I need input on a new bull

[Alan]

I have always used a Polled Hereford bull for clean up in my Polled Hereford herd. But I seem to have folks ringing the phone to get some beef. So wether I want it or not that's we're my hobby is headed.

I'm about two weeks from shipping my current clean-up bull and will buy another clean-up bull next spring. I'm thinking pretty seriously about going with another breed of bull just for clean-up. Here is my thoughts, please feel free to correct or add to my assumptions and opinions, as well as any other breed choices you may have and why that choice. I want an easy calving bull, so I'll stay away from some of the larger breeds and this isn't the climate for eared cattle.

1. The obvious; Black Angus. While I'm sure I won't have a problem finding a docile bull, I have been told they are very hard on fences. I have hot wire fences, but between deer and elk they are down too often.

2. Red Angus; any diffence at all from Black except color? As docile easier on fences etc.?

3. Red Poll; I know very little about them other than they are suppose to be very docile and good carcass traits. Would I have any less F1 vigor with Red Poll than an Angus?

4. I'll bring up Shorthorn, since Massey is not around to flood me with a bunch of sales B.S. but I know very little about them at any level.

5. Your suggestions :tiphat:

Thanks,
Alan

 

[WORANCH]

To clean up hereford ,angus is the way to go . It wil be easy to find a clean up bull and the baldie calves will sell great...

 

[u4411clb]

Don't out think yourself go with Angus and I have not heard the being hard on fences thing before. Sounds like an old wives tale to me.

 

[Limomike]

To clean up hereford ,angus is the way to go . It wil be easy to find a clean up bull and the baldie calves will sell great...

I agree..

 

[Taurus]

Black Angus bull is your good choice. As for the fence thing, my black angus bulls never left their pasture beside the odd one (he was delicious!)....Don't think there is a breed that always respect the fence.

 

[3waycross]

You might want to try a Black(or Red) balancer. Max the heterosis in one shot. Just look for one with decent marbling scores!

 

[cow pollinater]

I think that if I had easy terrain and a customer base that didn't care about color I'd cross a roan shorthorn over herefords(I prefer horned) and try for some roan herefords... Don't you dare tell massey I said that :lol: They do a nice job on carcass and grow better than an angus. You'd just have to be carefull on calving ease.
Balancers or strait angus is a safe choice and they should be easy enough to find.

 

[jerry27150]

black angus being harder to keep in is an old wives tale, heard it many years ago, nothing to it. red angus are more docile. if you have trouble with deer and elk on hot wire, put one strand of barb on top of it

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Don't out think yourself go with Angus and I have not heard the being hard on fences thing before. Sounds like an old wives tale to me.

not entirely... fighting and F'in their specialty

 

[Chris H]

We used an Angus on a group of bred Herf cows we sold last year. We kept a few to calve ourselves. That group of calves were definitely more flighty than the straight Herfs. However, the cows bred to an Angus were easier to sell than the ones bred to a Herf. The xbred calves were also easier to sell. There was no doubt about the sire of the calves, so no guessing if the 'cleanup' bull bred them, or the Herf bull bred them.

The funniest thing I saw was after the first xbred was born, the other cows acted spooked, like when a dog is in the field. I know cows are supposed to be color blind but I wonder if they could see it was different and thought it was a dog. They got over it, but it was strange for a week or so.

 

[Taurus]

We used an Angus on a group of bred Herf cows we sold last year. We kept a few to calve ourselves. That group of calves were definitely more flighty than the straight Herfs. However, the cows bred to an Angus were easier to sell than the ones bred to a Herf. The xbred calves were also easier to sell. There was no doubt about the sire of the calves, so no guessing if the 'cleanup' bull bred them, or the Herf bull bred them.

The funniest thing I saw was after the first xbred was born, the other cows acted spooked, like when a dog is in the field. I know cows are supposed to be color blind but I wonder if they could see it was different and thought it was a dog. They got over it, but it was strange for a week or so.

My grandfather used to have hereford cows bred to RA bull and their calves were high headed. One weanling heifer tried to kill me. However next calf crop from same cows and bull, they were all docile and calm and my grandfather even kept few replacements from that docile group.

 

[Ned Jr.]

