~~**Charolais**~~

[Anonymous]

CHAROLAIS RULE WHO AGREES W/ ME ?????

 

[D.R. Cattle]

I can show you someone that does not agree! Frankly I don't think any one breed rules. They all have pros and cons, and usually compliment each other.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

Charolais are great if you've got all the time in the world to pull calves, and help them stand up so they can drink. They gain weight pretty good, but that white coat gets discounted at the sale barn.

 

[Anonymous]

Rancher I would say that your statement is very narrow sighted. I have used a charolais bull for the past two years and have not pulled or assisted a single calf. The heaviest of the calves was alittle over 80 lbs. , most were right at 75. As for the docking at the sale, When crossed with our black cows we ended up with smoke colored calves that sold very well.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

JPO you're talking about angus cross calves off angus cows. The question was about whether charolais rules.

 

[Anonymous]

I was just pointing out that using a charolais bull or genitics for that matter does not mean you are going to have high birth weights.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

I would say that those low birth weights may have a large part to do with your angus cows. Up here you would get docked heavy for those smokey calves. There may be some moderate birthweight bulls in the charolais but if I was going for an easy calving terminal sire, I would be more inclined to lean toward a black simmental or limo.

 

[Campground Cattle]

CHAROLAIS RULE WHO AGREES W/ ME ?????

Almost worthless my opinion get docked to hard at the sale barn in my area, they don't want smokey or white calves.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

Campground
If you get docked in the sale ring for white calves, how come you have british whites or are you able to hide that white color in them by crossbreeding?

 

[A. delaGarza]

CHAROLAIS RULE WHO AGREES W/ ME ?????

Agree 1/2 the way I have Charolais and use them in my white comercial herd but prefer Limousin as terminal breed, less calving problems and of course calves are RED

 

[Campground Cattle]

Campground
If you get docked in the sale ring for white calves, how come you have british whites or are you able to hide that white color in them by crossbreeding?

Three things I use a Hereford as a terminal sire, secondly they have gained some popularity in my area. The local buyers recognize that the Whites cut out as high or higher than Angus for prime and choice. Whites are super efficent for pounds to beef on lower quality grass. We do not have the quality grass that a lot of other areas have. Third is the whites are marked to make them easliy recognized being a white cow with black points.

 

[Anonymous]

Just like with Herefords, eared cattle, etc.--- at some markets you take a more severe hit than at others, so you really need to raise what your market most readily pays for, within the constraints of your environment, management style, etc. Obviously one real basic item to remember about the Charolais cross terminal calves, or any calves for that matter, is that you can't just look at the price per pound that you get or the discount per pound you get hit with. Consider total pounds sold times price per pound! It's only a thought, but I'd almost bet that on any given forage base the heaviest calves would probably be Charolais sired terminal crosses (or possibly something by a Fleck or Gelbvieh). Being an absentee owner I've never had quite enough "courage" to use a Charolais bull. But I've been real tempted a few times when I found some that had the kind of front shoulders that made me feel a little more comfortable than with most of the breed. Arnold Ziffle



Another thought --- recently I was sniffing around on the website for one of the Canadian semen outfits while looking at Fleckvieh Simmentals and just happened to review some of their Charolais offerings. One thing that I sure DON'T need is anything like those 3,300+ pounders up in Canada. Do you folks way up north ever use that size of a bull in a commercial herd and can they (and correspondingly large cows) really work acceptably for you? Sure need to lay in a good supply for monsters like that don't you?

