tdarden3k":6t0nj17c said:
I have noticed in my driving of the SouthWest US that where ever baldies are being produced thaere is a tendency to use Horned Herefords as opposed to polled. I know that polled is dominant to horned , but any replacement calves kept should have a tendency to produce more horned offspring, (depending on what they are bred back to).
Is there a Polled Hereford availability issue, or am I just driving the wrong roads.
Thanks
What the heck - everyone knows I am usually reticent to give an opinion - but I will try.
The reason horned herfs are still out there in huge numbers is because they actually are a better animal than the polled stuiff - serious ranchers still recognize this and keep the breed going all over North America. The reason they are being used for cross breeding is again because they are for the most part a better animal.
When you refer to Herfords to most breeders you are referring to the horned variety.
When you talk Polled Herfords you need to add "polled" as you are talking about the new and in my opinion not so improved version of the Herford. Otherwise folks - at least around here - will think you are talking about the flat top horned variety - not the pointy heads.
The polled stuff is getting better but still has a long ways to go.
There are many "one off" examples of fine polled animals - but the consistancy is still not there. I am sure I will get a few pics posted of these animals in rebuttal - but the numbers prove me out.
Also - Angus is becoming a problem - low quality animals and low quality herds are sprouting up all over the place as people have for the past decade or more kept large numbers of substandard animals - registered them as breeding stock and then promoted them to the point that those genetics have become popular.
You will see it here on this site on a regular basis - someone will have a "pure bred calf" born and IMMEDIATELY want to register it - papers of course improve the quality of the animal in a big way. LOL When in fact 95% of all bull calves (no matter the breed) born should probably have their nuts cut off at birth.
If you do a search right on this site - you will find - literally - hundreds of comments on registering stock - and if you find any pictures they will for the most part be of animals that need to be slaughtered.
Black loving has created the prostitution of what was once an excellent animal. Essentially running that breed down in a big way. However crossing it with a Herf improves the animal in a big way.
Heck even those Black Herf guys see that. But they used dairy to start despite their story it is straight Angus.
Now that the US herd is at record low numbers I predict it to get far worse over the next ten years or so and the quality of the angus will decrease dramatically.
Drought is another issue that will keep your cow numbers in check. Herf can and will usually do better in tough conditions. Check out any pic and you will see the Angus standing in the water on a hot day while the other animals are eating. Angus was not made to be down south in my opinion. Breeding for light calves and fine boned Angus cows has reduced the animal in many areas to nothing more than a "toy poodle" of what it used to be.
You will see this comment all over this site- "A HUGE CALF" of 90 pounds. 90 pounds is a muffin and the cow does not deserve to be breeding if under normal presentation she cannot do this unassisted. Makes me laugh. The Angus used to and could do far better but it is being destroyed - slowly but surely. And what a shame.
Check out almost any "for sale site" - and look at the pics of what the private seller is registering and selling as breeding stock for proof of how the quality is dropping.
In fact most producers who are looking to buy have actually helped decrease the quality of the Angus because they themselves have forgotten what a quality animal should look like and they too are accepting lower quality bulls and cows - because there is not much else left.
No one wants to get left behind on the band wagon and right now it is Angus.
The horns on Baldy calves are knocked off with a cross to Angus which keeps the wuss factor happy - as we all know that horns are dangerous. LOL
So - you use Herf because they are a better animal. For the feed lots, it knocks off the horns when crossed with Angus. That means less damage to other animals under crowded conditions.
For the private owner that wants two pretty pets they also get rid of the dangerous weapons on the front end of a cow.
For the herd owner he gets a top dollar animal for his Baldy at the dreaded and hated and disease ridden sale barn that brings in quality animals from the field and sells nothing but crap out of the auction ring - must be true as that is almost all I see on this site when I read about the sale barns. LOL
And he does not have to look at any mountain "loins" when he goes to the pasture.
So, I have trashed the Black Angus of today, complimented the Black Angus of old, told you that polled need to be improved as they are still lacking and we call them pointy heads up here. Black Herfs are a joke and you yourself ask why so many Herf are used as crossing agents. The proof is in the pudding - all you have to do is look and really see - and not be afraid to go against the herd when you think.
I will just sit back now - I am about typed out.
I am simply waiting to see if anyone wants to jump on this. LOL
My best to all
Bez
