How much ear is too much in a US sale barn?

[Uncle Dude]

I was wondering at what % do you start getting docked for ear when selling feeder steers in the US? I am sure it is different in parts of the country and eared heifers bring a premium in some parts. Is 10% ear even noticeable?

 

[TSR]

In my area of TN a little ear doesn't hurt and may actually enhance a sale but a lot of ear will get docked.

 

[alacattleman]

in my part of the of the state,,, and i stress>>>> """my part"""<<<<<< any thing over a 1/4 blood ... but as far as ear goes and what your calling 10% the ear want be much difference

 

[Roan]

Simple question, why do you get docked at all for ear on cattle, not like you eat the ears. Can someone explain please

 

[Frankie]

I was wondering at what % do you start getting docked for ear when selling feeder steers in the US? I am sure it is different in parts of the country and eared heifers bring a premium in some parts. Is 10% ear even noticeable?

Depends. Order buyers in this area say they want no more than 1/4 brahman influence in feeder steers. So an F1 Brahman X cow bred to a straight bred bull of another breed should produce acceptable steers. The problem with that is that buyers are always looking for some reason to discount calves. If they can get plenty of non-eared calves, they just won't pay as much for those with some ear.

 

[novatech]

You are right, 100% Brahman heifers bring a premium around here. Feeders get docked according to how much. How much is determined by the buyer. The reason is because they can. I even heard an auctioneer call out some calves were showing some ear. Like he was getting a commission from the buyer.

 

[Frankie]

Simple question, why do you get docked at all for ear on cattle, not like you eat the ears. Can someone explain please

There are lots and lots of feedlots in colder climates, TX panhandle, Kansas, Nebraska. Cold weather affects average daily gain in feedlots and Brahman cattle generally don't do well in cold weather. Plus there's MARC data showing that the more Brahman influence in a beef carcass, the more likely it will be tough.

 

[alacattleman]

Simple question, why do you get docked at all for ear on cattle, not like you eat the ears. Can someone explain please

biggest reason>>>>>""" here"""" <<<<<is the midwest feedlots they wind up at,, any thing much over a 1/4 wont hair up enough the temps out there they will use more feed too burn energy than too fatten,, too much brahman influence leaner carcass too

 

[Roan]

Thanks for answering, makes complete sense, wasn't thinking about where they would be shipped to.

 

[novatech]

Simple question, why do you get docked at all for ear on cattle, not like you eat the ears. Can someone explain please

There are lots and lots of feedlots in colder climates, TX panhandle, Kansas, Nebraska. Cold weather affects average daily gain in feedlots and Brahman cattle generally don't do well in cold weather. Plus there's MARC data showing that the more Brahman influence in a beef carcass, the more likely it will be tough.

I do not disagree with that. There is no discount in Australia. If Brahman is processed the same as bos taurus the Brahman will loose most of the time. There are people in south Texas that know how to process Brahman and laugh all the way to the bank.

 

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

They are discounted because they can. Eared composites like Santas, Beefmasters, Brangus, etc. can endure cold weather and thrive in cold weather (and they do it all the time). A lot of what an animal can endure deals with whether or not they are acclimated to such environments. Bring any cow from Texas to Nebraska in the middle of winter and the animal is going to be cold. I can flip the coin and say hairy black breeds don't gain as well in the summer months.

 

[bigbull338]

ive got 2 herds.1 herd is crossbred cows.an i run beefmaster bulls on them.the other is a reg beefmaster herd.before the beefmaster cross calves hitt the ground.my other hereford cross calves was wilder than son of guns.but beefmaster cross calves are nice gentle an easy going.when you go in with them they dont flipp out.nor do they get upset.

 

[Jake]

Brahman cross cattle can adapt to colder weather but in the short life span of a feeder steer they aren't going to have the chance. When you add to the fact that Brahamn influence cattle don't grade and a bos taurus breed they simply aren't worth as much to a lot of people outside of the south.

For these two simple reasons if a calf is showing any ear at all in the barns around here you'd better hold on to your seat as your likely to get docked $20-30 cwt.

 

[upfrombottom]

In Arkansas almost any ear is docked. Their is a guy here that raises beefmasters. He told me he sells 90% of his replacements into Texas. So he only advertises them there. When his cows are grazing in 100 degree sun, mine are neck deep in the pond.

