Help me decide on a bull for next year.

[shanel]

I'm pretty small time i only run between 20 and 30 cows right now i have 26,approx 20 of my cows are at least 3/4 angus and the other 6 are at least 1/2 angus,their all black and a few w/face.the last 3 years i have used reg. angus bulls,last year i bought a virgin 2 year old bull and i'm gonna use him again this year and sell him.Next year i'm wanting to change things a little and buy a different breed of bull to breed my cows with and a.i the few replacement heifers that i keep, I'm thinking i want a good hereford bull but i'd like to here some suggestions

 

[dun]

Gelbvieh or Simmenthal. They would do real well on mostly british based cows.

 

[bandit80]

I would agree with dun. Gelbvieh, simmental, limosin, some folks like Charlois. If the cows have any of these breeds already in them, you might try a Balance, simangus, or limflex. That would maintain a good mix of british and continental breed in your herd.

I know where you can get some good Gelbvieh or balancer bulls. ;-)

 

[Avalon]

I'm a registered Angus breeder. But not a coolaid drinker. May favorite cross (personal preference) for the past few years has been Simmental on the type cattle that you have.

 

[HOSS]

After much research I switched from an angus bull to a Balancer to cross on my mostly angus cows. I wanted a bull who's breed is well known for growth, muscle, calving ease and disposition as well as good milking daughters. I selected a homozyogus black bull that will give me consistant black color with my black and red angus cows.

 

[CPL]

I vote for the Hereford! Black baldies are the industries best.

But honestly don't make it into a breed vs breed ordeal. Find a good bull, one that fits the needs of your herd and is in your price range. If he's Hereford, great. If he's Gelbvieh, Simmental, w/e, that is fine as well. Focus on quality rather than breed, would be my advice.

 

[fitz]

I'm a registered Angus breeder. But not a coolaid drinker. May favorite cross (personal preference) for the past few years has been Simmental on the type cattle that you have.

Agree. Black simmental would be my choice.


fitz

 

[double v]

I would go Gelbvieh(milk,muscle,mothering) with your type cattle it's a no loose.

 

[Busterz]

I've been considering Hereford or Braunvieh on a similar set of cows.

I'm still not sure what I think of composite bulls, but I have looked at Lim-flex and the Gelbvieh X bulls too.

 

[greenwillowhereford II]

I know I'm probably opening a can of worms here, but I can't believe that a composite bull can give you the consistency or predictability of a purebred. I vote for the Hereford, preferably line-bred from a good source.

 

[Anonymous]

I know I'm probably opening a can of worms here, but I can't believe that a composite bull can give you the consistency or predictability of a purebred.

Hear hear... but I vote Shorthorn ;-)

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Fullblood Limousin, more muscle, milk, good mothers. Will really make your calves get it.

 

[Wild Cattle]

Composite vs purebreed, related to consistancy of calf crop. Interesting question. If the bull you chose is not a line breed bull it will not be as consistant because of the greater genitic diversity in the outcrossed bull. It is not related to pure vs composite, it is related to genitic diversity in the bull. We have a composite line that we have been linebreeding and culling on for the last 35 yrs. Those cattle are little cookie cutters.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

should'nt a composite bull be homozygous which would mean he should be bred pretty consistant same as line breeding for single selection.same as a purebred ?? unlike a crossbred

 

[dun]

should'nt a composite bull be homozygous which would mean he should be bred pretty consistant same as line breeding for single selection.same as a purebred ?? unlike a crossbred

The problem is that some F1 bulls are referred to as composits. Balancers for instance..........

 

[ALACOWMAN]

should'nt a composite bull be homozygous which would mean he should be bred pretty consistant same as line breeding for single selection.same as a purebred ?? unlike a crossbred

• >>The problem is that some F1 bulls are referred to as composits<<

. Balancers for instance..........

I know what your saying.. but F1's are heterozygous. and im sure you know that to. but a american composite should breed pretty consistant and still have a certain amount of heterosis to offer. in some herds.. not arguing just wonder'in ;-)

 

[ANAZAZI]

Fullblood Limousin, more muscle, milk, good mothers. Will really make your calves get it.

Ditto; limocrosses gives more milk than purebreds and you are going to sell most of the calves so what ever. Offspring will be mostly black even with red bull.

Or try a piedmontese; there are even black ones.

 

[dun]

should'nt a composite bull be homozygous which would mean he should be bred pretty consistant same as line breeding for single selection.same as a purebred ?? unlike a crossbred

• >>The problem is that some F1 bulls are referred to as composits<<

. Balancers for instance..........

I know what your saying.. but F1's are heterozygous. and im sure you know that to. but a american composite should breed pretty consistant and still have a certain amount of heterosis to offer. in some herds.. not arguing just wonder'in ;-)

Correct, a true composit, i.e. Brangus, Beefmaster, Santa Gertrudis, Brahman, etc would. It's the F1's claimed as composits that throws a monkey wrench in the works.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

I'm pretty small time i only run between 20 and 30 cows right now i have 26,approx 20 of my cows are at least 3/4 angus and the other 6 are at least 1/2 angus,their all black and a few w/face.the last 3 years i have used reg. angus bulls,last year i bought a virgin 2 year old bull and i'm gonna use him again this year and sell him.Next year i'm wanting to change things a little and buy a different breed of bull to breed my cows with and a.i the few replacement heifers that i keep, I'm thinking i want a good hereford bull but i'd like to here some suggestions

shanel-

Are you a cow-calf operation selling at weaning, or a Terminal producer backgrounding your calves and feed-lotting them at 700 +/- lbs.? Rather than focusing on a specific breed or changing breeds, you might consider getting a Composite bull which is combining the crossbreeding Hybrid Vigor in one animal, and retaining those heifers down the line, thereby retaining the hybrid vigor and standardizing the uniformity in future progeny. Crossbred cows have higher breedbacks, wean heavier calves, and they live longer, which minimizes your cost of production factors. I know you are crossbreeding with your current plans for a Hereford bull, and that is a fine option also. I would just make sure that his Genetics optimize your cows' genetics so your replacement heifers are elevating the quality of your herd - not just continuing the same old same old!

In my opinion, using Composites (Bulls OR cows) "leap-frogs" nine or ten years of experimenting with this bull and then that bull to "see what happens!" You combine them all in one package in stabilizing and standardizing your breeding herd. Ten years is a long time in the life of a beef breeder!

DOC HARRIS

 

[vs_cattle]

Hi,
Charolais would work great for you
- they gain more per lb VS Angus naturaly
- will get some good looking smokey calves
- have a chance to get some show calves
- optimize your feed per lbs coverted into meat
- Good looking calf crop
- lets you bring quality commercial animals to the auction yard