Grab the popcorn and your brass knuckles!

[Cross breeder #1]

#1: Maternal: Longhorn - Sire: Charbray or Brangus

#2:Maternal: Brama X Gelbvieh - Sire: Red Simmental

#3: Maternal: Galloway - Sire: Full Blood Maine

#5: Maternal: Red Devon - Sire: Red Limousin

 

[skeeter swatter]

Skeeter Swatter, tell me about the Salers selection. Genetic diversity and ultimate heterosis? My Terantaise suggestion holds the same underlying principle if that was your analysis as well.

For you folks out west, how about Aubrac and Irish Blacks with free will (without the restrictions).[/quote

Lots of growth, moderate calving size and excellent carcass. I've been around a bunch of these cattle, but only got my first bull in 2012.
The way his calves look(just recently weaned) as my other terminal bulls need replaced, it will be with Saler.

 

[skeeter swatter]

:banana:

Here in North Central Texas....

Longhorns--- covered by a Pied bull! I don't think there is anything man can do to compete with 500 yrs of Natural selection!!

He could start by making them edible, and apealing to a wider consumer base. Last time I looked they were a niche market at best.

 

[Isomade]

You call Eastern Virginia and N Carolina "tidewater". My extremely limited knowledge of that area (been there once) showed there tidal runs are much smaller than ours. I am about 40 some miles from the Pacific and 20 some from the Southern tip of the Puget Sound so if figure I am in the tidewater area. The people I get my bulls from ranch right up against the ocean (you could throw a rock from their pasture to salt water at high tide). They also have retained ownership of their cattle and put them through a feedlot for years. So they raise cattle that work all the way to the plant. They raise Simm/Angus. They shoot for a 1/4 - 3/4 mix. Generally full angus bulls over half breed cows. To keep that mix they are constantly bring in new blood from both breeds in the form of different bulls to breed up their replacements with.
And temperatures in the upper 30's to lower 40's with rain nearly daily and wind blowing in straight off the ocean, thin skinned cattle just don't work here. The cattle are constantly wet from early November to early April. Personally I wouldn't mind having a cow that had a 1/4 or a 1/8 Galloway in her.

You painted an excellent picture with that post Dave. Thanks, good info

 

[Taurus]

The wind chill is -38 here in east Mont this AM and the hereford and red angus cows were grazeing. Looking like they will get hay or straw today as the darn wind wants yo blow and they can't travel as good as they should. A few days of this kind of weather has a way of seperateing those [cattle] that can make their own liveing and those that need baby'ng.

My bet is the Hereford will always be the last one standing in the most extreme conditions.

No- not over a Galloway.......

I owned Galloways and I would safely bet on Herefords over Galloways when it comes to most extreme conditions, included the droughts and hot days.

 

[Galloways1]

My bet is the Hereford will always be the last one standing in the most extreme conditions.

No- not over a Galloway.......[/quote] I owned Galloways and I would safely bet on Herefords over Galloways when it comes to most extreme conditions, included the droughts and hot days.[/quote]

I grew up raising Herefords, they do not hold a candle to a fullblood Galloway when it comes to handling extreme conditions. The Herfs may have been tougher than your belties, but not fullblood Galloways.

 

[glacierridge]

My bet is the Hereford will always be the last one standing in the most extreme conditions.

No- not over a Galloway.......

I owned Galloways and I would safely bet on Herefords over Galloways when it comes to most extreme conditions, included the droughts and hot days.[/quote]

I grew up raising Herefords, they do not hold a candle to a fullblood Galloway when it comes to handling extreme conditions. The Herfs may have been tougher than your belties, but not fullblood Galloways.[/quote]

I would agree.
Even the two highlands on the farm have some impressive coats.
Thick and dense.
And seemed to shed out pretty good for summer.

 

[Taurus]

My bet is the Hereford will always be the last one standing in the most extreme conditions.

No- not over a Galloway.......

