Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
Looks like he will do. The product he produces is what will tell you how good he is. I would like to see some better pictures. He looks like he standing bunched up in these,
Longhorn Cross
- Thread starter HDRider
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ohiosteve
Well-known member
Good luck HD. I think you might be on to something. It's good to see someone actually trying out their ideas instead of just talking about them. I sincerely hope this works out well for you. If nothing else it will be a heck of an adventure!
heath
Well-known member
How are the cows/calves working out?
Don McCallum
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I have a son of 004 on most of my longhorn cows. Out of about 10 calves so far, the angus calves have been solid black with 1 skunk back.
I bought a bred longhorn cow at the sale barn, and the seller said that she was bred to a white bull. I thought he meant a char. She has
a beautiful 3 month old bull calf that is growing like a weed. It looks like he is out of a British White bull. He looks just like the pictures that
I have pulled up.
I bought a bred longhorn cow at the sale barn, and the seller said that she was bred to a white bull. I thought he meant a char. She has
a beautiful 3 month old bull calf that is growing like a weed. It looks like he is out of a British White bull. He looks just like the pictures that
I have pulled up.
OP
OP
HDRider
Well-known member
Good. All of the cows but two have dropped calves. One should drop soon. One of the cows has an abscess and might not make it, but otherwise A OK. Sold some of the older calves for ropers. The bull is a stud. Can't wait to see his progeny.heath":u8dwk6vq said:
wildcatkit52
Active member
I'm interested to see how the calves come out... My animals have been with a longhorn cross bull. My dad started out with about 8 pied/Saler crossed cows his father was breeding before he died. My dad picked up some nice longhorns from a local guy who has money and his wife wanted some "pretty longhorns". He got three cows, one bull, and one steer. They were the ones that hadn't been registered like the rest of the guys herd. Now the few animals I have from my father are all crosses of these breeds. Calves came out in all colors you could imagine. Once a couple years ago the old longhorn bull got into it with a Charolais across the fence. One of the cows had a heifer calf that looked like a full blooded Charolais. I told him to keep her but he didn't since he was building a house. He sold most of his animals to help fund the house. These animals are all pretty well inbread as they could be. The only good thing is that now only one cow shows longhorn coloring. With the bull on them now the calves are solid reddish to slightly tan/brown. The bad thing is the calves vary heavily on how they look muscularly. I have three calves out of three cows and all are solid color but only one, the youngest at a month and a half, shows any muscling. The other bull, oldest at about 4 months, is the same size. The heifer is in between and also is built more like a longhorn. I haven't decided on a breed of bull yet to go with on them. I've looked at a few different options... I need to get some heifers out of them to build up with. Thinking maybe angus then go from there. The yearling longhorn and the big bull will both be going to the sale this weekend. The four cows will be having calves next year and I am trying to convince them all to have heifers... As easy as these girls calve I've been thinking about going back with a black "naturalean" pied. Might be best to just go angus for one or two years though...
wildcatkit52
Active member
Taurus
Well-known member
Sorry for being concerned but have you dewormed them?
As for using a black angus bull on them, I would think that a charolais or a limousin bull will beef them up better than an Angus bull.
As for using a black angus bull on them, I would think that a charolais or a limousin bull will beef them up better than an Angus bull.
wildcatkit52
Active member
Well I have just this month moved them from my parents place. It was running short on grass all summer so they could very well need wormed. The rain kept the grass growing just enough to hold them until I got some fencing done. I was talking to my aunt about worming the other day. My dad usually kept them wormed but I don't know when the last time was and I can't ask him... They just don't really carry much weight. Most of them anyway. The bull is about 3 now. Never had anymore meat on him either.
What about this guy? This would be along with the idea of going for the Beefalo market though.
What about this guy? This would be along with the idea of going for the Beefalo market though.
Taurus
Well-known member
I think that beefalo bull is a little lighter in his rear and he sure doesn't looks like a calving ease bull with these huge front shoulders. I think that you should try a Pied bull again for just add more muscle.
wildcatkit52
Active member
Beefalo have small calves... They also are larger in the front than beef. This guy looks like this because he is 50/50. His offspring even out more with "beef" weight in the rear and a little more than normal beef in the front sometimes, but not always and not usually seen in the animals that are less than 37.5%... His name is Bold Venture. Beefalo calves are around 60-80 lbs... Up almost instantly since buffs are travelin critters... Thought of trying that and see what the calves look like then go from there. I don't think I want to go pied unless it's a terminal bull later on maybe... I don't know... So many options out there. If I had money to play(waste maybe?) I'd try to breed pure Buffalo/Piedmontese only Beefalo. I don't want to build buffalo fences for the buff cows! They don't produce calves every year like cattle either.
What would be a good wormer option? My father used Ivermectin poor on typically.
Edit:
Bold Venture is a heritage animal. Full Beefalo are up too 37.5%...
The pied bull may add muscle BUT the offspring would be one copy myostatin and They may or may not pass that along. Depending if you go back with a double copy pied bull again. More likely chance of birth issues compared to the mostly longhorn animals and Beefalo. If I do the Beefalo a pied might go well with them... Both are special market so maybe Beefalo/Pied crosses animals would appeal to those people. Beefalo seems to do well in the taste market. Pied does well in their niche market... If nothing else I could eat the few steers I'd have and sell the others locally to others wanting lean "heart healthy" stuff.
