With all the information available out there in cyberspace, how do you make a decision as to which breed to pursue/invest? Mix the herd, registered animals, polled...etc...Do you base it on what the neighbors are successful at, climate, facilties, resale, market....? Very confusing on the direction to commit to....... :help:
How to pick a breed?
- Thread starter leboeuf
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Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Noone can answer that question. That's your decision. Some base it on what sells best in YOUR area. Do you want a "nitch" market? Like selling beef direct to customers, "natural" or "organic" or conventional??? Do you want to calve out cows, or just buy feeders & finish them out.
Unless you are willing to put forth a lot of effort on advertising and studying breed pedigrees, you might as well at least START out with commercial cattle. Join your state Beef Association. Contact your local extension office & go to beef meetings. Get your facilities (fencing, work facilities, etc) in order before you purchase any animals.
Bottom line, you have to look at them daily, so it has to be cows that you enjoy.
It's a LOT OF WORK - you better at least enjoy looking at them.
We have a purebred Simmental cow/calf operation.
Unless you are willing to put forth a lot of effort on advertising and studying breed pedigrees, you might as well at least START out with commercial cattle. Join your state Beef Association. Contact your local extension office & go to beef meetings. Get your facilities (fencing, work facilities, etc) in order before you purchase any animals.
Bottom line, you have to look at them daily, so it has to be cows that you enjoy.
It's a LOT OF WORK - you better at least enjoy looking at them.
We have a purebred Simmental cow/calf operation.
. . . and it's a decision that will probably take years of educated trial, error, and evolution. Hope you enjoy your path and learn as much from it as I have over the years.
1. who will you sell to and what are they buying (unless you are going to just be a "collector")?
2. what are your neighbors doing? if they're smart people, they've learned some things
3. how much time do you have? how much money?
that said, "learning" on a $500 cow is frequently much easier on the wallet than "learning" on a $1500 cow even though the $1500 cow may ultimately be the way to go.
1. who will you sell to and what are they buying (unless you are going to just be a "collector")?
2. what are your neighbors doing? if they're smart people, they've learned some things
3. how much time do you have? how much money?
that said, "learning" on a $500 cow is frequently much easier on the wallet than "learning" on a $1500 cow even though the $1500 cow may ultimately be the way to go.
Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
Happen to know a fellar in Michigan that has done pretty good with Fullblood Limis. Wouldn't want people to think that all the people in Michigan got black cows.
So my next statement is this will be a hobby immediatly & possibly turn into a little revenue generator later. All I see around here are black angus/cross cattle. I am an investor in a small herd already in OK, but have no hands on experience. I'm just the banker, so to speak, with monthly photos and updates. Now that I have a little peice of property to use on the weekends, I wouldn't mind having a few "tax cows" to look after and keep the pastures trimmed. :mrgreen:
CKC1586
Well-known member
Red Bull Breeder":2gcmp2av said:
Nope, Michigan isn't all black... ;-)
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
A "weekend" cattle producer. Here we go!
Do you own a dog? Would you go for a week without SEEING him/her? "Things" happen. I do not believe in owning livestock (or any LIVING thing) and not be responsible for daily problems. If you have LIVEstock, you will have DEADstock. And, not caring for them daily, may mean you have more than your share of DEADstock.
Do you own a dog? Would you go for a week without SEEING him/her? "Things" happen. I do not believe in owning livestock (or any LIVING thing) and not be responsible for daily problems. If you have LIVEstock, you will have DEADstock. And, not caring for them daily, may mean you have more than your share of DEADstock.
Thats funny....I interact with a few cattle ranchers who turn there cattle out onto thousands of acres and don't see them for weeks if not months. When its time to load up they send dogs and men on horseback out to bring the herd in. Funny they don't lose the whole herd but I can't be successful unless I pet the beast everyday.
I guess to appease the sensitive, I'll hire the neighbors kids to count cows everyday..... :lol2:
I guess to appease the sensitive, I'll hire the neighbors kids to count cows everyday..... :lol2:
oscar p
Well-known member
Leboeuf,Don't take what Jeanne said to heart,You'll find, as on all boards, there's always somebody waiting for the chance to knock your feet out from under you.
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
not taking up for jeanne she's a seedstock producer and relies on every live calf to make a living. those rancher's your talking about might miss a calf or have a cow that only raise's one every other year or so. and not be aware or even give a dam. most of you folks realise what can happen in just a few moments with cattle. why take a chance on days or weeks. hate to walk up on a dead cow with a calf hung about half way out . or one that bled out because of a prolapse.big difference in pettin' one and being a responsible cattlemanoscar p":1tttbmcd said:
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
I shouldn't have jumped on the "weekend" thing, but weekend worriors that don't have a clue about cattle kind of rub me wrong. Not saying you don't have livestock knowledge, just picking on the weekend thing.
We love it when we get a question, "found a dead calf (cow/steer/etc), what happened??" or "my cow was due to calve last month, what's wrong?"
Yes, in my operation, EVERY calf is high priority.
By the way, I'm down to my last 7 head - yeah!!!
We love it when we get a question, "found a dead calf (cow/steer/etc), what happened??" or "my cow was due to calve last month, what's wrong?"
Yes, in my operation, EVERY calf is high priority.
By the way, I'm down to my last 7 head - yeah!!!
leboeuf":1ojwusl3 said:
We bought some "genetically diverse" heifers to start with. When we went looking for a bull, Angus was about the only breed that had EPDs (yeah, a looooong time ago). We thought we paid a lot for the Angus bull, so we decided to buy an Angus cow and raise our own bull for future use.
We bought an Angus bull because we though EPDs would help with calving ease on the heifers, the heifers were several different breed mixes, colors, etc. We felt like the Angus bull would give us a more uniform set of calves; they'd at least be black and polled.
Then cattle prices dropped, we sold out the commercial cattle and started raising registered Angus.Take some time and see what you want to do. Attend some registered sales, talk to commercial cattlemen around you. They all need good fences and working facilities. They all need vaccinations and a forage/feeding program. Good luck....
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
No No!! Sorry about that - I meant I'm down to my last 7 pregnant cows to calve. Started 2-1, been coming hot & heavy, now it'll get boring.Frankie":20h79ib9 said:
No, just the opposite. Been increasing numbers getting ready for hubby to retire. Crazy aren't we???? Raised 14 replacement heifers (3 fall & 11 spring)
