Mosho":wpm76v4g said:
Doc or anyone else for that matter,
I would like to see a picture of your idea of an excellent beef cow and why you think she is excellent. I am not trying to be smart but I need to learn what makes an outstanding cow. According to what I have picked up on this forum, I should sell all my cows and start over. I need to know what to look for to avoid making the same mistakes again.
Mosho-
To endeavor to answer your question in a specific manner would be like asking, "Show me a nice house and tell me what you like about it." We could show you houses that were 980 Sq. Ft., with a small three foot by three foot by 6 1//2 ft "rest room" house in the back yard that would be a nice house, OR - we could show you a house that is $26 million dollars with 9 "rest rooms" and is a very nice house. Both houses are okay to live in, but one is considerably nice than the other- however BOTH houses would work for some people - but not everybody.
It is like that for buying cows. Most cows will work for somebody, but not everybody! You say that you are interested in Angus or Beefmaster. My next question would be - WHY?? What are you planning to do with your cows? Are they going to be part of a Registered Program? Or part of a Terminal program where you keep them for about a year, and then sell them to somebody, and never see them again? Or, are you planning to sell the calves off of the cows when they are weaned and get rid of them? Your marketing protocols are critical when it comes to your BU$INE$$!
There are many different BREEDS of beef cattle, and some of the individuals in EVERY breed are fine cattle. Some of them are terrible and will ending up costing you more money than you paid for them! I am sure that you are aware of that possibility. Within those many breeds of beef cattle are basically only TWO types of beef cattle: MATERNAL and TERMINAL.
Maternal cattle are designed genetically and phenotypically to produce cattle that will raise calves easily and economically and abundantly for breeding purposes and also for feedlot production.
Terminal cattle are designed genetically and phenotypically to produce cattle that will be fed out in a feedlot to produce meat for a buying public.
Both types require much the same physical attributes as the other, but differ in their body type and phenotype, and THAT is where the problems arise! Most producers want to have BOTH types in one style or type cattle and strive fervently to achieve that goal, but most fail in the effort, and so they "settle" for something somewhere in the middle, without really achieving a satisfactory type animal for either choice.
Most of us can show you pictures of desirable cows which will answer your needs to a certain extent, but without knowing what your goals are for you herd, it would be a wasted effort. It would be necessary to actually SEE the cows that you own presently to be able to advise you about what to do with them. I would suggest that you contact both the Angus Breed Association and the Beefmaster Association and relate to them what your seeking in the way of cows AFTER you seriously decide what your future goals are - and then relate that to us or the various Associations. The Angus or any other Breed Association can send you all kinds of material about their cattle to help you make a decision for your future. Pictures too! They will be happy to do this, and better than any one person can do without the extensive methods that the Associations have in order to do so.
Go to the Front Page of CattleToday and look at the Green Pane at the left side of the page. Scroll down that list until you find the heading titled "Breed Associations" and click on it. Select as many breeds as you might be interested in, email them and ask them to send you a bunch of information. They are in the business to do that, so they will load your mail box. Read up on what they have to say. Then if you have questions (which you will), contact the Forum again and we will give you more answers. But you have to have enough information about the various breeds berfore you have enough "feeling" and knowledge about what you want to do in order to ask probing questions.
If you are saying (as you did in your post) that you are considering selling your cows and starting over, you have ALREADY learned a lot! But you may not have to go to those extremes. Organize your goals and study the material from the associations and get back to us The folks on this forum will have something to get their teeth into then. Send some pictures of some of your cattle so we have a clue of where you are in your program.
There are lots of ways to skin a cat - or manage to have a profitable herd, but some knowledge of your herd is necessary first.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon with some pics of your present cattle.
DOC HARRIS
