breed weakness

[Txwalt]

I've read alot about what cross people like and why one breed is better in a certain area than another. But what are some of the weaknesses of certain breeds? Seems like angus is usually crossed with something for the sale barn. I've heard charlais have skin problems, eye problems and tend to have calving issues. On the other hand people like to use them for terminal cross. So what are the weaknesses of the other breeds? Red brangus, black brangus (they are slightly different, besides color of course), shorthorns, herefords, beefmaster, brahma, gelbvieh, limousin, murray grey, simmental. What are the size differences, forage ability, calving ease, mothering ability, common health problems, disposition, disease resistance and age/longevity. I'm looking for negatives. All the websites show positives but not negatives. Speak your mind. Don't be skeered.

Walt

 

[MikeC]

I've heard charlais have skin problems, eye problems and tend to have calving issues.

None of those here. Who told you this? What kind of skin problems? What kind of eye problems? What kind of calving problems?

 

[Beefy]

some beefmasters can milk too much and have trouble breeding back b/c of it. others can have bag related problems from too much milk. also color can be unpredictable. a lot of them have messy underlines; bulls can have too much sheath leading to problems such as a broken, stepped on, or skint up tallywhacker. may get docked b/c of brahman influence. can be too friendly or too gentle and too nosey and too smart, etc.

 

[Txwalt]

got this on a search of this site.

(have heard several comment about the sunburn/cancer eye problems they had with the old Herefords and lighter pigmented cows

I have a buddy that has some High dollar charolais and I wouldnt trade any of my commercial cattle for em period. He has to many damned calving problems and cancer eye and the like)

I have a friend that used to raise charlais. He said they had calving problems. I read another site about eye cancer and charlais were brought up. I posted a thread about the color of cattle and someone mentioned that white cows have pink skin and get sunburned. I don't doubt for a moment that you have not had any of these problems. I didn't mean to offend anybody. Thats probably why you can't find any information about the weaknesses of certain breeds.

Walt

 

[mnmtranching]

I've heard charlais have skin problems, eye problems and tend to have calving issues.

None of those here. Who told you this? What kind of skin problems? What kind of eye problems? What kind of calving problems?

Never seen that stuff in Charolais.

 

[Txwalt]

"I have never had many problems with my Charolais cattle. There are no cancer-eye problems, the cows milk well and their (udders) hold up," Hafla says. "Occasionally in this country, we have spring snow storms and have had no problems with udders getting sunburned."

Got this from another site. Maybe he mentioned this because this is a common myth among Charolais.

Walt

Thanks for your post Beefy. I've seen some Brangus with that problem. My friend calls it "too much dingle dangle". :lol:

found these:
"Breeds which lack pigment on their eyelids (Herefords, Hereford crosses, Charolais, and some Holsteins) are more susceptible to pinkeye because of their increased sensitivity to sunlight and a decreased immune response in the eye."
"Heavy muscled, sometimes have high birth weights"

 

[msscamp]

The only negative thing we've encountered with Murray Grey's is they tended to get docked at the salebarn because they are a little finer boned than other breeds. Sure, we got the occasional crazy, and the occasional poor milker, but they were the exception rather than the rule.

 

[mdmdogs3]

"Heavy muscled, sometimes have high birth weights"

We do have high birth weights but our big girls can handle it - the other babies that I see are sooooo tiny compared to our chars that look like they are ready for kindergarten 8)

 

[MillIronQH]

I think alot of the bad press on Chars is stuff that has been carried on since they were first brought into this country. In those days there were problems. Just like the problems that existed with Herefords. Due to the hard work by the breeders of both breeds those problems have pretty much gone away the same way the little short squaty body "Built Like a Brick" Angus have been replaced by a superior animal.

I get the feeling reading the comments and stories here that most of the people aren't old enough to really remember the cattle of the 40s and 50s. I am and I do and I'm here to tell you that the cows your looking at today are so far superior that there is no way to compare them.Z

 

[Aero]

What kind of calving problems?

some of the others might be questionable, but when you threw this one in there, the credibility of your comment was gone.

 

[MikeC]

What kind of calving problems?

some of the others might be questionable, but when you threw this one in there, the credibility of your comment was gone.

I fail to see how the credibility has gone anywhere.

What kind of calving problems do YOU have with them?

I'm calving a spring bunch now that were fed pretty heavy because of the lack of hay and they are spitting them out like watermelon seeds. Heifers too! Had 4 just today!

One of my neighbors has pulled 13 of his 30 Brangus bred heifers so far.

I think you're talking about something you know nothing about.

How's that for IN"CREDIBLE"?

That what I think.

 

[Aero]

i understand you like to promote your breed/cattle but dont pretend you dont know exactly what i am saying. sometimes you have to just recognize the truth when someone says it and move on... but true to form you want to argue for fun.

would you use an average charolais bull on angus heifers?

 

[MikeC]

i understand you like to promote your breed/cattle but dont pretend you dont know exactly what i am saying. sometimes you have to just recognize the truth when someone says it and move on... but true to form you want to argue for fun.

would you use an average charolais bull on angus heifers?

 

[MikeC]

would you use an average charolais bull on angus heifers?

I use average or even above average BW Char bulls on Red angus and Brangus heifers every year.

 

[mnmtranching]

At a Charolais bull auction last Wednesday the heaviest birth weight was 92 lbs. Thee under 70 and a dozen in the 70's out of 50 bulls.

These day's if some one has trouble with Charolais calving, reckon it's their own fault.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Allright to get down to what you have ask these are the breeds I have messed with.
Herfs can be slow growing have to watch your lines.
Simms are hard keepers here to much milk for the heat cows pull down bad.
Char cows are good give lots of milk and maintain BCS well, they are large cows and take lots of grocieries. Wore out a set of chains in the 70's pulling Char calfs.
Maines to much calving trouble.
Gerts attitude problems also slow to breed back
Beefmasters good cows can have udder problems.
Brangus great cows just not for rookies as they can get hotter than a two dollar pistol shot five time at a rodeo.
Limm's absolutely crazy calfs. Ran a limm bull he was ok never retained a calf out of him as they were all nuts.
Brimmers which I consider to be the perfect cattle for the South and Gulf Coast take a hit at the barn. I remember when they were the Angus of today.
Angus I don't care for because of the heat and humidity here spend most of the day in a pond. Lose weight and calfs don't grow well in the heat as milk production goes down.
There is no perfect cow for every where.
Problems that certain breeds have here thrive in other locations.
The most profitable to run here would be Brangus cows with a Hereford bull.
Followed by Char cows or Beefmaster cows with a Hereford bull.

In this area you need that touch of Brimmer to really grow off calfs.

 

[CowpokeJ]

What kind of calving problems?

some of the others might be questionable, but when you threw this one in there, the credibility of your comment was gone.

I fail to see how the credibility has gone anywhere.

What kind of calving problems do YOU have with them?

I'm calving a spring bunch now that were fed pretty heavy because of the lack of hay and they are spitting them out like watermelon seeds. Heifers too! Had 4 just today!

One of my neighbors has pulled 13 of his 30 Brangus bred heifers so far.

I think you're talking about something you know nothing about.

How's that for IN"CREDIBLE"?

That what I think.

I agree with Mike, I haven't had any calving problems from heifers on up. Run 3 Charolais bulls.