Sometime here in the next year or so I'm gonna sell my Angus bull, and I'm thinking about trying a different breed bull to put with my Brangus cows. I've been fairly satisfied with the calf crops I've gotten out of the Angus bulls I've used in the past, but I'm wanting to add some more muscle and growth to my calves. I've pretty much narrowed my choices down to Hereford, Gelbvieh, or Simmental, but I'm still open to suggestions. Which way would y'all go if it were you?
Bull to breed to Brangus cows- Need some input
- Thread starter tnbeef
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I would go with Simmental. You will increase muscling, growth and have a calf that is for the most part a SimmAngus with a little ear. Where I am that is a hot cross right now not only do the calves perform in the feedlot, the hiefers make tremendous females.
birdog
Well-known member
Alot of cattlemen around here would use the hereford for a super baldie, they make excellent replacement heifers and perform in the lots. I personally use a beefmaster to top my brangus cows, the cross make excellent mommas and the calves grow like weeds. Good luck.
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
either one would make a good cross.but of the three you mentioned my first pick would be hereford next would be simm. but it would be depending on the bull cause i like both. i do know the simm will give you some grow'in son o gun's
Texas Gal
Well-known member
Do you keep some of your heifers or are do you strictly run a terminal operation? If you keep some of the heifers , I would go with the Herf. The heifers will be great mommas and the steers will do you right at the salebarn. If you're strictly terminal , I'd go Simm.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
I'd prefer herf for the sale barn and for retained heifers.
DOC HARRIS
Well-known member
tnbeef-tnbeef":23272mhk said:
It would be helpful if we knew a little more about your operation. How many acres are in pasture? How many momma cows do you run year by year? Do you buy replacement heifers, or raise them? Have you considered Artificial Insemination? When and how do you market your cattle? What are your plans for a crossbreeding program - whatever breed you decide to use this time? Do you have a "Ten Plus" breeding rotation plan? You should be putting into place a plan for the rest of your 'cattle-breeding' life, NOT just a "CHANGE" for the time being! The decisions you make now will affect your BU$INE$$, for good or bad, from now on! Decide to raise the BEST cattle that you can - not just this one time Bull change!
If you are concentrating on increasing your muscle and growth in your Brangus, my choice would be Simmental - THIS TIME. Then - NEXT time - - - - -it will depend on the genetics and phenotype of your replacements AND your current cows at that time! I would strive to keep my brood cow weights at 1200 lbs at five years of age. You will make more PROFIT with PLANNING!
DOC HARRIS
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
that was more true years ago then today you could go either way with these two. use the herf for terminal and the simm for maternal. just depends on the bull you are usingTexas Gal":25yunq2u said:
Northern Rancher
Well-known member
Horned Hereford on Brangus works pretty good for sure.
Thanks for the replies so far everybody. Sorry for being so brief in my initial post. I know it's hard to give advice when you don't know the details about someone's operation. Right now, I'm running 15 brood cows on the place, but I'm hoping to add another 5 or 10 head in the near future, which would be put me up to about the maximum number I can handle on the grazing acreage I have. In the past I have raised a few of my replacements, but I have found out it is more cost-effective for me to buy my replacements instead of raising them. I market my calves here at the local sale barn. Our local sale barn used to have feeder calf sales every 6 months or so, which helped with the prices, but due to lack of participation, they haven't had feeder calf sales for the past couple years, so I just run them through the weekly sale. Hopefully within the next year or two, we can get the feeder calf sales going again, because they were very beneficial for producers like myself who run small herds.
Sounds like the Simmental or the Hereford would both be a good cross for what I am looking for. Would the Hereford and the Simmental both produce fairly uniformly marked calves, or could there be a good bit of variance in the markings? -I know alot of this can depend on the cow too tho. Most people around here with eared cattle have either straight Brangus or Beefmaster herds, so i haven't been able to see any operations with Super Baldies or SimmiXBrangus cross cattle.
Sounds like the Simmental or the Hereford would both be a good cross for what I am looking for. Would the Hereford and the Simmental both produce fairly uniformly marked calves, or could there be a good bit of variance in the markings? -I know alot of this can depend on the cow too tho. Most people around here with eared cattle have either straight Brangus or Beefmaster herds, so i haven't been able to see any operations with Super Baldies or SimmiXBrangus cross cattle.
