HerefordSire
Well-known member
Many of the experienced members understand tendencies of frame creep. What are some similar risks when lowering frame size?
HerefordSire":vjc18qvv said:Many of the experienced members understand tendencies of frame creep. What are some similar risks when lowering frame size?
BRG":2g3xngu9 said:Here is a piece of our newsletter that was mailed out this fall. It gives you an idea of what I have seen.
Gill Red Angus Fall 2009 Newsletter
Cow Type
Over the last few years, it has been very common to hear universities, cattle associations, and even some ranchers talk about reducing mature size on their cowherd. Now, we don’t think we are smarter than these people. But we do think a bit differently. Yes, there are some cows that are just too big to be profitable. But it works both ways. We believe there are cows that are too small and fine-made as well. We have traveled all over the US the last few years visiting with ranchers and feeders and learning about different types of cows and programs. What we have seen happen is when someone downsizes their herd, if they are not careful, they also lose bone, muscle, and length along with performance and sometimes feedlot efficiency. When a herd loses this, they also lose their marketability, as most calf buyers and feeders don’t want to buy cattle of this type. It has been proven over and over again that feeders will pay the most for cattle with a decent frame size and good muscle. From experience, we firmly believe that you can do both: raise calves that the feeders want and cows that work in a grass only environment.
We do just that. Our cows are deep bodied and in the 5.5 to 6 frame area. They see only grass and pasture with no grain and stay in good condition. Yet we also have the kind of cattle the buyers love to feed. This is proven to us by the number of calls we get from feeders telling us they want to feed our genetics. So before you go and change your cowherd to make them smaller, we encourage you to take a look at some of the ranches that have done this. Or go and visit with a couple feedlots or sale barns and see for yourself what the market demands. We are not saying that we need to be raising elephants, but we do believe there is a happy medium that will work for everyone.
kerley":ptcehs67 said:All American cattle would look better to cattle buyers if our own U.S.Government would stop importing foreign beef.
Tom.
HerefordSire":360lw4la said:Many of the experienced members understand tendencies of frame creep. What are some similar risks when lowering frame size?
goodbeef":35oi2nx6 said:Well said BRG! I have been battling this delema for years. We run a cow herd, and a feedlot. We feed all our own calves out, and keep replacements. It is a struggle to keep the kind of cow one wants and also get that steer you like to see in the feed yard. I shoot for those wide,deep, easy fleshing cattle in the 5 frame area. If one is breeding for both you have to be very disaplined in your breeding. I have been moderating frame in cows and adding performance in calves. It can be done. When we put efficency,early growth, muscle, and guts back into the cattle, 5 frame steers can, and will weigh 1,300 lb or better at 12 to 15 months. It is much easier to get the kind of steer one is looking for with a terminal sire. It is also much easier to get the kind of cow one wants when just breeding for that. What works for me, may not be what works for others, but in my opinion we need to be in the middle somewhere.
HerefordSire":z2sxrous said:Many of the experienced members understand tendencies of frame creep. What are some similar risks when lowering frame size?
HerefordSire":2vtfa46q said:Many of the experienced members understand tendencies of frame creep. What are some similar risks when lowering frame size?
Northern Rancher":2wm52c16 said:There';s lots of 5 foot tall women have had ten pound kids and lived to tell about it lol.
Brandonm22":3nmpqtaz said:Northern Rancher":3nmpqtaz said:There';s lots of 5 foot tall women have had ten pound kids and lived to tell about it lol.
BUT the doctor cuts a lot of those babies out too (not something I want to be doing with the cows).
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/hea ... arily.html
smnherf":12ekw317 said:A few years ago, I remember being told by larger breeder who happened to have quite a bit of bw in his bulls that reducing birthweights would result in cows with little pelvics too. I mentioned that it sure hasnt hurt