I owned Galloways and I would safely bet on Herefords over Galloways when it comes to most extreme conditions, included the droughts and hot days.[/quote]

I grew up raising Herefords, they do not hold a candle to a fullblood Galloway when it comes to handling extreme conditions. The Herfs may have been tougher than your belties, but not fullblood Galloways.[/quote] Don't forget that I used to have fullblood belted galloways, they can handle most coldest winters but so are the Herefords but when it comes to hottest summer days....well let's say the purebred galloways never came out of the forests and the Herefords were grazing out without them.

 

[Galloways1]

belted Galloways ARE NOT FULLBLOOD GALLOWAY.

We don't have trees, so no shade. I know of Galloways in New Mexico and the deserts of S. Idaho, that graze all day long when the local desert cattle are ponded up, or under the shade. I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

 

[Taurus]

belted Galloways ARE NOT FULLBLOOD GALLOWAY.

We don't have trees, so no shade. I know of Galloways in New Mexico and the deserts of S. Idaho, that graze all day long when the local desert cattle are ponded up, or under the shade. I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

I am fully aware of this fact but let's not change the fact that both the galloways and the belted galloways are almost basically same animals with same characteristics. I know few Brahman and Zebu breeders in Minnesota and Canada, their cattle handled the winters just fine but does that means they are better cattle for that kind of environment? No. But you are right about one thing, and that is we will have to agree to disagree.

 

[Beef Man]

It's been below 0 here far several days and am so glad that we run preimarily Herefords and Hereford cross's. Hear that and beleive that quite a lot of the black cattle aroound here are suffering. Notice I did'nt say Angus but a whole lot of the blacks here are mixed with something and the something is not real adaptable to our outdoor under the bigsky open to the world methods of wintering cows.A whole lot of exotics were originally bred as barn cattle as our holsteins and need some more feed and care than the old english beef animals. One thing else have we bred cattle to mainly please the packer? Have we decided that our cattle can live without external fat? Seems like a lot of the cull cows comeing in to the ring are awfully thin backed and show almost emaciate'd cover over the loin and hind quarters. At least in this country NE Mont we have to have some natural cover on our cattle in order to produce and breed on profitably.

 

[regenwether]

I see something missing here. I understand it was not listed in the original criteria but shouldn't frame size be included. Particular because there is such a difference even within given breed. When one states a Simm-angus cow as a maternal choice. What is the frame size and more important the cost to maintain such an animal? There are so many factors that go into a successful cattle operation. Sure I have my own breed preference but Net Farm Income is what drives my decisions.

 

[Highlander]

I've had Angus, Hereford, baldies and Simm-Ang. For my neck of the woods, and on our ground- the Galloways perform better than anything I've owned and handle the elements better. My Belties are just about as good- maybe just a tad behind the solid Galloways. Granted- this is a 100% grass/forage operation- no grain of any kind. My cattle never see a barn, and pasture calf without any incident. I'm pretty impressed with them. Your mileage may vary because everyone's ground and forage quality etc, are different.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I've had Angus, Hereford, baldies and Simm-Ang. For my neck of the woods, and on our ground- the Galloways perform better than anything I've owned and handle the elements better. My Belties are just about as good- maybe just a tad behind the solid Galloways. Granted- this is a 100% grass/forage operation- no grain of any kind. My cattle never see a barn, and pasture calf without any incident. I'm pretty impressed with them. Your mileage may vary because everyone's ground and forage quality etc, are different.

Where is your "neck of the woods" if I might ask?

