Charolais Cow 3 Way Cross

[HDRider]

Does anyone on here use Charolais cows to get to a terminal three way cross? I hope I said that right.

For example:
I have Charolais cows and a Limo bull. I retain the heifers from that cross.
I breed the Charolais/Limo heifers to an Angus bull and sell those calves.

What breeds are you using with Charolais cows? How satisfied are you?

Do you have pictures?

 

[Lucky_P]

Not exactly the way I'd do it...actually, just about the polar opposite
I'd probably want at least some 'maternal' and marbling genetics on the cow side, then come back on top of those cows with a growth/muscling breed for that terminal calf.
You can do it six ways to Sunday, and everybody's got their own idea about what's best.

Current deal here is ANxSH cows, with a Simmental bull over 'em.

 

[HDRider]

Not exactly the way I'd do it...actually, just about the polar opposite
I'd probably want at least some 'maternal' and marbling genetics on the cow side, then come back on top of those cows with a growth/muscling breed.

Current deal here is ANxSH cows, with a Simmental bull on top.

Thanks Lucky. If it can be done wrong, I'll do it.

I am trying to come up with the right cross for my area. I have been back and forth many times.

In my area you see mostly black Angus, far and away #1. Then Hereford, Charolais, Limousin (mostly red) in that order of popularity. The most popular cross is black baldies by a wide margin, then smokies.

All that said, mostly you see mixed herds of all colors. Eventually I want to produce a load of consistent calves. Same size, same age, same color.

Some bringing in Brangus, but the ear hurts them at the barns.

 

[Taurus]

Very few people around here using straight charolais cows in crossbreeding programs, usually two way cross and usually Angus. Charolais x limo may be making a good momma cow but the steers will be too lean and no marbling. These steers will be heavier tho.

 

[HDRider]

Very few people around here using straight charolais cows in crossbreeding programs, usually two way cross and usually Angus. Charolais x limo may be making a good momma cow but the steers will be too lean and no marbling. These steers will be heavier tho.

If I could find a good source of Angus/Charolais cross mamma cows I'd be ahead of the game.

I hope to have my mind made up and seed stock sources by the end of the year.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Hereford bull on Char cows makes a dang good cow. Use a red limousin bull on the char x herf cows for the yellow calf. Red limousin bull on Hereford cows makes a good cow and use the Char bull on the limi x herf for the yellow calves. Those yellow calves will sell with the best.

 

[cow pollinater]

I have a couple of char cows left running around up on the mountain. They've done a really good job with hereford calves and the first of those daughters is raising a whale of a red angus calf.
The chars I have left are all Rio Bravo daughters and I kept the most moderate of those. I don't have any way to measure how much my cattle eat individually but my chars stay in condition similar to what high $EN angus cows are doing for me. If they were all like mine I'd have a bunch of them running around as mommas and use the angus as a terminal.

 

[HDRider]

Hereford bull on Char cows makes a dang good cow. Use a red limousin bull on the char x herf cows for the yellow calf. Red limousin bull on Hereford cows makes a good cow and use the Char bull on the limi x herf for the yellow calves. Those yellow calves will sell with the best.

I think that combo would do well at the barn closest to me.

 

[Toad]

I bought two bred heifers last year one smokey and one straight char, both bred to a Limo bull. The smokey had a smokey bull calf that has grown like a weed and is pretty chunky. The char heifer had a black heifer calf that has grown well also. The problem is both of them are wild as any calf I've ever had. I would love to keep the heifer calf as a replacement but I don't think she will calm down.

 

[HDRider]

I counted three breeds here, and was wondering if maybe some of the cows were Brangus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh4Jt3PX5wA

 

[highgrit]

There's a lot more than 3 breeds in that group. Angus and Charolais don't have horns.

 

[Taurus]

There's a lot more than 3 breeds in that group. Angus and Charolais don't have horns.

Charolais do have horns, but the video is claiming them to be Angus cross and Charolais cross, not purebred cattle

 

[wacocowboy]

I counted three breeds here, and was wondering if maybe some of the cows were Brangus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh4Jt3PX5wA

God only knows what is in the pot, but they are some good looking cows. Yes there is some Brahma in some of them cows. I like F1 Charbrays then put Herford or Sim on them.