 

[novatech]

Brahman cross cattle can adapt to colder weather but in the short life span of a feeder steer they aren't going to have the chance. When you add to the fact that Brahman influence cattle don't grade and a bos Taurus breed they simply aren't worth as much to a lot of people outside of the south.

For these two simple reasons if a calf is showing any ear at all in the barns around here you'd better hold on to your seat as your likely to get docked $20-30 cwt.

Generally speaking about the breed as a whole I have to agree. However there are those Brahman that excel in marbling and tenderness just as there are Angus that do not. There is a lot of effort by many breeders being placed to improve beef quality. By the use of DNA testing, carcass evaluations, docility selection and handling techniques many breeders have developed Brahmans that produce better beef.
Brahman F1s are number 1 in the south, period. If it were not for Brahman influence there would not be an Angus economically feasible to raise in the south. Brahman has more influence in the world than any other breed. The key word in this is influence. The cattle are used to cross for hybrid vigor. F1s are used for mommas not terminals. The resulting offspring of these F1s are terminal but still carry along hybrid vigor. They help less efficient breeds become more efficient. In the proper environment, with proper selection, they simply cannot be beat in the pasture or the feed lot. Because of the crossing, done properly, I dought that anyone eating a 1/4 Brahman will be able to tell the deference.
Although there are many combinations that one may choose from I believe the most popular would be Braford F1s with an Angus as the terminal sire.
In today world with all the selections available I do not believe in stereotyping a breed. I believe in individual selection within a breed. I do not think that any breed is a stand alone breed.

 

[Caustic Burno]

30% of the US herd is Brahman influenced by USDA stats. That is a lot of cattle carrying ear and for good reason they can eat barb wire and briars and raise a calf with no assistance.

 

[ga. prime]

To say that cattle are discounted for brahman influence or any other reason because of buyers whims is a fallacy. Cattle prices are determined by expected marketability and profitability. When I'm at a sale, I look at what the buyers are paying the most for and that's what I try to bring to the sale and it's not eared cattle. I hasten to add that all things being equal I don't think 1/4 or less Brahman influence will hurt you pricewise.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I don't mind a 10 or 15 cent discount when I am hauling a calf that has weaned out 20% heavier I am still money ahead. Crossbred calf will wean out 10% heavier than a purebred a 3 way cross with Brimmer influence will wean out 20% heavier. When we haul to the salebarn we are selling pounds across the scale.

 

[chippie]

This is an interesting thread. We raised & butchered a Brahman x Jersey steer. He grew well. He was very tender and tasted good, but he was the greasiest steer we've ever raised. His steaks were marbled more than I like and even though I had the hamburger ground very lean, you needed a fire extinguisher nearby when you cooked outdoors on the grill.

 

[Keren]

Simple question, why do you get docked at all for ear on cattle, not like you eat the ears. Can someone explain please

There are lots and lots of feedlots in colder climates, TX panhandle, Kansas, Nebraska. Cold weather affects average daily gain in feedlots and Brahman cattle generally don't do well in cold weather. Plus there's MARC data showing that the more Brahman influence in a beef carcass, the more likely it will be tough.

I do not disagree with that. There is no discount in Australia. If Brahman is processed the same as bos taurus the Brahman will loose most of the time. There are people in south Texas that know how to process Brahman and laugh all the way to the bank.

Erm ... how do you figure that? Its such a broad generalisation ...

In my part of the country (south east coast of Australia) Brahman and Brahman influenced animals DO get discounted at the saleyards. We are a nice meditterannean (sorry I butchered the spelling there) climate and we dont need Bos indicus influence. Up in jilleroos area, northern nsw and qld, they probably do not get discounted, because they are in a difficult tropical area and the cattle need the indicus influence to survive.

To answer your question Roan, the 'ear' is sometimes discounted because the ear indicates that animal has Bos indicus or Brahman content. And research has shown that, on average, Bos indicus influenced animals do not have as high eating quality as Bos taurus breeds such as angus, hereford, shorthorn etc. In particular indicus influenced animals have tougher meat, because they have different calpain/calpastatin ratios (I'd have to look up exactly how they differ if you wanted to get technical). Basically, their muscle structure is slightly different.