 

[Campground Cattle]

Just like with Herefords, eared cattle, etc.--- at some markets you take a more severe hit than at others, so you really need to raise what your market most readily pays for, within the constraints of your environment, management style, etc. Obviously one real basic item to remember about the Charolais cross terminal calves, or any calves for that matter, is that you can't just look at the price per pound that you get or the discount per pound you get hit with. Consider total pounds sold times price per pound! It's only a thought, but I'd almost bet that on any given forage base the heaviest calves would probably be Charolais sired terminal crosses (or possibly something by a Fleck or Gelbvieh). Being an absentee owner I've never had quite enough "courage" to use a Charolais bull. But I've been real tempted a few times when I found some that had the kind of front shoulders that made me feel a little more comfortable than with most of the breed. Arnold Ziffle



Another thought --- recently I was sniffing around on the website for one of the Canadian semen outfits while looking at Fleckvieh Simmentals and just happened to review some of their Charolais offerings. One thing that I sure DON'T need is anything like those 3,300+ pounders up in Canada. Do you folks way up north ever use that size of a bull in a commercial herd and can they (and correspondingly large cows) really work acceptably for you? Sure need to lay in a good supply for monsters like that don't you?

I have nothing against Charolais,heck I really like the Brahmans. I believe that all breeds bring something to the table. It's about $$$$. at the sale barn.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

Those big cows and bulls and cows are quite common up here. Simmental x Charolais is very common. There is always a big argument though. I would rather raise smaller cows and have more calves per acre. Also, if I lose a calf, it is less of a hit on a percentage basis. I produce more calves per acre and what I feel is better beef. But there is no denying that those big 2000+ lb cows produce huge calves. Weaning near 800 lbs. I buy my hay and i know I wouldn't want to feed them but there are lots of guys up here that do.

 

[txag]

Just like with Herefords, eared cattle, etc.--- at some markets you take a more severe hit than at others, so you really need to raise what your market most readily pays for, within the constraints of your environment, management style, etc. Obviously one real basic item to remember about the Charolais cross terminal calves, or any calves for that matter, is that you can't just look at the price per pound that you get or the discount per pound you get hit with. Consider total pounds sold times price per pound! It's only a thought, but I'd almost bet that on any given forage base the heaviest calves would probably be Charolais sired terminal crosses (or possibly something by a Fleck or Gelbvieh). Being an absentee owner I've never had quite enough "courage" to use a Charolais bull. But I've been real tempted a few times when I found some that had the kind of front shoulders that made me feel a little more comfortable than with most of the breed. Arnold Ziffle



Another thought --- recently I was sniffing around on the website for one of the Canadian semen outfits while looking at Fleckvieh Simmentals and just happened to review some of their Charolais offerings. One thing that I sure DON'T need is anything like those 3,300+ pounders up in Canada. Do you folks way up north ever use that size of a bull in a commercial herd and can they (and correspondingly large cows) really work acceptably for you? Sure need to lay in a good supply for monsters like that don't you?

some of the size in the cattle up there is due to environment. we have seen herds of canadian hereford cattle brought down and in a couple of generations (of using the same bulls & cows) the offspring are smaller. also, we've used remitall bulls w/bw's of 96 lbs or so & the calves down here are around 80 lbs.

 

[Anonymous]

CHAROLAIS SUCK!

 

[Anonymous]

Charlais suck!

 

[dun]

They're not by any chance grey and have two horns sticking up from the top of their snout are they?

dun

Those big cows and bulls and cows are quite common up here. Simmental x Charolais is very common. There is always a big argument though. I would rather raise smaller cows and have more calves per acre. Also, if I lose a calf, it is less of a hit on a percentage basis. I produce more calves per acre and what I feel is better beef. But there is no denying that those big 2000+ lb cows produce huge calves. Weaning near 800 lbs. I buy my hay and i know I wouldn't want to feed them but there are lots of guys up here that do.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

Dun,
You gotta get out more. Everybody says everything is bigger in Texas but the cows are definitely bigger in Canada.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

Charolais

Origins: Originated in France. First imported to Canada in 1968.
Origins: Came from France and was the earliest European beef cattle import to Canada.
Quality traits: Proven adaptable to a wide range of environments. Grow rapidly and have good muscling. Widely used in crossbreeding with other breeds.

Weight of bulls: 2500 lbs.

Weight of cows: 1600 to 2000 lbs.

Appearance: White to cream coloured, either horned or polled (born without horns). Have medium to large frames.

Pulled this off the University of Guelph web page. I've seen lots of herds of Charolais in my area that would average over that 2000lbs.