Full French Charolais

[Randi]

Talk to me about them.Good, Bad and Ugly I want to know.

I really like the look of them and there is a breeder within reasonable distance of us. Waiting for their catalog to come in the mail. Have also heard good things about the breeder.

 

[WalnutCrest]

Hardy, functional, fertile cattle ... if well bred and managed reasonably ... will be your best opportunity, regardless of breed.

I think it's a good idea to do something different from everyone else. Good luck to you!

 

[Bigfoot]

Not familiar with them. Are they like the charlois of yester year? If they are, I want one to.

 

[Muddy]

I'm curious about full French Charolais as well.

 

[Ky hills]

Never had or used any of them when we had Charolais. Used to see some in the semen catalogs, looked very different from our American Charolais. Have no idea about them but always figured they might be harder calving than the average purebred. The ones in the catalogs seemed not to be as smooth made and if I remember correctly the birthweights were usually pretty high.

 

[Aaron]

They are the only real Charolais left. So many Char bulls these days are white, fancy, easy calving Angus. Not the rugged, rippling muscle bound Charolais bulls of the past that would make many bulls envious. They are the type that got people excited about the breed in the first place 50 years ago.

But be prepared for a little extra birthweight.

 

[elkwc]

They are the only real Charolais left. So many Char bulls these days are white, fancy, easy calving Angus. Not the rugged, rippling muscle bound Charolais bulls of the past that would make many bulls envious. They are the type that got people excited about the breed in the first place 50 years ago.

But be prepared for a little extra birthweight.

Aaron I know some who fed cattle for years that liked a CharX 35 years ago but several have told me that now they don't as they have changed and the cross isn't as desirable as it used to be. That overall they don't feed as well.

 

[Randi]

They are the only real Charolais left. So many Char bulls these days are white, fancy, easy calving Angus. Not the rugged, rippling muscle bound Charolais bulls of the past that would make many bulls envious. They are the type that got people excited about the breed in the first place 50 years ago.

But be prepared for a little extra birthweight.

Aaron I know some who fed cattle for years that liked a CharX 35 years ago but several have told me that now they don't as they have changed and the cross isn't as desirable as it used to be. That overall they don't feed as well.

Right now, we are running American Char bulls for a terminal cross. Our calves are very well received, and we are topping the market here with them. I think most of our calves got a ride to Ontario, this year.

I'm pretty happy with the calves, but you're right Aaron, a lot of the bulls are just a little heavier muscled than an Angus. You can find good ones, but I sure like the look of the Full French.

As far as BW, I am hoping they've done some work on that end of things, I know the stories from when they first brought them over. OTOH, I also know our cattle are a little larger framed than 50 years ago. A little BW doesn't scare me too much, as long as they are built right.

 

[Randi]

Here's a few photos of some of the yearlings they have on offer.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Wow! Stout aren't they?

 

[Ebenezer]

They don't have any feet!

 

[ez14.]

They don't have any feet!

That's so they can't kick you when your working them!

 

[ALACOWMAN]

That's the way they should looks..fine looking animals..

 

[ALACOWMAN]

They don't have any feet!

That's so they can't kick you when your working them!

I wonder what their temperament would be... They've always had a bad rap around here for a bad one.. But I don't know if it came from the breeding up..

 

[Caustic Burno]

They are the only real Charolais left. So many Char bulls these days are white, fancy, easy calving Angus. Not the rugged, rippling muscle bound Charolais bulls of the past that would make many bulls envious. They are the type that got people excited about the breed in the first place 50 years ago.

But be prepared for a little extra birthweight.

Aaron I know some who fed cattle for years that liked a CharX 35 years ago but several have told me that now they don't as they have changed and the cross isn't as desirable as it used to be. That overall they don't feed as well.

Right now, we are running American Char bulls for a terminal cross. Our calves are very well received, and we are topping the market here with them. I think most of our calves got a ride to Ontario, this year.

I'm pretty happy with the calves, but you're right Aaron, a lot of the bulls are just a little heavier muscled than an Angus. You can find good ones, but I sure like the look of the Full French.

As far as BW, I am hoping they've done some work on that end of things, I know the stories from when they first brought them over. OTOH, I also know our cattle are a little larger framed than 50 years ago. A little BW doesn't scare me too much, as long as they are built right.

I wore out a set of chains pulling dead calves. In all fairness no one every heard of an EPD back then either on CE and BW.

 

[WalnutCrest]

If there was a chance you may keep back any heifers the third one looks like one I'd be tempted to try mainly due to the deeper flank but I do like the second bill quite a bit.

Are you leaning towards one over another?

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Have tried some and have a couple Charx cows.
At least here they sure aren't for heifers and for small cows. Purebred French Charolais bull calf weighs 110+lbs at birth, usually. Some maybe abit less, but not very common. We have used once an easy calving Char bull, which BW was 77lbs, and xbred calves we got from him were born ~90-93lbs. Purebred heifers usually are ~90-105lbs. However, an average Charolais cow is 1600lbs, but you could easily find cows at ~2000 or even over 2400lbs. Such big cows definitely won't have calves at 80lbs.
They have big bones and have very good growth. Very calm animals too. Charx cow usually can calve easily calves by other breeds, but you can always recognise a calf from a Charx cow, because it will have more thickness, bigger bones and better growth, usually.
Some photos of our Charx cows.

3/4Charolais, 1/4dairy.

Half sister of the first one. Different sire. Have used her Angusx son. He has left us some very good daughters.

Charolaisxdairy.

A big 1st calver. CharxLimoxdairy. Probably was close to 1800lbs when photo was take. She had her 2nd calf in December. Had 104.7lbs heifer. Calved very easily.

Charx heifer at ~5-6months out of very light boned BBxdairy. Unfortunately she got mastitis when she was a heifer at ~16-17months age, so had to cull her...

Granddaughter of the second cow just calved with her first calf.

Charxdairy cow with ~7months old bull calf.

The second cow and two 2-3months old heifers from Charx cows.
We definitely gonna use them again in the future. Very good animals.

 

[Randi]

If there was a chance you may keep back any heifers the third one looks like one I'd be tempted to try mainly due to the deeper flank but I do like the second bill quite a bit.

Are you leaning towards one over another?

We definitely won't be keeping any as replacements. We have bought a few Char x cows, just because the price was right. But, they really aren't what we are after in our herd. Prefer a British based cow, then crossed to Char.

At the moment, I am not leaning towards any of them, I am waiting for the catalogue. But I thought they were a pretty good sample of what the breeder posted photos of. I think they are all pretty nice bulls.

 

[Randi]

Have tried some and have a couple Charx cows.
At least here they sure aren't for heifers and for small cows. Purebred French Charolais bull calf weighs 110+lbs at birth, usually. Some maybe abit less, but not very common. We have used once an easy calving Char bull, which BW was 77lbs, and xbred calves we got from him were born ~90-93lbs. Purebred heifers usually are ~90-105lbs. However, an average Charolais cow is 1600lbs, but you could easily find cows at ~2000 or even over 2400lbs. Such big cows definitely won't have calves at 80lbs.
They have big bones and have very good growth. Very calm animals too. Charx cow usually can calve easily calves by other breeds, but you can always recognise a calf from a Charx cow, because it will have more thickness, bigger bones and better growth, usually.
.

Thanks, those are some good looking animals!

 

[ALACOWMAN]

We have used once an easy calving Char bull, which BW was 77lbs, and xbred calves we got from him were born ~90-93lbs.
I've had the same issues before, and folks think I'm lying...