MountainFarmChar
Well-known member
Please share the qualities you believe (or have experienced) Charolais can add to a beef cattle farm/operation.
Charolais Attributes
- Thread starter MountainFarmChar
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Not every Charolais cow, cow family, or breeder is the same, and has the same attributes (or weaknesses) BUT generally good sire breed type Charolais's will add frame, growth, thickness, and eventual yield grade to a typical calf crop.
Weaknesses of Chars are much higher birth weights, Chars typically don't add the milk that Simms or Gelbviehs do (in many herds that is a positive), and excessive cow size and weight.
Weaknesses of Chars are much higher birth weights, Chars typically don't add the milk that Simms or Gelbviehs do (in many herds that is a positive), and excessive cow size and weight.
The charlais and charx cows I've owned have weaned off some of heaviest calves to leave this farm. But overall, my experience with charlais has been less than favorable. Very poor maternal instinct, whenever a calf winds up in the creek you can bet it's from one of them. Seems like they have a low tolerance for pain also and are not the brightest group of cattle. But they have their place, based on my experience they seem more of a terminal breed than anything else.
Different strokes for different folks.
cfpinz
Different strokes for different folks.
cfpinz
Bullbuyer
Well-known member
I'll echo the statements made by cfpinz. They can be very difficult to work with and are probably the least maternal of all breeds - some breeder will yell at me about that comment.
I guess if you have to say something positive about the breed - they will help keep you in good physical condition, most of them I've seen aren't afraid to chase you around a little bit.
I guess if you have to say something positive about the breed - they will help keep you in good physical condition, most of them I've seen aren't afraid to chase you around a little bit.
There are "Good" cattle and "Not so good" cattle in all breeds. Same goes for temperament.
With every post you receive here, you will get biased opinions.
I will be the first to say that no cattle breed can do all things for all people. Same goes for dogs or even horses.
Pick the ones from each or any breed that will improve your position in the beef business and you will be better off.
The problem is.............too many don't know how to choose those and are unable to forget their bias.
With every post you receive here, you will get biased opinions.
I will be the first to say that no cattle breed can do all things for all people. Same goes for dogs or even horses.
Pick the ones from each or any breed that will improve your position in the beef business and you will be better off.
The problem is.............too many don't know how to choose those and are unable to forget their bias.
Mike C: We have one cow that is 1/4 char & 3/4 murray
grey. She is one of the most reliable on the farm. About
a 4 frame, plenty of milk and good attitude. Some of her
bull calves we sure wished were purebred murrays so we
could register them as breeding stock instead of put into
beef sales....great steers. I wish all our crossbred cows
were just like her.
grey. She is one of the most reliable on the farm. About
a 4 frame, plenty of milk and good attitude. Some of her
bull calves we sure wished were purebred murrays so we
could register them as breeding stock instead of put into
beef sales....great steers. I wish all our crossbred cows
were just like her.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
MountainFarmChar":33yu6r55 said:
For me it is thickness plain and simple. A little less height but thicker.
MountainFarmChar
Well-known member
Bullbuyer":17j25650 said:
:lol2: :lol2: :lol2: ... some of you really love to push buttons!
The least maternal of ALL breeds...how many breeds are they?
As long as they are crossed on a british breed such as angus they do exellent in the feedlot do to gain and feed efficiency, as well as more desirable carcasses. Charlais on there own though, will take alot to get fat.
skcatlman
Well-known member
I used to raise Pb chars. like any breed there are ones that are high strung or poor mothers. But every breed has those. But i was raising chars to sell for terminal sires that means sell ALL the calves. The reason is that they were less maternal because of the selection for performance traits. The breed is going more maternal but i think that is a mistake. Concentrate on what you do best. Terminal sire !
DRB
Well-known member
i keep pb charolais for mama cows...most of the stock is from rogers in collins miss.who has the best maternal group of Charolais cattle in the U.S. they seem to be good mamas..raise calves that topped the sale last 2 years...year before that my vet friend's calves were top.. his were charlolais mamas/angus bull..mine arere charolais mamas/horned herford..yellow baldies...when i say top i mean per head they sell for more..not per pound...in my opinion, the answer to your original question is: weight at weaning!!!
MikeC":2wlhyv4s said:
You are 100% correct. I never had a problem with temperment, neighbor had some that would clean your clock, and another neighbor had the vet on speed-dial for calving season. A friend of mine uses them in a 3-way cross. Uses straight angus cows, breeds them to gelbvieh bulls, uses the f1's to breed to char bulls for a terminal calf. Excellent set-up.
cfpinz
DOC HARRIS
Well-known member
Not taking into consideration the number of Composites which are possible, there are about 65 known BREEDS of beef cattle.
DOC HARRIS
Australian Cattleman
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I have a few pure Charolais the few things that I have noted with them are, they are poor mothers sometimes,they do tend to be somewhat flighty in the yards when compared to my South Devons and Herefords. They also tend to loose condition easily and take the most feed to put that condition back onto.The positives that I like that makes me keep them are,increased weight of their progeny,especially when crossed with our Brahmans and South Devons,their scale will add height to lower frame scored cattle. Calving problems haven't been an issue because I don't use Charolais bulls over them. Next door though I have seen a dead Hereford mother or two over the past years and this person uses moderate framed Charolais bulls over Herefords.But if you have plenty of feed and time to spend with them there's no problem.
CowpokeJ
Well-known member
I use Charolais bulls on my commercial cattle. Pretty consistent color, no calving problems. I've got weeds that don't grow that fast. The order buyers: black or yellow.
tryinhard
Well-known member
As was stated there are the good n bad in each breed, but I have raised PB Char, n have had some of the best of the breed as far as temperment, mothering ability, and no calving problems, I don't have any today, but my son still does have a few char cows, just sold his char bull last year, but I have the old type pics, of my daughter when she was 4 yrs old out in the pasture petting 3 to 5 char bull and or heifer calves and these were not show calves 4 to 5 wt. calves. I watched her very close though, I know anything can happen, but she loved it, and does today, a little older, but I'm pretty sure she will always have cows also, u know it kinda gets in your system, But the most gentle cows that we have had, me and or my son have been Char, and or BrimmerX's. My son is keeping I think 4 heifers from the last Char bull this year, they are very gentle. But we have had the culls also, sold em to keep the rest of the herd from gettin wild.
tryinhard
tryinhard
tryinhard
tryinhard
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
cfpinz":pml124c0 said:
cfpinz nailed it. The Charlois crosses I background are usually the most profitable calves on the place.
novatech
Well-known member
Put them on an F1 braford or brangus for a great terminal calf.
