galloway beef
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badaxemoo
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kpotter":1kg2ztq2 said:
This will be our fifth grazing season with Galloways, so I am hardly an expert.
What information were you looking for?
gallowaygirl
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We are in our third (or fourth) year of owning Galloways. I have lots of information, and if there is a question I don't know I have multiple breeder contacts. Are you looking into getting Galloways, or have you gotten some and want to know more about them?
badaxemoo":1q06kq7v said:
The heat can be fearsome in SD 120 degrees sometimes, but highests are usually 98-110 degrees. I've read that galloways lose their winter coats and tolerate heat well, but that written by someone in upper MN. I'm wondering if galloways would tolerate my SD heat? Also, how would compare galloways hay intake as compared to your previous breed? Thanks...KP
gallowaygirl":1ywrsypa said:
Hiya, Where are you located? I am looking at ranch properties anywhere East River in SD nd also cattle breeds. It looks like galloways are the most inexpensive to run, eith summer or winter. Also, they supposedly calve very easily and the meat is tender and tasty... Can you speak to any of those issues? Thanks, KP
badaxemoo
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kpotter":1dp34iua said:
I think humidity is as big an issue as heat. Will the cattle have shade? The Galloways I have do slick off in the summer fairly well, but they still have more hair at that time than other breeds. I'm making a shade shelter out of some old well-pipe so that I can provide shade in my paddocks. Otherwise during summer afternoons they crowd along the fenceline and I'm losing all those nutrients.
It also depends on how much it cools off at night. Mine seem to be fine as long as we drop below 75 degrees overnight so they can get their core temperatures down. The only time they've looked really uncomfortable are those rare nights when it stays hot and humid. I'm think that in SD you get cool nights?
Go to the AGBA website and look to see if there are any breeders in SD and give them a call.
I don't have a lot of experience with other cattle (grew up on a hog farm where we just kept a few steers), but I know my cows seem to hold their condition well on some mediocre quality hay in the winter even with a calf on them. I give them a few bales of nice second crop, but the bulk of their ration is some fairly coarse first crop hay. We don't feed any grain. Not sure about total intake of hay.
I can't speak for all Galloways obviously, but mine have a good temperament and the beef has been flavorful and tender on all-grass finish.
Stocker Steve
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Very hardy.
Don't grow as fast as many of the bred up cattle.
Seem to be popular with grass fed beef operations.
Seem to be used as an F1 for cow/calf operations in cold areas.
Don't grow as fast as many of the bred up cattle.
Seem to be popular with grass fed beef operations.
Seem to be used as an F1 for cow/calf operations in cold areas.
gallowaygirl
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kpotter":3db3hprl said:
We are in Washington State. So far they have been really easy for us to run, but then again it doesn't get as warm here as it does there. They calve amazingly well and always are really good mothers. The meat we haven't yet tasted from a purebred, but we are expecting it to b amazing. The hay intake is fantastic, we run 9 head on 3 50lb bales a day. They don't require rich hay, ours just get the nasty 1st cutting hay and maybe a nicer 2nd cutting every couple days or so. And of course water and salt/minerals. We also put out a protein tub occasionally since they don't have anything to graze on where they are at. They will eat almost anything, evergreen trees, bushes, blackberries, etc. (They like grass too! ;-) ) The breeder that I know of in South Dakota is LeRoy Kindler, he's been very succesful with his cattle. You will find his information on the AGBA website, here's the link to the breeder's page: http://www.americangalloway.com/members ... .php#great
LeRoy will be a great resource, he also shows if you are interested in that, and pretty much always has a few cows for sale or knows of someone nearby who does. Also with where you are at, in Colorado is the DD Ranch, they have the solid cattle, as well as the Whites if you like them, and they currently have cows, calves, and this years NWSS Grand Champion Galloway Bull for sale (at a very reasonable price). Hope this helps, and the AGBA website will be very informative and has many great resources for you.
badaxemoo
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gallowaygirl":3dluidit said:
I was re-reading this thread and noticed your hay numbers.
Just out of curiousity, you said you have 9 head and are feeding 150 lbs of hay per day. That works out to less than 17 pounds of hay per head per day.
Am I missing something here?
Are these miniature cattle?
I figure I feed mine about 25-30 lbs a day and I don't end up with much waste.
gallowaygirl
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No, you read correctly. That's all they are getting, and they aren't miniature cattle, but 3 of them are 6-8 month old calves, and 6 of them are cows, (3 who are still milking, yes, I know, wean, that's happening this next week) but yes, that's all they get. Not miniatures, they are range in size from 1000-1200 pounds, so not huge, but far from miniatures. They also nibble on any trees or whatever stems of grass they can find, but it's pretty sparse, and if they find anything it doesn't have much nutritional value. This is one of the things we love about our cows, they are VERY economic!
MoGal
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We have a galloway bull and here in Southeast Mo he does fine. We have hot, humid weather and while many of the cows are in the pond or the creek, he's not.
