Crossing Cattle

[Rafter S]

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INFORMATION IT HAS BEEN VERY INFORMATIVE. I AM IN MISSOURI AND WILL HAVE ALL 4 SEASON WITH UP AND DOWN TEMPS 0s-100s.

Check around in your part of the country, or check with other local cattle people. If you're far enough south that buyers don't dock too heavily for cattle showing some Brahman influence then Hereford x Brangus will be a great cross for you.

 

[Warren Allison]

They'd work just about anywhere, if you can get the local buyers past their hang-ups with eared cattle. That cross will result in calves with just 3/16 Brahman influence. That's not enough to make them have trouble in cold weather, but it is enough for them to really mash on the scales (and get more hybrid vigor than you will crossing two English breeds).

Angus X Braford works well, too.

 

[wild billy]

Yes, I have found most Herefords to be calmer on average. My saying is when I work cattle especially calves I want them to be Herefords, when I sell cattle , I want them to be Angus.
A couple of the most problematic cows we have had lately have been Herefords. They weren't the kind that would come at you, they just throw their heads up and run, messing up the others. Had a BWF cow that would absolutely come after you when pushed. Said for a few years each calf would be her last and would cull her. Kept putting it off as I dreaded trying to load her. She kept getting more aggressive. When she came at me uphill from a longways off and didn't even have a calf on her at the time, that was the motivation for getting her gone.

Aggressive animals are a recipe for trouble. You can get injured very quickly. Cull the Aggressive animal quick as possible .

 

[Ky hills]

Aggressive animals are a recipe for trouble. You can get injured very quickly. Cull the Aggressive animal quick as possible .
Yes, that is my philosophy and practice. However once in a while we get hold of something that is real dangerous, and have to find the right opportunity to get them in and loaded out as safely as possible.

 

[crossbreed]

I am new to the cattle world so please excuse my ignorance. I am looking to start a small small beef cattle hobby. I want cross breeds but my question is what breeds to use?? I want DOCILE, EASY CALVING, GOOD MOTHERS beef cattle BREEDS. I would like my heifer(s) to be a cross at the very least and my bull can be pure or a cross. Please help with suggestions. Thank you in advance.

We started out with a sho string budget and terrible managed 100 acres. Bought 15 head of registered longhorn cows and leased a charolais bull. Went with registration on the cows as you can still get for dirt cheap but they have the large frame with most in the 1000 lb range. Keeping the heifers and changing out the bull the cattle quality improved while the forage improved. 6 years in we are still low cost with no horns, no color and calves that rival any others at the sale barn.

 

[WFfarm]

I've got a white faced Angus

Angfords

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

Welcome to CT.
IMO Buy experienced 2 yr old cows that have had good healthy calves....no heifers.
We do not keep any bulls.
We only AI.
We cross Japanese Black ( Wagyu ) with Japanese Red/Akaushi ( Wagyu).
And then cross with Angus.
Obviously there are good genetics that are extremely important.
And for what it's worth Wagyu is not a breed !

 

[J+ Cattle]

98% of Herefords are the quietest cows you'll find. The other 2% will kill you.

All of my personal experiences have been with the 2% that will run you over and stomp you in the ground. There was a different thread about wild cow catching and our wild cows were all Herefords, one ended up running through a 5 wire fence and goring a horse in the shoulder but we got it on the trailer.

 

[SBMF 2015]

And for what it's worth Wagyu is not a breed !

I don't have any personal experience with them. What is it then? The they are fed?

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

I don't have any personal experience with them. What is it then? The they are fed?

Wagyu means Japanese cow.
Just to show the marbling.
The pic is of an brisket Angus x Black Wagyu (F1) which is a 50/50.
This one was grass/hay until last 3 months. 18 month old. 800 hw

 

[wbvs58]

Wagyu means Japanese cow.
Just to show the marbling.
The pic is of an brisket Angus x Black Wagyu (F1) which is a 50/50.
This one was grass/hay until last 3 months. 18 month old. 800 hw

That's interesting Mountain, do they have breeds within the Japanese (Wagyu) cow herd?

Ken

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

That's interesting Mountain, do they have breeds within the Japanese (Wagyu) cow herd?

Ken

Yes there are 4.
Japanese Black, Japanese Shorthorn, Japanese Red, Japanese Polled.
The only 2 to be exported was the Black and the Red.
They are all called Wagyu and the Reds are also called Akaushi

 

[Redgully]

In my experience herefords are super quiet cattle and hereford cross cattle are as mad as march hares.

Anything red poll cross is my choice.

 

[greybeard]

Beefmasters are a Hereford cross and I never had any trouble with them. (Had one that was just dumb as a bag of hammers but she was trouble free otherwise)

 

[Rafter S]

In my experience herefords are super quiet cattle and hereford cross cattle are as mad as march hares.

Anything red poll cross is my choice.

It's funny how different people have different experiences. I've had quite a few Hereford Brangus cross, and none of them were particularly wild.

 

[simme]

It's funny how different people have different experiences. I've had quite a few Hereford Brangus cross, and none of them were particularly wild.

Lots of times, I think bad behavior comes from upbringing and the home situation, not from the genetics.

 

[greybeard]

Lots of times, I think bad behavior comes from upbringing and the home situation, not from the genetics.

Same with livestock as it is with humans..

 

[Son of Butch]

Lots of times, I think bad behavior comes from upbringing and the home situation, not from the genetics.

I think the 1/3 rule of thumb applies to nearly everything in life.
In most traits genetics are about 1/3 genetic 2/3 environment
Stature at 48% genetic 52% environment is the closest genes come to dominating, yet even at that they are still 2nd to environment.

 

[TCRanch]

This is getting interesting. I can't tell a difference in docility between my PB Angus, Angus/Hereford & Angus/Simm. The majority of my herd is Angus. That said, every cow I have was born & raised on this ranch, so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it (2/3 environment). A few of the original bred cows we bought were downright hostile when they calved (named one of them Satan), but their nasty attitude didn't pass on to their calves. Got rid of the cows (well, Satan died) but still have some of their daughters and subsequent lineage.

 

[Redgully]

Lots of times, I think bad behavior comes from upbringing and the home situation, not from the genetics.

But when you have a group of calves under the same conditions the crazy ones stand out.