Cattle then and now

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

By the way, what does everyone think of the bull?

Pretty good looking bull. He has a straight back and looks like good hind quarters on him. Can't really see from the profile but I would be willing to bet he is a pretty thick individual.
How old is he and what's he weigh.

Yes, he is very thick.His yearling weight was 1082. he is now 3 1/2 years old and weighs close to 2,000 lbs. Last time I weighed him he was 1800+.He is very docile and laid back, his neck is too big to fit in my headgate, he rubs both sides going through my squeeze chute. :D :cboy:

 

[Chuck]

Just this week I came across some pictures of my Granddad sorting Herefords out of the feedlot at home about 35-40 years ago. Compared to todays cattle they look like white faced whiskey barrels on short legs. That sure was good steak though. He used to consistently top the market in Chicago and later Peoria with cattle like those. I'm having trouble scanning them because they are all slides. As soon as I figure it out or get some prints made I will post a couple of them. Looking at them brought back a lot of good memories from when I was a kid. :)

 

[cattle_gal]

la4angus has some photos he would like to show everyone.

The man in the first photo is Tex Spitzer who was 6'1 - 6'2. John Tolan is behind Tex. Johns height is 5' 10 to 5' 11. Note the fitting style of the bull in the photo. The bull was a 3 year old. And the photo was taken in 1950.

Middle photo is John.

The bottom photo with the bull in the straw gives the appearance of legs being shorter.

 

[greenwillowherefords]

I like moderate framed thick, blocky cattle with length and depth along with optimum muscling. I still want my cows feminine. I hate gutless wonders; I want capacity and spring of rib. I want good hip. I want some space in the pelvic area for calving ease, but I also want enough ground clearance to look reasonable and be able to do some traveling over varied terrain. I also want a good straight back. All these features are what I am striving for in my breeding program.

Having said this, there was nothing wrong with the eating experience of the beef from the 50's cattle. In fact, it was probably better on average then than it is now. Beef was king, and king for a reason: flavor and texture. I know everything is subjective to the individual preference, but the majority of people in taste tests are going to choose Hereford and Angus today, no offense to any one else whose cattle work in the niche you need them to work in.

 

[Tod Dague]

One thing hasn't changed as far as showing goes, the fatter the better. ;-)

 

[greenwillowherefords]

One thing hasn't changed as far as showing goes, the fatter the better. ;-)

Until you put them in the real world, then they can't make it on a forage diet after eating five gallons of high performance feed every day.

 

[Jake]

seriously which one would you rather have? the second bull is from 1919 and the first is from the 80's. Improvement? if that's what you call it

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

seriously which one would you rather have? the second bull is from 1919 and the first is from the 80's. Improvement? if that's what you call it

I would rather have the one from 1919. :cboy:

 

[la4angus]

I would rather have the one from 1919. :cboy:

Looks to me we aee looking at 3 different breeds here. The top looks like a Chi X Angus and the 1919 bull is Purebred Angus.
Can't compare apples to oranges

 

[frenchie]

Sure like that 1919 bull.......

 

[TheBullLady]

Wow.. that's quite a comparison! Great photos Jake!

I'd have to take the 1919 bull as well. Too much daylight under the 80's bull! But I do remember when they were popular.

 

[Brad B]

I would rather have the one from 1919. :cboy:

Looks to me we aee looking at 3 different breeds here. The top looks like a Chi X Angus and the 1919 bull is Purebred Angus.
Can't compare apples to oranges

That's the way I see it too. The top has to be Chi influenced. A good bit too, I'd say. Best steaks I've ever eaten came off ChiAngus steers.

 

[cattle_gal]

Jake,

What's the name of the first bull. He looks like a black purebred Chi(93.75% or higher blood).

For our environment the first bull wins hands down. The the main reason we went to Chi's. Which bull is going to be able to breed cows in the steep mountains from 8000 to 10,000 elevation on 6,000 acres and then the calf vigor at birth in our very harsh winters.

 

[Craig-TX]

I would rather have the one from 1919. :cboy:

Looks to me we aee looking at 3 different breeds here. The top looks like a Chi X Angus and the 1919 bull is Purebred Angus.
Can't compare apples to oranges

Good observation LA. That said, I’ll take 1919 any day.

Craig-TX

 

[cattle_gal]

Nevermind Jake. I checkout where you got the photo and went to the write up. Same link as txshowmom put up.

He was a big bull. Frame 10. Yikes. But noticed that he wasn't the only breed where the bull is that big.

 

[Jake]

There were quite a few herefords that were just as big as the '80s bull.

 

[dun]

The whole leg issue is really dependent on the range conditions. Smaller pastures are ideal for the shorter legged bulls, but on range or multihundred acre pastures you need the leggier bulls, and cows for that matter. Water availability, quality of forage all also enter into the equation. Personally I like the shorter legged bulls with box car bodys. And in our environment, if we used natural service those would be the kinds of bulls we would use, and we do even with AI use the stubby legged, i.e. smaller FS bulls to control the size of our replacements/mature cows. In the mojave we used rangier cattle and Brahman or Brahman influenced bulls. A pair per 300 acres dictates that.
But I've also seen some of the shoret legged bulls that are kind of Arnold S, nearly muscled bound, not particularly athletic and some that couldn't even cover a 25 acre pasture for breeding.
Depends on what your needs are, just as differing conditions require different types/breeds of cows.

dun

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

Anybody know the ages of the 1919 and 1980's bulls werev at the time the picture was taken? Young 1980's versus mature 1919 bull? And of course the 1919 bull is posed in a nice bed of fluffy straw which makes him look shorter legged. But at first glance, just based on the pictures, the 1919 bull would probably be picked by most folks, me included. Wonder what he would have looked like in his working clothes after a breeding season and no pampering?

 

[Tod Dague]

Anybody know the ages of the 1919 and 1980's bulls werev at the time the picture was taken? Young 1980's versus mature 1919 bull? And of course the 1919 bull is posed in a nice bed of fluffy straw which makes him look shorter legged. But at first glance, just based on the pictures, the 1919 bull would probably be picked by most folks, me included. Wonder what he would have looked like in his working clothes after a breeding season and no pampering?

Probably like a Low Line. With Low Line you can sill get this kind of cattle if any of you are serious about the 1919 bull. I personally like the FS 5-6 cattle how ever I do have a 4 frame and a 7 frame in my herd because they are good cows that make good calves and work in my area.

 

[la4angus]

Probably like a Low Line. With Low Line you can sill get this kind of cattle if any of you are serious about the 1919 bull. I personally like the FS 5-6 cattle how ever I do have a 4 frame and a 7 frame in my herd because they are good cows that make good calves and work in my area.

The 1919 model is definitely not a Low Line.