Experimental Shorthorns

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When I was a kid there use to be quite a few short horn cattle around in our part of the state. They were good milkers and raised nice calves and were easy to handle.
The BAA destroyed this breed because of there colors, IMO.
I bet their meat is just as good maybe better.
Calves would grow really well too, it's a shame.
 
tex452 said:
When I was a kid there use to be quite a few short horn cattle around in our part of the state. They were good milkers and raised nice calves and were easy to handle.
The BAA destroyed this breed because of there colors, IMO.
I bet their meat is just as good maybe better.
Calves would grow really well too, it's a shame.
Click to expand...
Who is the BAA. and how did it destroy shorthorns?
 
tex452 said:
Everything has to have a black hide to bring top dollar.
Then off colors will get severely docked.
Click to expand...
Nothing stopping you from putting up an air conditioned barn and raising pretty cattle with long hair. Those are the only shorthorns I see today. But I've never seen a hair sandwich on a menu….
 
Warren Allison said:
Who is the BAA. and how did it destroy shorthorns?
Click to expand...
Everything has to have a black hide to bring top dollar.
Then off colors will get severely docked
Nick Wagner said:
Nothing stopping you from putting up an air conditioned barn and raising pretty cattle with long hair. Those are the only shorthorns I see today. But I've never seen a hair sandwich on a menu…
Click to expand...
They all have hair.
 
There is a place around here that has about 25 or so Brown Swiss and Jeresys that do this raw, organic milk thing. He had a couple that I thought were Guernseys, but were too deep red, and too little to be red Holsteins. I asked him one day, and he said they were registered Shorthorns, but that most people called them Durhams. Didn;t looke no more beefier than any other dairy cow to me.
 
tex452 said:
Everything has to have a black hide to bring top dollar.
Then off colors will get severely docked

They all have hair.
Click to expand...
Yes they do all have hair, but around here it takes a winter coat to win in the ring and it seems shorthorns grow a better winter coat than any other breed, Scottish Highlanders excepted. So it seems what the shorthorns have to offer the industry is the ability to grow better hair. Maybe more of an indictment of the showring rather than of a breed, as our shows tend to be in July and August and it takes a cool room to grow winter hair when it's ninety degrees outside. I would also note shorthorns fell out of favor long before CAB was born, grandpa said he quit raising shorthorns because a shorthorn steer brought two cents a pound less than a Hereford or an Angus.
 
Nick Wagner said:
Yes they do all have hair, but around here it takes a winter coat to win in the ring and it seems shorthorns grow a better winter coat than any other breed, Scottish Highlanders excepted. So it seems what the shorthorns have to offer the industry is the ability to grow better hair. Maybe more of an indictment of the showring rather than of a breed, as our shows tend to be in July and August and it takes a cool room to grow winter hair when it's ninety degrees outside. I would also note shorthorns fell out of favor long before CAB was born, grandpa said he quit raising shorthorns because a shorthorn steer brought two cents a pound less than a Hereford or an Angus.
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Muridale and Saskvalley do not raise show cattle, some of their cattle are shown and do quite well.


When I get time I will post a pic of our Saskvalley heifer that will be shown next spring.
 
She wouldn't come up yesterday.
Today she came for a bite. Looks empty. I don't see a calf in there. And what a nice udder for an old cow.
20220902_192034.jpg20220902_192103.jpg
She came long enough for a few bites then went right back from whence she came....
Went on a short walk. Too curious to not!
Found her!!
Other side of the creek. There's a dry spot, I'll mosey on over and hope I don't get killed.
20220902_195056.jpg
Ohhhhhhh! Shes a beauty!
20220902_194842.jpg20220902_194753.jpg
Big heifer calf! That's a good sized heinie ya'll!
Must be that shorthorn bred for show everyone talks about.....


Edited to add 2 more pics. The size of her rear legs just floors me!
20220902_194824.jpg20220902_194826.jpg
 
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MurraysMutts said:
She wouldn't come up yesterday.
Today she came for a bite. Looks empty. I don't see a calf in there. And what a nice udder for an old cow.
View attachment 20731
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Is she old? The breadth of her muzzle doesn't look like an old cow. Maybe she is, but I wouldn't be too sure. Have you looked at her teeth?

Nice calf...
 
Travlr said:
Is she old? The breadth of her muzzle doesn't look like an old cow. Maybe she is, but I wouldn't be too sure. Have you looked at her teeth?

Nice calf...
Click to expand...
They called her old/6 months bred when I bought her. That can mean so many different things at this particular sale.
As was mentioned previously, I didn't talk to the vet or watch her being checked. (After a while I'm a gonna make a list for the experiment of do's and don't)
According to that, she should've calved in July!
Again, that'll be on the list. As these guys ain't very accurate on preg checking.
ALTHO as this calf is really large, he could've been fooled a bit I suppose.
Had I spoken to the vet I'd have asked if she had ANY teeth.

I much prefered the old vet....
 
Pretty calf and real good sized.
We no longer pay much attention to what the vet at the sale says about "age" according to teeth when we buy them... other than not over paying for SS or BM cows compared to the rest. We run every single one through the chute at the barn... look at their teeth ourselves. Give a Triangle 10 vaccine, black leg, and if they are thinner, we will often worm. Don't know what they came from.
Make our own determination as to age... possible future time on the farm.
Had one I bought at a sale years ago, BM and thin Charolais... bought her for a song... but cows were down then too... she got some weight back on her and kept her for 3 more calves because she did a bang up job.
Old doesn't automatically cut them off at one and done... but I am getting better at shipping them before I bury them! I have A LOT better luck with old cows than I do with buying heifers or young cows...plus they got old for a reason on most farms...
 
I like that @farmerjan !

The original experiment was to be 2 old cheap bred cows.

Run em on grass thru summer and fall.

Minimum inputs.

Best possible outputs/income.

Sell when grass is gone and calf is weaning size.

Well....
That kinda went in the terlet when red died. (However! That's a full write off come tax time)
I'm debating on what direction to go now. Any and all input is greatly appreciated!

As I've said before, this particular sale barn Vet is, in my opinion, not very accurate at preg checking or checking teeth. (I've personally witnessed a cow blow snot in their face and never even get the mouth open to look)

Whitey has certainly come along great and definitely looks much more youthful as she's come along. I'm not opposed to keeping her thru winter if she holds up OK. And she will be with Big Sexy come mid December.

Tho, that's not what the original experiment was for....

🙂
 
My vote would be to keep them, but I have a tendency to lean too far that way. I also have always wanted to have a couple Shorthorns to cross Hereford. Saw a couple SH/Herf cross steers at the county fair when I was showing and just thought they were really fun to look at.
 

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