Charolais vs Angus

[DPANTOJA]

What are the pros and cons of a Angus vs Charolais. Don't charolias bulls weight more than an Angus, faster growing rate? I know the big thing going on is Angus but people follow the trends.

 

[Bullbuyer]

Here's the real problem with chars:
At the graded feeder sale last night in Virginia:
A group of 17 M1A steers weighing 560 brought $1.22
A pair of M1E steers (both were Chars.) weighed 563 sold $0.97.

That's the problem - of course, if you like selling for less, pulling calves and sometimes having to climb trees to get away from them - they may be your breed of choice.

 

[DPANTOJA]

Is that at every market?

 

[Farminlund]

I mentioned on another post that both of the Charolais folk I personally knew left the breed - the first reason is one hates to get beat up at the market every time you go, even if they do grow fast; secondly, disposition & calving challenges don't compensate for those low market prices. Now this is from an angus guy in central va = angus country.

 

[TXBobcat]

From your other posts I gather you like both Charolais and Angus, so how about producing some Char x Angus calves? Get some good Charolais cows and an Angus bull and produce some smokey colored calves that should do pretty well at the sale barn.

 

[Parkerson Cattle Co.]

Good lord talk about someone knocking a really good breed, i might be partial but yall folks just dont seem to own any of these critters called charolais... they bring the dollars at the sale barn when crossed, and they sure get the job done if you ask me... how about some more good input. Theres to much of the old mindset from the chars of the 70's ... the breed has changed tremendously

 

[DPANTOJA]

My dad raises charolais in Mexico and I like both angus and charolais. I am looking for a place to raise cattle in Arizona as a hobby, at the same time to learn and help my father improve his herd of cattle in Mexico. They like charolais because its more lean meat. I love Angus because of the tenderness. Your idea might be a good one charolais for the growth and Angus for the quality meat and birth size.

 

[alacattleman]

Don't bash um if you dont raise um. let the charolais people have their say. this dont need to turn into another tiger thread

 

[Farminlund]

From your other posts I gather you like both Charolais and Angus, so how about producing some Char x Angus calves? Get some good Charolais cows and an Angus bull and produce some smokey colored calves that should do pretty well at the sale barn.

TX - guess this was addressed at me. The "smokies" still are knocked in our market (if they're not black & tall, you get penalized); plus I've been purebred angus my whole life - wouldn't know how else to act. Over the years I've been able to develop good genes & when you combine that with good feed, well I just don't think any type cross would give me any advantage, particularly given the selling market I live in.

 

[Farminlund]

Good lord talk about someone knocking a really good breed, i might be partial but yall folks just dont seem to own any of these critters called charolais... they bring the dollars at the sale barn when crossed, and they sure get the job done if you ask me... how about some more good input. Theres to much of the old mindset from the chars of the 70's ... the breed has changed tremendously

I can see how my post might sound like I'm charolais bashing, but honestly I was just relaying what happened to two former charolais breeders (one left farming completely - retired, the other went back to what he used to raise - angus). The one that retired did not say anything bad, in fact, he said the the breed has moved in a positive direction over the past 10 yrs or so. The other just hated to get lower prices at the market & his cows seemed to fit the older stereo type of high strung & hard calving. He's happy to be done with them & back in the angus business. As far as I'm concerned - if it works for you, I'll root you on, they're just not for me.

 

[Bullbuyer]

Earlier post said this is Angus country - it sure is; however, I suggest going to a local market and watch some feeder cattle go through the auction - then I would decide.
After all the bottom line IS the bottom line...

 

[novaman]

Pros, chars grow good. That is about the only pro.

Cons, Calving problems, ugliness, flightiness, pink pigmentation around the eyes which I think could lead to problems. I have a buddy that has some High dollar charolais and I wouldnt trade any of my commercial cattle for em period. He has to many damned calving problems and cancer eye and the like. Besides that they are all ugly looking. I told him he needs to get him a low birthweight angus bull and breed to those cows. He would rather pull calves left and right and have "Pure High Dollar" charolais than he would have low birthweight and all around better performing cattle. This year alone he has pulled 20 calves out of 30 cows. That is not a good ratio if you ask me. I have pulled no calves out of 40 cows using a gelbvieh and angus bull on them. I dont have any charolais either. Just my 2 cents worth. Im not really bashing em just telling you my experience with em is all.

Maw, I don't want to argue with you on Char cattle. I know your intent on your black cattle and that's fine. The only problem I have is when the bashing has to go on. If you don't have experience with the breed yourself how can you talk bad about it? Just because your neighbor has high dollar animals doesn't make them a good representative of the breed. My herd is heavily Char influenced and I pulled 3 calves out of 102. As far as the animals being ugly, that's your opinion and your entitled to it. The flightiness is definately not accurate and the cancer eye has never been a problem for me and i've got purebred Char that are pushing 13 years old.

 

[Parkerson Cattle Co.]

every breed has their problems, turn cows loose or whatever your name is, i could think of several with angus,... you are goin by hear say, .. not experience if you don't personally own them ..quit bashing when you have no experience...

~J.P.

 

[Caustic Burno]

You can say what you want the yellow white face calf tops the salebarns here. I don't have any but those calves win everytime when comparing apples to apples here. Somebody sure likes them palletheads.

 

[novaman]

Well so far this post has led to nothing but name-calling and arguing. How about we turn the tables a bit on this one? For all you people out there that hate Charolais, could you please explain to me why people continue to raise them? Tell me why you believe they haven't changed to Angus. Give me a good reason why Char are no good. Please don't give me a response like "cuz Char are ugly" or "cuz those people are stupid".

 

[TXBobcat]

P.S. I would trade no calving problems at all on just run of the mill commerical cows and a few registered cows for having problematic cattle of any breed any day.

If you want no calving problems at all, you need some Longhorns. ;-)

 

[TXBobcat]

From your other posts I gather you like both Charolais and Angus, so how about producing some Char x Angus calves? Get some good Charolais cows and an Angus bull and produce some smokey colored calves that should do pretty well at the sale barn.

TX - guess this was addressed at me. The "smokies" still are knocked in our market (if they're not black & tall, you get penalized); plus I've been purebred angus my whole life - wouldn't know how else to act. Over the years I've been able to develop good genes & when you combine that with good feed, well I just don't think any type cross would give me any advantage, particularly given the selling market I live in.

Sorry for the confusion, but I was directing this to DPANTOJA.
In some other posts on the board, he stated he could not decide between Char or Angus. Said he liked both, so maybe a cross might work for him, that is, if those type calves sell well in his area.

 

[Parkerson Cattle Co.]

For all who care, i do have experience in Angus i have some.. i also have some chars and some herefords.. believe im pretty well rounded there fella Experience not hear say turn loose i like them angus, but im a lil partial to the chars.. not big on bashing any breed they've all got something to give.. the best is always a cross, a fact that cannot be denied due to hybrid vigor.

~jp

 

[cfpinz]

Lynchburg, VA Monday night:

66 M1A avg552lb 1.19
12 M1EX avg549lb 1.17

Had some in each pen. As I've stated before, I have a few charlais in with the commercials and while they are not my favorite cows to work with, they sure know how to produce calves.

 

[Cabo]

If you have never been charged by a Char or a rhino, you don't know what excitement is!!