I currently have three pure shorthorn cows which I purchased to keep the hay down on my property, my question would be and is... I'm concidering breeding them, should I keep them a pure breed or is there a cross that would give me a better line of beef? If so what??????? need help. :?:
Breeding Shorthorns for BEEF.
- Thread starter M.Sarria
- Start date
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Are you looking for more beef or better beef?
If you want nothing more then ++ beef breed them to a good Limo bull. If you want the best eating experience breed them to a well muscled short horned bull. Of course this is just a generic answer that will work for you in your area. If it were a perfect world I would say use a good Welsh Black bull.
If you want nothing more then ++ beef breed them to a good Limo bull. If you want the best eating experience breed them to a well muscled short horned bull. Of course this is just a generic answer that will work for you in your area. If it were a perfect world I would say use a good Welsh Black bull.
M.Sarria":yjrs4y4p said:
If you're going to eat the calves, it doesn't really matter if they're purebred or not. Will you AI them? Borrow a neighbor's bull? Buy a bull? All that may have some bearing on what breed bull you choose. I raise Angus cattle and I don't think you can find a "better" breed. You can use EPDs to get marbling and growth in your calves. Plus there are probably more Angus bulls working or for sale in your area than any other breed. Good luck...
M.Sarria":37unpiqr said:
All Meat Animal Research (Marc) studies show that a British X Continental cross will get you more pounds of beef plus all the quality you need to boot.
Get a good Charolais bull and have some GOOD calves!
Jogeephus
Well-known member
MikeC":390y6kqq said:
Though it has been a few years ago, I studied Cattlology at the Hellsinky Institute and I believe the answer is a SHLONGHORN. Or maybe not. :lol:
Jogeephus
Well-known member
Hey, I went to the Unervisity of Allabema uh Allabuma weel you know where I mean ... well maybe yu are right ... I was drunk and can't really remember - I don't think. No I'm positive I don't know! ;-)
DiamondSCattleCo
Well-known member
I wouldn't worry much about the breed of bull, but rather the way you're feeding. It shouldn't take 3 years to finish out a steer. For my own chow critters I feed free choice alfalfa hay from weaning (around 5 - 600lbs). During the first couple of months, I supplement with whole oats, starting at 3 lbs/day and working up to 10 or 12 lbs/day. It will depend on the animal. A pure shorthorn may need a little less to prevent him from getting gutty. A Simm or Char cross will take more. Once I've max'ed out the oats, usually by 700 lbs, I move to crushed barley, starting at about 5 lbs/day. I will gradually increase this amount as the steer gets bigger until he's up to around 20 or 25lbs/day. This recipe will get you a tender, juicy animal, as long as you don't stress the animal on slaughter day. I'll warn you though, its definitely not going to be lean beef, so if you're a health nut, don't listen to me :lol:
MikeC":3p0xs9qn said:
My basis is that it takes good pasture and plenty of it just to finish a british X british or stright british animal within a year. Now if you start adding 1/2 continental blood to your calf it is going to become that much harder to finish him on grass within a year.
It took M.Sarria three years to finish a shorthorn steer on the hay and grass/oats that were avalible. You would only be asking for trouble to add Char blood into a situation like this don't you think? ;-)
M.Sarria":238co4qy said:
AI each one to a different breed bull. Finish out the same way and see which meat you like best. You shouldn't expect a three year old steer to give you especially good meat. Good cattle today will finish in the feedlots by 12-18 months old.
M.Sarria":3stnpacx said:
First off aim for a butcher date of a year old give or take a month or so the chances are that this alone will help quite a bit. A lot of people do not like the taste of an older animal. Some do of course but alot don't!
Next since you are AI them the world is your oyster! Take some time and go through the british bulls that are avalible to you and look for one that has an average to good BW with a much higher then average YW. Remember that if you pick a british bull of a breed other then shorthorn you get the added bonus of hybred vigor!
Then last but not lest if you like the taste of grain fed beef, and you can afford it, finish them on as much corn as they will eat with free choice hay and plenty of clean water for the last 3 months. It is VERY importain that you start them out slow with the corn and build them up to full feed.
S.R.R.":tqhwhp1p said:
No. The world record for gain on forage is held by a Charolais bull. He gained 5.45 lbs. per day for 112 days. They can finish on grass just as well as some other breeds.
Of course it depends on "Which" Char bull you breed to, just as it would a British breed.
#M495579
HEP PREMIER GRAZER 128H
Semen available private treaty only.
Before you go jumping the gun on the Grazing test. This was not a yearling bull thast was being tested. He was a 2 year old soon after the end of the test.
But still very impressive.
HEP PREMIER GRAZER 128H
Semen available private treaty only.
Before you go jumping the gun on the Grazing test. This was not a yearling bull thast was being tested. He was a 2 year old soon after the end of the test.
But still very impressive.