What would be a good wormer option? My father used Ivermectin poor on typically.
Edit:
Bold Venture is a heritage animal. Full Beefalo are up too 37.5%...
The pied bull may add muscle BUT the offspring would be one copy myostatin and They may or may not pass that along. Depending if you go back with a double copy pied bull again. More likely chance of birth issues compared to the mostly longhorn animals and Beefalo. If I do the Beefalo a pied might go well with them... Both are special market so maybe Beefalo/Pied crosses animals would appeal to those people. Beefalo seems to do well in the taste market. Pied does well in their niche market... If nothing else I could eat the few steers I'd have and sell the others locally to others wanting lean "heart healthy" stuff.
wildcatkit52
Active member
Oh, his other 50% is Charolais. Unlike other Beefalo that have a wide mix of any and everything.
Taurus
Well-known member
Not all beefalo bulls will throw small calves as there are some bulls that will throw huge calves as well. I think you need to use a beef bull to add more meat to the rear first before using a beefalo bull but its just me.
wildcatkit52
Active member
I'm sure that is true but it is said that his calves are small and bulls from him are throwing small calves. I can't find any reported weights though. Will likely have to call around for that.
If these cows where yours what breed bull would you use on them? I've thought about AI'ing with sexed semen (unleaded?) for heifers. Then follow up with regular from a different bull.
If these cows where yours what breed bull would you use on them? I've thought about AI'ing with sexed semen (unleaded?) for heifers. Then follow up with regular from a different bull.
wildcatkit52
Active member
Found weights of White Knight. He is a Bold Venture son at 27.34375% Bison. His calves are coming 60-85 lbs with his being about 1/4 buff.
wildcatkit52
Active member
http://www.labordebeefalofarms.com/uploads/3/0/6/8/30685679/3204841.jpg
This is the link to the pic. Posting here from my phone all the pics are getting cut off on the right side...
This is the link to the pic. Posting here from my phone all the pics are getting cut off on the right side...
Taurus
Well-known member
If they were mine, I would use a Belgian Blue composite bull on them and he will give you nice females as replacements and the males will be very meaty but still lean. My friend on here is raising Belgian Blue crosses for lean beef. And my neighbor too, is a Belgian Blue breeder and he is using a BB bull on their commercial cows. He recently sold a 1/2 BB bull calf to a local dairy farmer to use him on the dairy cows. Plus the Belgian blues are very quiet and docile for most time.wildcatkit52":a0pqesxm said:
wildcatkit52
Active member
Why Belgian Blue over Pied? Isn't that just asking for more risk of calving issues? Their myostatin gene mutation is a bit different than in a Pied. I don't even know if there are any BB's anyplace near Arkansas. Is there a market for their crosses other than the local sale? They also have coloring that wouldn't do well with longhorn crosses I'd guess...
Taurus
Well-known member
Better growth rate, better mothering and they do better at beef up than pieds. Belgian Blues in United States have improved with their calving ease. Their average BW is usually 70-90lbs depends on bloodlines. They are nothing like the extremely ones in UK. My neighbor does well at the sale barn with their Angus x BB calves since their BB bull was black with some white. They do not use roan or white bulls on their commercial cows. My friend on here, sells fed beef privately to the customers and she also raises lean breeds.wildcatkit52":399dyaxj said:
If your goal was selling calves at the sale barn, forget beefalo and use either Limousin or Charolais bull on your cows. If you must use a beefalo bull, I would preferred to use a bull with very low bison percentage since the sale barns (or at least our local ones) usually won't accept pure bison and their hybrids that resembles bison. The only time they become acceptable at the sale barn is when they are having an exotic sale.
wildcatkit52
Active member
What information are you using to determine that BB are better mothers than pied?
You don't seem to know much about Beefalo. A "fullblood" is ONLY 37.5% bison. Minimum to have Beefalo meat type, and be called Beefalo, is 17%. I'd have to run a d@mn buffalo bull on my cows, then their offspring to get an animal that had to be sold as an exotic! That's IF the offspring came out heifers... Bulls would MOST LIKELY be sterile. Also the risk of hydrops is a factor.
I don't want to be an exotic animal experimentalist. When I said Beefalo I mean just that. My animals would be less than 37.5%.
I think I'll do both. Go for a naturalean pied Beefalo that is two copy myostatin. I just have to figure out which to start with. I think the naturalean pied bull that is homo black, homo polled, homo two copy myostatin has sexed semen available...
You don't seem to know much about Beefalo. A "fullblood" is ONLY 37.5% bison. Minimum to have Beefalo meat type, and be called Beefalo, is 17%. I'd have to run a d@mn buffalo bull on my cows, then their offspring to get an animal that had to be sold as an exotic! That's IF the offspring came out heifers... Bulls would MOST LIKELY be sterile. Also the risk of hydrops is a factor.
I don't want to be an exotic animal experimentalist. When I said Beefalo I mean just that. My animals would be less than 37.5%.
I think I'll do both. Go for a naturalean pied Beefalo that is two copy myostatin. I just have to figure out which to start with. I think the naturalean pied bull that is homo black, homo polled, homo two copy myostatin has sexed semen available...