Yes, he's very much like the red polls and can get by on less while maintaining his weight. We've had him 2 1/2 yrs and used him on all the heifers and as a catch all for the late calvers. We are selling him this year because we've retained some of his heifers and have to get something different (I'm already keeping a red poll which will be an outcross for my other red polls and I think he'll be a heifer bull) for the heifers (plus the hubby finally agreed to let me breed to a charolais bull next year for the aged cows.
We have a rainbow herd (different breeds): simmx, charx, holstein/angusx, lim/charx, and we have one red poll x galloway and 2 holstein x galloway (heifers we've kept). They are all solid black with the exception of the charx calves.
We haven't eaten any galloway beef (but then I've not had any red poll beef yet either), however, if one of the heifers aren't bred this summer I'm sure they will end up in the freezer.
Yes, he's very much like the red polls and can get by on less while maintaining his weight. We've had him 2 1/2 yrs and used him on all the heifers and as a catch all for the late calvers. We are selling him this year because we've retained some of his heifers and have to get something different (I'm already keeping a red poll which will be an outcross for my other red polls and I think he'll be a heifer bull) for the heifers (plus the hubby finally agreed to let me breed to a charolais bull next year for the aged cows.
We have a rainbow herd (different breeds): simmx, charx, holstein/angusx, lim/charx, and we have one red poll x galloway and 2 holstein x galloway (heifers we've kept). They are all solid black with the exception of the charx calves.
We haven't eaten any galloway beef (but then I've not had any red poll beef yet either), however, if one of the heifers aren't bred this summer I'm sure they will end up in the freezer.
Stocker Steve
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MoGal":1ttn5wpg said:
How much hair do the Galloway cross have?
Do you see any economic advantage in an F1 Galloway heifer or cow?
Hi. I've had galloways only a few years, but here's what I've noticed.
The meat is very lean. I processed the animal myself, and it was hard to skin because there was so little subcutaneous fat. This animal was grass fed only (with minerals etc) and was a bull of about 2 years age. He filled the chest freezer with some spare, and while the meat was lean it was very flavourful. But speaking to a more intensive breeder I learned that they just don't ever get very fat, as the fat tends to be away from the skin, and marbled through the muscle. (My bull wasn't marbled, but as I said he was not fattened up at all, and was basically in wild but healthy condition.)
Here they only get grass year round, with minerals in a handful of pellets once a day or two days (literally a handful). We have fairly hot very humid summers and the cattle spend the midday in the dam. With belted galloways the white belt stops them getting too much in the way of copper deficiency (all-black animals get copper deficient quicker); our soils are very low in copper so this is important. I've recently had to consider b-12 injections for a cow who just wouldn't pick up condition after her last calf — she seems very worm prone and I'm suspecting copper and cobalt deficiencies. This is just to say that whatever their reputation for hardiness on poor soils, you still have to look at what's not there and top it up.
I'm not sure if this is any help to you, but I'm sticking with them because they seem right in size and temperament for a small home farm, and the hide makes a wonderful floor rug.
The meat is very lean. I processed the animal myself, and it was hard to skin because there was so little subcutaneous fat. This animal was grass fed only (with minerals etc) and was a bull of about 2 years age. He filled the chest freezer with some spare, and while the meat was lean it was very flavourful. But speaking to a more intensive breeder I learned that they just don't ever get very fat, as the fat tends to be away from the skin, and marbled through the muscle. (My bull wasn't marbled, but as I said he was not fattened up at all, and was basically in wild but healthy condition.)
Here they only get grass year round, with minerals in a handful of pellets once a day or two days (literally a handful). We have fairly hot very humid summers and the cattle spend the midday in the dam. With belted galloways the white belt stops them getting too much in the way of copper deficiency (all-black animals get copper deficient quicker); our soils are very low in copper so this is important. I've recently had to consider b-12 injections for a cow who just wouldn't pick up condition after her last calf — she seems very worm prone and I'm suspecting copper and cobalt deficiencies. This is just to say that whatever their reputation for hardiness on poor soils, you still have to look at what's not there and top it up.
I'm not sure if this is any help to you, but I'm sticking with them because they seem right in size and temperament for a small home farm, and the hide makes a wonderful floor rug.
MoGal
Well-known member
Stocker Steve":25bomwc5 said:
Sorry for the delay in responding. The majority of the calves do not have long hair (80%). They all seem to shed out in spring/summer. They do seem to have a coarser hair though.
I had a lengthy response all typed up and my post is lost in cyberspace somewhere. I believe we will see the economic advantage in moderate framed cows and maternal qualities. Prior to getting married in 2006 my hubby had always used black angus bulls. I am not a black angus lover and wanted something different and galloway is definitely in the minority in this area. The calves are black (except from charolais cows) and sell comparable. Their growth is comparable to other english breeds. When crossed to continental or holstein then you have better growth, weaning weights (of course).
Galloways and Red Polls seem to go well for grass fed so maybe that's why the galloway impresses me (as I am really impressed with red poll).
I truly believe within the next 5-7 years you will see tenderness more of a grading factor than marbling. they have come a long way in the tenderness gene and I think more selection traits will be heading that way, IMHO.