 

[skeeter swatter]

I think it should be noted that several breeds would work in almost any given area.
Also, there is as much difference within breeds as between most breeds. (Braymers excluded)

 

[CKC1586]

I think it should be noted that several breeds would work in almost any given area.
Also, there is as much difference within breeds as between most breeds. (Braymers excluded)

Yup!!! Make your choice based on your wants and needs and what you enjoy and you will be fine. :tiphat:

 

[inyati13]

I think it should be noted that several breeds would work in almost any given area.
Also, there is as much difference within breeds as between most breeds. (Braymers excluded)

Yup!!! Make your choice based on your wants and needs and what you enjoy and you will be fine. :tiphat:

I agree Cindy and some fine responses above. In this part of KY, any breed of beef cattle would work. We have excellent pasture, moderate weather, good markets, excellent source of seedstock, etc. For me, I chose simangus and will stick with them given my personal circumstances such as income, age (63), condition of my farm. etc. I plan to work toward registered simangus and PB Simmental. I started an AI program so I can produce a few outstanding calves that I can enjoy. I do like the disposition of my cattle and I have attributed that to the Simmental effect, but my neighbor laughs at me and tells me any cow that is treated like I treat mine is going to have a good disposition. He said his wife watches me combing them from her kitchen window and tells everyone she knows about the guy who spends his days with his cows. The crazy cow man.

 

[Stocker Steve]

It's been below 0 here far several days and am so glad that we run preimarily Herefords and Hereford cross's. Hear that and beleive that quite a lot of the black cattle aroound here are suffering. Notice I did'nt say Angus but a whole lot of the blacks here are mixed with something and the something is not real adaptable to our outdoor under the big sky open to the world methods of wintering cows.A whole lot of exotics were originally bred as barn cattle as our holsteins and need some more feed and care than the old english beef animals. One thing else have we bred cattle to mainly please the packer? Have we decided that our cattle can live without external fat? Seems like a lot of the cull cows comeing in to the ring are awfully thin backed and show almost emaciate'd cover over the loin and hind quarters. At least in this country NE Mont we have to have some natural cover on our cattle in order to produce and breed on profitably.

Do your Herfs have curly coats?

 

[Highlander]

I've had Angus, Hereford, baldies and Simm-Ang. For my neck of the woods, and on our ground- the Galloways perform better than anything I've owned and handle the elements better. My Belties are just about as good- maybe just a tad behind the solid Galloways. Granted- this is a 100% grass/forage operation- no grain of any kind. My cattle never see a barn, and pasture calf without any incident. I'm pretty impressed with them. Your mileage may vary because everyone's ground and forage quality etc, are different.

Where is your "neck of the woods" if I might ask?

We are in the Allegheny Mountains on WV/VA border. More like New England here than VA. My county actually has a large maple syrup industry. Would lean towards #4. We have very cold, wet, windy winters. Lots of snow and ice. But our summers are pretty nice- last summer the high temp was 83, so summer is not stressful. We graze between 3,000 and 4,000 feet in elevation. 3/4,000 feet in east is very different from out west.

 

[Beef Man]

It's been below 0 here far several days and am so glad that we run preimarily Herefords and Hereford cross's. Hear that and beleive that quite a lot of the black cattle aroound here are suffering. Notice I did'nt say Angus but a whole lot of the blacks here are mixed with something and the something is not real adaptable to our outdoor under the big sky open to the world methods of wintering cows.A whole lot of exotics were originally bred as barn cattle as our holsteins and need some more feed and care than the old english beef animals. One thing else have we bred cattle to mainly please the packer? Have we decided that our cattle can live without external fat? Seems like a lot of the cull cows comeing in to the ring are awfully thin backed and show almost emaciate'd cover over the loin and hind quarters. At least in this country NE Mont we have to have some natural cover on our cattle in order to produce and breed on profitably.

Do your Herfs have curly coats?

Quite a lot of them do have curly hair but a higher % just have a lot of straight hair. We used a Australian bull for several years and his hair was slick and long straight. Many years ago we did use a Colorado bull who had more long ccurly hair than you could imagine. Bigest problem was he did'nt shed very good until the 4th of july and had some heet problems. We have a bloodline now that like the highlanders and galloway will come to the feed in a blizzard and play on the feedground like calves on the coldest of days. One other thing that we beleive is they are extremely longlived. I'm pretty sure that they will never be anything but honest useing kind of cattle,never make the showring type. Someone on here made the observation that there maybe "more differences within the breeds then breed differences" I think that is true in most cases. EB