Cow Color for the Commericial Cattlemen

[Wewild]

This isn't likely to happen anytime soon

Good post.

Are we sure this is true regarding the blacks? It may be at the barn and maybe not. It also seems to matter where you live.

Seems like yellows may do as well or better.

I'm sure niche markets pay more as well in their programs.

 

[VanC]

Seems like yellows may do as well or better.

True. I can't find it now, but somebody posted a link awhile back showing that yellows and whites sell better than blacks. Of course that depends on the area, but I believe that was the nationwide average. That seems to indicate that the buyers hold Char influenced cattle in pretty high regard. But going back to CB's original post, you can get yellow or black from red cows in the first generation. But then I'm sure you already know that.

 

[alftn]

Hey Dun can you get red calves from a reg. Black Angus bull?

 

[dbc]

thanks for everyones input. U think ill get my grandpas friend to go with me, he has a friend who is a cattle buyer.

 

[dun]

Hey Dun can you get red calves from a reg. Black Angus bull?

Sure. A red carrier black Angus (heterozygous black) will pass the red gene 50% of the time. So if it was bred to red cows, half of the calves would be red and half black.
I can;t do the math. but if 2 heterozygous blacks are bred together some of the resulting offspring would be red.

dun

 

[Beef11]

1:2:1 would be the genotype
3:1 would be the phenotype

3 black calves to 1 red

 

[houstoncutter]

Ok fellas you got help me with this one.....I thought being as the Angus breeders do not allow any breeding up, and as the Red Angus Association was started in the 20's, shouldnt that mean all Angus should be homo black as well as homo polled

 

[Dave]

Any angus breeder that will tell you the truth will admit that every now and then a red calf will show up. Remember for every red one there is going to be two black ones with the red gene. Breeding a carrier of the red gene to a pure black will result in half the calves with the red gene. So it can go on for generations until two red carriers are bred to each other.
I agree with CB. Almost my entire herd came from the sale barn. They are evey color under the rainbow but there are a lot more pure red colored cows than pure black cows simply because a red cow of the same quality cost less. I probably have more baldies than anything else but that is just because there are more of then available here than anything else. I breed to a black bull and get black and black baldie calves. They top the market now. If that changes it is a lot easier to change bulls than the entire cow herd.

Dave

 

[novatech]

I like red cows the best. Then whites. Lastly black. Use a black angus bull and you won't have any red calves.

Yeah you will if that angus bull is a red carrier. Granted they are few and far between but there are some out there. Especially if the cow is also a red carrier.

Just buy you a dna tested homozygous black bull and be done with it.

If you are going to spend the money on dna tests do it were it counts, Tenderness and Quality and care less if it's poka dot.

 

[AngusLimoX]

Nothing better than a herd of pb BA girls to put whatever you want on.

You have more options if the cows are red.

This isn't likely to happen anytime soon, but if for some reason black hides go out of style, you're pretty much stuck. You either have to sell them and buy replacements, or go through several generations to turn the herd a different color.

I should of noted that I agree with CB's statement generally.

But I don't think I will ever feel "stuck" with my cows. A good thrifty herd of fertile healthy cows that will throw consistent calves year after year is what I am aiming for and I am well on my way.

F1 Balancers are hitting the ground now, and this may be one of my best crops.

We don't intend to ship anything but culls to the barn, feeding most of our animals to slaughter in one of several programs. That is where having animals that are likely to grade well matters, regardless of colour.

I recall reading that survey you mentioned as well Van, quite surprising actually, but you don't have to drive far around here to see a lot of white cattle.

 

[jack.diamond]

I posted this picture a few months back. The dams are black angus/beefmaster crosses and the sire was a registered black angus bull. Out of the five black cows bred to the same black
bull, three were black and the two red ones.

Jack

 

[preston39]

Jack...,

That is interesting...and unusual.

Do you care to share the number on the registered angus bull? I would like to analyze his background.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Jack,
So that tells you that the bull is a red gene carrier, and the two black cows with red calves are red gene carrier also. The other 3 black cows MAY be red carriers, but didn't pass the 1 red gene that they carried to their offspring. So, those 3 may or may not be heterozygous black.

 

[Beef11]

The point Caustic was trying to make is that while black cows are more popular you can have a greater return on investment with red cows. Hence the turn the calves whatever color you want out of a cheaper red cow.

 

[ga. prime]

You can get red calves out of full-blooded Charolais cows by using one of those red factor angus bulls. F1. Anybody want to dispute that?