Cross Breeding Charolais Heifers

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I have been reading about the benefits of cross breeding(heterosis) and I am thinking of breeding charolais heifers to either hereford or an angus bull. I was wondering if this would be a good cross? I haven't been able to find much on this cross? I am interested in this cross because I love hereford bulls and would like to add some leg to my calves. any suggestions would be great.
 
The yellow calve sired by a Hereford bull bring top dollar at the sale barn here.
 
Angusxchar works real well. I use it a lot and routinely get 700 lb weaning weights on steers. Nothing less than large frame with that cross. Gain and sell well. I suspect you'd get the same outcome with herfxchar. Either way you need a good bull and good cows.
 
I think its a win-win situation whichever you choose. A black angus would give you white/smoky calves with black noses. Rattails can also result. Unfortunately the rattails are docked because as we all know, the tail is the prime part of meat. I'm being facetious here.
A red angus would give gold colored calves (probably some solid red as well, I've been getting 2 gold to 1 red with a char x red poll)... a hereford would give gold colored calves.

I would use the hereford. You could retain the heifers of that cross and they make good momma cows. Them gold colored cows look really nice in a pasture.
 
The market in my area you will be $ ahead if you use Herford or Red Angus. The smokies get cut back a few pennies.
 
Choo-Choo Ranch":1sp03shz said:
I have been reading about the benefits of cross breeding(heterosis) and I am thinking of breeding charolais heifers to either hereford or an angus bull. I was wondering if this would be a good cross? I haven't been able to find much on this cross? I am interested in this cross because I love hereford bulls and would like to add some leg to my calves. any suggestions would be great.
The charolais are known to be low marbling or high lean whatever you prefer and too framey, yet with decent growth potential. I would stay away from Red Angus as they are slow growth- which we don't need. Horned Hereford would work really well, as I am not a Mutant Polled Hereford enthusiast as they tend to be light muscled with a big difference in carcass quality compared to the original version.
Black Angus sired calves would work well too in order to improve frame scores and vastly improve carcass quality. Most Blk Angus sired calves will not be smoky in color --so you don't have to worry about that. Whatever terminal sire you choose don't buy it without a Ultrasound for REA etc..... On blk Angus use "the middle of the road" sires on CED.
Ed
 
edrsimms":2gl7dtvo said:
Choo-Choo Ranch":2gl7dtvo said:
I have been reading about the benefits of cross breeding(heterosis) and I am thinking of breeding charolais heifers to either hereford or an angus bull. I was wondering if this would be a good cross? I haven't been able to find much on this cross? I am interested in this cross because I love hereford bulls and would like to add some leg to my calves. any suggestions would be great.
The charolais are known to be low marbling or high lean whatever you prefer and too framey, yet with decent growth potential. I would stay away from Red Angus as they are slow growth- which we don't need. Horned Hereford would work really well, as I am not a Mutant Polled Hereford enthusiast as they tend to be light muscled with a big difference in carcass quality compared to the original version.
Black Angus sired calves would work well too in order to improve frame scores and vastly improve carcass quality. Most Blk Angus sired calves will not be smoky in color --so you don't have to worry about that. Whatever terminal sire you choose don't buy it without a Ultrasound for REA etc..... On blk Angus use "the middle of the road" sires on CED.
Ed
What color will they be?
 
ga. prime":2zou7qw9 said:
edrsimms":2zou7qw9 said:
Choo-Choo Ranch":2zou7qw9 said:
I have been reading about the benefits of cross breeding(heterosis) and I am thinking of breeding charolais heifers to either hereford or an angus bull. I was wondering if this would be a good cross? I haven't been able to find much on this cross? I am interested in this cross because I love hereford bulls and would like to add some leg to my calves. any suggestions would be great.
The charolais are known to be low marbling or high lean whatever you prefer and too framey, yet with decent growth potential. I would stay away from Red Angus as they are slow growth- which we don't need. Horned Hereford would work really well, as I am not a Mutant Polled Hereford enthusiast as they tend to be light muscled with a big difference in carcass quality compared to the original version.
Black Angus sired calves would work well too in order to improve frame scores and vastly improve carcass quality. Most Blk Angus sired calves will not be smoky in color --so you don't have to worry about that. Whatever terminal sire you choose don't buy it without a Ultrasound for REA etc..... On blk Angus use "the middle of the road" sires on CED.
Ed
What color will they be?

Maybe they change colors when you change states :lol: but around here they would be smokies and as Hillrancher said, you will get docked at the sale barn.
 
I have two sales about 50 miles from me and one about 30 miles from me. The smokies bring a few cents less than what straight blacks bring at the 30 mile away sale, but they'll bring about the same as straight blacks at the two 50 mile away sales. The color of the calves I'm hauling determines which sale I take them to.
 
ga. prime":15h9r5nj said:
I have two sales about 50 miles from me and one about 30 miles from me. The smokies bring a few cents less than what straight blacks bring at the 30 mile away sale, but they'll bring about the same as straight blacks at the two 50 mile away sales. The color of the calves I'm hauling determines which sale I take them to.

GA prime- you might want to try to improve your marketing skills. Video actions have been available since the mid 80's. Combine your cattle with a few other small operators to get 90 to 100 head and bypass the local yard-- be independent of others.
Most serious cattle raisers don't sell their cattle at the stockyard unless they are running very few and have no other avenue or have a herd of culls no one else will buy. Which scenario best represents you??
Ed
 
Look up the Horned Hereford bull F-R 552 Lad 20P that Genex bull sells-I own him and we brought him just for breeding heifers and making momma cows.He's been used a fair bit down in the states-we used himon heifers alot up here.
 
Northern Rancher":2jhzwl1l said:
http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=59997

The pic of that hereford bull is in that thread!!!

You are right Northern Rancher, the pic you have of 20P out in the pasture is much better than the one Genex uses in its ads.
 
edrsimms":lttfyrj6 said:
ga. prime":lttfyrj6 said:
I have two sales about 50 miles from me and one about 30 miles from me. The smokies bring a few cents less than what straight blacks bring at the 30 mile away sale, but they'll bring about the same as straight blacks at the two 50 mile away sales. The color of the calves I'm hauling determines which sale I take them to.

GA prime- you might want to try to improve your marketing skills. Video actions have been available since the mid 80's. Combine your cattle with a few other small operators to get 90 to 100 head and bypass the local yard-- be independent of others.
Most serious cattle raisers don't sell their cattle at the stockyard unless they are running very few and have no other avenue or have a herd of culls no one else will buy. Which scenario best represents you??
Ed
The not serious scenario.
 
I wish they'd use more action shots of bulls out being bulls than those fluffed,stuffed and puffed teddy bear pictures!!!
 
Always to many posters pushing their breed on CT, and know very little about other breeds. So I have crossed Charolais with Hereford, Red and Black Angus. [lots] All a good crosses. And NONE will be docked at the sale barn. As far as rat tails and grays, never seen one with a F1 Char cross.
 
mnmtranching":32ymyrcm said:
Always to many posters pushing their breed on CT, and know very little about other breeds. So I have crossed Charolais with Hereford, Red and Black Angus. [lots] All a good crosses. And NONE will be docked at the sale barn. As far as rat tails and grays, never seen one with a F1 Char cross.
Me either.
 

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