If you do your home work I bet you could find a black Angus that would work for you. Personally I think the ultimate would be to buy a red Angus from BGR. He's got my kind of cattle.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

If you do your home work I bet you could find a black Angus that would work for you. Personally I think the ultimate would be to buy a red Angus from BGR. He's got my kind of cattle.[/quote]
great idea,, he's got the kind i like,, but fortunitely not my kind... :lol:

 

[Alan]

Thanks for all the suggestions and experiences with certain breeds. My homework has just began I like the thought of using a Balancer, I will also think about a straight Gelv and also a Murry Grey. I'm forever in the process of taking my Hereford herd in the direction of ...... Well everything, milking, calving ease, carcass quality, eye appeal ect. So my biggest two concerns are calving ease and carcass traits, then color is probably third, again, I'm just a hobby guy. I really like a lot of the folks cattle they show here, but I hope to spend $2000 to $2500 on a good commercial bull, I can't justify paying the cost of hauling a thousand miles or more.

Thanks again for the replies, please keep them comming, they all have been very helpful and some have turn my thoughts in other options.

Alan

 

[brimmer X]

Black baldy calves always sell, and that is a given in any market, but our experience with black angus bulls has always been rocky. By rocky, I mean, they travel fences and seem to provoke fights. Maybe this is a result of an agressive libido. If my farm was in the north, and no other ranches near by, I'd consider a BA.

Since your #5 is suggestions, I'll throw one out. IF, I had hereford cows, I would consider a Charolaise bull. Buyers here really like the yellow white face calves. There are calving ease Char out there too. I do not have hereford cows nor a Char bull, but have used both bulls in breeding, and the combination works. Someone else will have to tell your about the carcass traits of the cross.

Your choices are fine,and would probably work in your plan. I have no experience with some of choices, but many others here do. I like the looks of a Shorthorn cross, but would be conscious of the calving ease.

 

[SSGenetics]

Getting good advice, Alan!

Here's mine....http://lorenzenranches.com/ :tiphat:

 

[Dave]

Beings as this is a clean up bull I wouldn't get too carried away. I would go with a black Angus for several reasons. It will be easy to tell which calves belong to him. Baldies will top the market if you decide haul them to Woodburn. They will preform real well if you feed them out. There are a lot of black angus bulls available. I know some people who sell commercial Angus and Simm/Angus bull up the coast toward South Bend. You would be real happy with one of their bulls. And they are very affordable. Lorenzen and BRG have some real nice Red Angus bulls. Ones that I would sure like to own but I don't think I could justify a bull of that caliber for a clean up bull. And I don't know that you could get a bull at either of their sales for the kind of money you mentioned.
If you want the number for those people on the coast send me a PM. One of the other things about those bulls, they are climatized to our lovely winter weather.

 

[Alan]

Beings as this is a clean up bull I wouldn't get too carried away. I would go with a black Angus for several reasons. It will be easy to tell which calves belong to him. Baldies will top the market if you decide haul them to Woodburn. They will preform real well if you feed them out. There are a lot of black angus bulls available. I know some people who sell commercial Angus and Simm/Angus bull up the coast toward South Bend. You would be real happy with one of their bulls. And they are very affordable. Lorenzen and BRG have some real nice Red Angus bulls. Ones that I would sure like to own but I don't think I could justify a bull of that caliber for a clean up bull. And I don't know that you could get a bull at either of their sales for the kind of money you mentioned.
If you want the number for those people on the coast send me a PM. One of the other things about those bulls, they are climatized to our lovely winter weather.

Thanks for the tips Dave, I'll give you a PM when I get closer to pulling the trigger, probably March or April. You know, when we are knee deep in mud. You're right on the point in a few areas, i'm looking for a commercial bull, not a big $ seed stock bull (although a good polled Hereford bull is still in the picture also). The other concern is one that will do well in our climate and on our grass, some lines just shrink up over here, some do very well. Black Angus is the obvious choice, can't beat a baldy and I would love to get the extra nickels at Woodburn for my extra calves. I just want to feel comfortable about having one on the place, I do all cattle work by myself and spend too much time fixing fence now.

BTW, there's a small herd of Elk running in and out of our place now, with a bull chasing them. I love to hear him bugle, but elk could care less about my barb wire fence our trying to go over it, it seems. I use to hunt, but with a freezer full of grain fed beef most of the time it's not the priority it use to be. My brother in law goes east every year, I try to tell him he would fill his freezer over a weekend here with deer and a good chance for an elk. Plus lots of shots at yotes and crows.

Thanks again, probably give you a PM on the down side of winter.

Alan

 

[Alan]

Getting good advice, Alan!

Here's mine....http://lorenzenranches.com/ :tiphat:

Good suggestion and good location!

Thanks, :tiphat:

Alan

 

[Galloways1]

You are getting a lot of good advice.

I will suggest the breed I raise, Galloway.
If your main market is beef, you can't go wrong, your customers will love the meat.
The black baldie calves will sell very good, just like the Angus crosses will.
The 1/2 blood Herf X Galloway cows are great females.