 

[HDRider]

Maybe I am over thinking this cow calf thing.

My goal is to have a consistent and predicable product, or at least as much as one can. I want a pure breed bull on a pure breed cow. Then put a different pure breed bull on that cross for the terminal calf. You only get to start once.

Am I looking at this wrong wanting to be a cow/calf guy?

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Keep it simple and you will be happy.

 

[cow pollinater]

HDrider, you have my disease, I constantly second guess breeding descisions that have been made over and over again including which breeds to incorporate. I'm a perfectionist about it. It really is easier if you just keep it simple and don't worry about it and maybe even more profitable as if you get to far away from what others are doing it's hard to market the calves.
You might look into a composite bull to help you keep things simple but satisfy your want for a third cross. Hereford/balancer, for example is three breeds in a simple two way cross and once you see the calves you'd be hard to convince that you should change paths. Limflex would do the same thing.

 

[Big Cheese]

In my opinion on this matter....I would want to use a Charolais bull instead of Charolais cows. I would get Hereford and/or Angus momma cows and breed them to a Charolais. Your wanting the 3 way cross however so here's what I would do....now I'm young and basing this off what would work great in my part of the country so no bashing please lol.......

I would buy Black Angus or Hereford cows and put the opposite bull on them....for example if you get Angus cows then put a Hereford bull on them or vice versa. This cross with give you mostly black white face heifers to use as you replacements.....

Then once you get the heifers ready I would bred them to a LBW bull of your choice the first breeding and then put a Charolais bull on them and you will start having Smokey white face and Yellow white face calves that will grow like crazy and everybody will want to have them. I think using the Charolais bull as your last cross will work by far the best in my opinion.

I wouldn't do this but some older farmers around here say if you raise the heifer to already be over 2 years old before breeding to a Charolais bull then it will not have a problem having the calf because it will be over 3 when it has it and be pretty near grown....I personally would not do that...breeding a Charolais to a heifer is always going to be a gamble BUT if you don't want to wait to do your third cross you could try it. Its your farm we are just giving you advice.

I think this would be a great way to start a herd up. I personally would love to try it myself but we are going the Longhorn route right now so lol.

 

[brimmer X]

HD, I have some hereford charolais cross animals, and they come from charolais cows. I don't have a problem with Charolais cows. The ones I have milk fine and are not picky eaters. The best I have ever done was Hereford bull on Char cows. Currently have about 5 pureblood Char cows and 5 Char x Braunvieh cows bred to Hereford bull except heifers. Almost all heifers have been retained and boy do they grow. I am very proud of last years heifer crop and can hardly wait to bred them this spring. Some will be close to 17 months old when bred, but there is a group of 9.

In our herd of about 45 females, I can break down the best growth from the cows. 2 F-1 brahman cows bred by hereford, female calves,that out grew all others. 2nd place, the hereford x char or char cross cows, all keepers. 3rd, the hereford over braunvieh cows. Good ones a little slower growth, but catch up soon, all have been retained.

Red bull is right, a yellow white face animal will sell well in our state. The cross makes good mothers also. I like the cross so well, there is a bull calf that was saved from banding. Not sure he will be used, but we'll see how he grows off.

 

[Big Cheese]

I've always wanted to try keep a yellow white face bull calf as a bull. I feel like it would do really well. Especially if it's pretty close to half Charolais and half Hereford. Yellow white face is liked throughout Arkansas.

 

[ANAZAZI]

Yellow whiteface does not breed yellow whiteface.
Breed it to a red herd - 25% looks like the bull, 25% yellow, the rest red or red whiteface
Breed it to a Charolais herd - roughly 25% looks like the Bull, another 25% yellow with no white face, the rest white or "white whiteface".
On black cows, no yellow, gray instead, some 50% whiteface.
On spotted cattle all bets off.
Even bred to a herd of yellow whiteface cows you are down to 37,5% yellow whiteface.
And bred to Hereford cows you could end up with 50%.
In hardly any of these situations anyone would notice that your steers are brothers.

Apart from colour, which is not important on the rail but likely important in the sale barn, there is no consistency in other traits either, not carcass traits, not maternal traits, not size, and birth weights all over the place. :2cents: