Last spring we AI'd all our commercial cows to the Simmental bull Ranch Hand to try and get some more lbs at weaning. This is a terminal cross for our operation but I'm thinking some people might be interested in Sim/Angus heifers for their herd. What is everybodys thoughts should the good ones be marketed as replacements or should they all go to the feedlot?????
Is there a market for Black Sim Angus Heifers?
- Thread starter Sage
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DOC HARRIS
Well-known member
Do you have any pictures, weights, or EPD's on the cows? What do you consider "...good one's?" Specifically, please.Sage":6v260w0d said:
DOC HARRIS
Any cows that don't stay in our registered Red Angus herd for minor reasons become commercial cows here. We bred them to calve this spring to the Simmental trying to get a few more pounds. We keep replacements from our registered cows so this was a terminal use for us. Red Angus calves averaged about 640lbs adj 205 last year, I hope to increase this a bit with the Sim influence. Most of the cows in this herd are not registered anylonger(no current EPDs) because they are on the lower end production wise of our animals. Not temperment or physical probelms. I wouldn't be afraid of keeping replacements from this herd but we have better seedstock to pick from. Several ranches in our area have had a hard time keeping Simmental or Sim influenced cows in there herd, they can't get them to breed back on time. I donn't know if this would be the case for us or not but it's not the direction we want to move our cow herd in anyways. I will try to get a picture or two up soon.
Third Row
Well-known member
Do you know of any show steer producers in your area? SimAngus has become a very popular base to breed composite bulls to.
NoCO
Member
I work on a fairly large simmental seedstock operation in northern Colorado. We raise simmental, angus, and sim-angus cross. In this part of the country there is adequate demand for the sim-angus cross heifers. We only keep a few as replacements because they are half boods but the majority are sold in a simmental and sim-angus sale and at National Western in Denver. Personally I like the half blood cross better than the pureblood angus or simmental. They are average framed, great milking and have hard to beat dispositions. The F1's out of these breeds are just good, productive cattle.
Third row, thx I never even thought of the show cattle market.
NoCo thats good info, I kinda think they would make good cows if in the right environment. We have sold some bulls down in Utah & Colorado maybe we can get some leads there.
NoCo thats good info, I kinda think they would make good cows if in the right environment. We have sold some bulls down in Utah & Colorado maybe we can get some leads there.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
I believe the American Simmental Assn has a new service, where you can list your SimAngus heifers for sale. Go to: www.simmental.org
cypressfarms
Well-known member
2 of my better cows are simangus. One of them raised twins last year - weaned close to 450# each. They are easy keepers, have very good dispositions, not one calving problem, and good bags. Wish I had more.
I notice that you are an ABS rep. I also am a rep in the southeast Kansas area. I wish you would have posted this a month ago as ABS just had an auction of ABS AI bred or AI influence heifers. I believe that it was an internet auction that had around 3500 head. Not sure but there may be another offering of this type in the spring which could benefit you. One option would be to find out when the next sale of this type is and time the breeding of these heifers to the time of the sale and sell them as either AI bred or pairs.
cleland, the big ABS slae is actually what got me thinking that there could be a market for these heifers. I thinking thats the way they might go next year as replacement females. I sent Darrell a message to see if this was going to be an annual sale and if it would be open to non pregnent females but no reply yet. I know we are going to have a byproduct (heifers) from our terminal cross and think I can do better than slaughter animals on tham.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
Sage":3madja5r said:
Big black Sim/Angus are popular with smaller operators here because of their looks.
I have a couple and do they raise a nice calf, but they take a lot of feed and don't seem to hold up as well as a baldy.
Sage, glad to hear that your on the same page. I hope that this sale will be an annual one because I feel that it can be a huge benefit to producers using ABS genetics. This sale will allow producers like yourself who have a quality product a better place to market them and give those producers using ABS genetics yet another advantage over those who arent. As far as the sim- angus heifers I feel that they would be a great terminal cross but if it was me I would try to use a Gelbvieh bull as they will still give the growth to the steers but will produce a better heifer to market as a replacement. I by no means am telling you how to make breeding decisions just my personal opinion. Any opinions please reply
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
I'm not knocking the Gv breed, but all the research at MARC indicates that the Simmental breed outperforms all other Continental breeds. Simmental came out first in:
Calving Ease, WW, % Choice, Carcass Weight, Post Wean Gain, Shear Force (tie), Feed Eff by Wt Gain, Feed Eff by Marb, Feed Eff by Retail products, %Puberty, and Maternal Calving Ease.
And besides all this carcass data, they are a maternal breed.
SimAngus is well known and accepted thruout the USA.
Calving Ease, WW, % Choice, Carcass Weight, Post Wean Gain, Shear Force (tie), Feed Eff by Wt Gain, Feed Eff by Marb, Feed Eff by Retail products, %Puberty, and Maternal Calving Ease.
And besides all this carcass data, they are a maternal breed.
SimAngus is well known and accepted thruout the USA.
The Collins exposure sale has a whole bunch of Sim-Angus heifers in their sale, they look like good cows to me.
http://www.collinscattleservices.com/Ex ... _1_opt.pdf
http://www.collinscattleservices.com/Ex ... _1_opt.pdf
deenranch
Well-known member
Sure wished you lived in TEXAS. I AI our commercial cows to Ranchhand and love his calves. The sim-angus cross female sale real well in central TEXAS. Good Luck
Baldie Maker
Well-known member
Is Ranch Hand a maternal bull? don't know anything of him, not a simm man.
Baldie maker to me yes I would consider him a maternal bull. here is +his link ASA 2290140 29SM0391. I think i cautioned a little to much on the safe side with him. The calves will start in about 2 months but I think I could have gone for more BW and more growth.
Baldie Maker
Well-known member
In KY the cross is so popular they recently added the breed to the state fair.
