostly after a big weaning weight.
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CopeMan
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Im almost positive that your gonna experience larger weanging weights. Now you have to see how Chi is gonna cross with Brahman on temerment lol Should be exciting! Where do you get your Brangus cows from?
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CopeMan
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Thats okie, well black eared cattle almost all look alike haha Ive bought all my Brangus as open heifers as well. Actually they were weaned open heifers. Ive kept some ultrablack heifers out of those cows too. Hard to find Brangus around my area
u4411clb
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I have tried it both with Brangus cows and Chiangus Bulls and Chiangus cows an Brangus bulls. In my opinion you can't get any better if you are trying to have pounds to run across the scales in the south. My bulls were different than Willow Oak whose bulls are usually in the 20% - 30% Chi with the balance being angus my bulls were mine were 75%- 100% Chi and those less than 100% with the rest being angus. The Chi cleans up the leather on a brahman cross better than any other breed. You will have to monitor frame size and make sure that they are easy doing and they keep body condition with ease. All of my Chi Bulls ran hot as far as temperment goes and I really saw a difference when I switched to Purebred Angus bulls. The temperment EPD that Willow Oaks has should help with that. If you can make it work frame size and temperment wise I think what you are looking into is worth a shot. I stopped trying to be an innovator and break new ground in the cattle business a while ago and started sticking to trying to provide the feed yards with what they say they want 50% + angus black or red and 25% continental .
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CopeMan
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u4411clb":234cprl8 said:
Thanks u4411clb, thats some great answers on my question I really hope Bigfoot reads this too. Ill def monitor frame size in the cattle and also try and get some heifers with the highest Chi percentage. The way I see it, theres already enough angus between both breeds.
HOSS
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Just my :2cents: worth of opinion but the first thing that gets a cow or bull culled here is temperment. I will not tolerate an animal that I have to constantly watch my back around. I too looked for a weaning weight increase. I got that with Gelbvieh bulls without the temperment issues. The Gelb actually improved that area along with the weights. I'm not saying that Gelbvieh will work for everybody but there is no way I would tolerate psycho cows and I would run the other way from potentially breeding that trait into my herd. :hide: Good luck on whatever you try and I hope it works out for you.
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CopeMan
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HOSS":2o80bvtm said:
Thank you HOSS, I appreciate your opinion. I too cull on temperment as well. Granite some of my Brangus cows will eat your lunch when they calve but do however calm down after about 2 weeks and will let you touch there calves then. Gelbvieh are great cattle!! Ive heard nothing but good things about them. I have heard that they do mature early, maybe even earlier then other breeds. Is this true? And like I said before Willow Oak is adamant about culling on disposition, if it wasnt for this I wouldnt even make a trip there. There heifers may sell to high for me anyways lol
HOSS
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CopeMan":27a7219s said:
Yes Gelbvieh do mature earlier than most breeds. Most of my cows I can band or tag cows right in front of the mother right after they are born. A few won't let me for about 3 or 4 days. They will, however, not tolerate a dog around their calves. I like the disposition, fertility, muscle, milk and maternal qualities of the Gelbvieh.
u4411clb":1adjjp9u said:
I had heard the chi would shorten up their sheaths and dewlap. I don't have first hand experience to know for sure. If they do, my favorite kinda cow has some ear on it. I would be happy to buy heifers for my replacements, open them with a black corriente, and then breed to black chi bulls from then on. My entire herd is a hodge podge of experiments over the years. I've had one of bought every breed out there. Three years of this, and I'll be on to something else.
u4411clb
Well-known member
Yes Chi will shorton up sheaths and dewlap better than any breed I have seen. My favorite kind of cows have ear to but Chi also adds some heat tolerance as well if you have enough in the mix. The trick I have found is to have some ear on the mommas and try to show almost no ear on the calves or as little as possible. I have a field full of experiments my self but somehow 50\50 Simmental x Chianina bulls, 100% Chianina bulls, 75/25 Chianina x Angus Bulls, 100% Angus Bulls, 100% Brangus Bulls, 100% Angus Bulls, and now 100% Hereford bulls has led to a more uniform calf crop than you would think.
u4411clb
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Yes I have used all of those bulls in my life time. Currently I have 2 Angus Bulls and 1 Horned Hereford and 1 Polled Hereford bull.
A.J.
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I know this is an old thread, but has anyone else on here had experience with this cross? I'm going to be in the market for a bull this fall, and a couple folks said they got some really growthy calves with chiangus Bulls. Willow oaks is not far from me, and I've heard good things about their program.
