HDRider":7nk65x58 said:
I often hear on these boards that folks are docked at sales for their cattle being under the influence of the Brahman breed.
I think there are reasons that Brahman crosses make sense, like heat tolerance in the South. I would like to hear the downside to Brahman influence. Especially like to know why the sales prices take a hit.
Is it higher birth weights and the likely need for assistance at calving?
Is the product not as tender and good to eat?
They don't really take a big hit unless they are half ear or higher. Or just poor quality, which is a category of it's own. It's unfair ( but getting better) that buyers dock cattle if they have a little ear because they perform just as good or better than the English breeds in the feedlot...all of the justifications are outdated and misconceptions. They know that and take advantage of it.
We were watching Superior the other day and they were selling over 600 Brangus calves for one of the Indian ranches in Florida. They kept a load of steers last year and fed them out just to see how they would do. I believe they graded 100% choice with no YG 4s. On a different note, our obviously 1/4 ear Brangus calves always top the market here. Downside to Brahman influence? I don't think there is any in the South.
Higher birthweights are false. We pulled 3 calves from our heifers bred to low birthweight, super calving ease Angus bulls this year. When we were picking a bull to AI heifers to this year, we ended up going with Brangus...all the low BW Angus AI sires had actual birthweights in their calves that were too high for my peace of mind. We have never pulled a calf out of our cows, out of hundreds of calves.
F1s are goofy, but I think any established 5/8 3/8 breed is pretty average on temperament. Our Brangus beat us to the pens for cubes when we pen them. If Brahman influenced calves get a bad rap for temperament, it's because a lot of them never see people until they get penned and hauled to the sale. Charolais sired calves out of F1 cows are the craziest ones to go through our sale barns.
Joe Paschal has written many articles on Brahman influence, if anyone cares to do their own research.