Lowline Angus

[ranchwabble]

We run a small beef opporation on 160 acres in Simla, Colorado. We just got a lowline heifer with a heifer calf (6 months) and bread back. The 6 month old and calf to be are half Tarentine. Do you think we should stick with purebreads or keep the cross. Would it be better for marketing? Does it matter? We sell directly to the consumer.

Bret

 

[Frankie]

We run a small beef opporation on 160 acres in Simla, Colorado. We just got a lowline heifer with a heifer calf (6 months) and bread back. The 6 month old and calf to be are half Tarentine. Do you think we should stick with purebreads or keep the cross. Would it be better for marketing? Does it matter? We sell directly to the consumer.

Bret

With a purebred anything, you should get more consistency. But if your customers are coming back and asking for more, seems to me you should stay with what you're doing.

As for marketing, Angus is a popular word in the quality beef business these days. Do you mean Tarentaise? If so, they're kinda rare. That will appeal to some people, too.

 

[MO_cows]

Do you like the looks of the 6 month old calf? That should tell you something about the cross.

Using straightbred Lowlines to produce beef could sure make it expensive, they are still fairly new in the US and not real common so the price reflects that, particularly the fullbloods. Tarentaise are not real well known but there are actually a lot of them around since they came over the same time as Limi's, Simi's and the rest of the European invasion.

Tarentaise have EPD's but not carcass EPD's yet. Lowline, no EPD's yet.

Tarentaise X Angus is usually a good cross, they compliment each other, so Tar X Lowline should be good too, just smaller framed.

 

[Aero]

sounds like you just have a small commercial animal - nothing more or less.

if you are selling direct, only your customers will be able to tell you if this works.

 

[Australian]

Cross a South Devon with your Angus. They will stay black and soften the offspring up beautifully. I'll try and get busy and post a picture of a half SD Angus steer for you to see. I may show him in the coming year.

 

[ranchwabble]

Thanks everyone - all good ideas

Here is a photo of the 1/2 Tarentaise X Lowline 6 month old hiefer

 

[Roadapple]

Well, she has a nice head.

 

[djinwa]

So somebody bred a lowline heifer to tarentaise? Seems that would be asking for calving trouble. How big is this heifer? Are you sure she's a lowline? Take a tape measure from ground to top of hip bones as shown here, and report back.

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/beef/as1091w.htm

 

[ranchwabble]

So somebody bred a lowline heifer to tarentaise? Seems that would be asking for calving trouble. How big is this heifer? Are you sure she's a lowline? Take a tape measure from ground to top of hip bones as shown here, and report back.

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/beef/as1091w.htm

She's a Lowline. The photo is from the 6 month old Tarentaise. They said she didn't have any trouble with birth. That was her first. The next one coming this spring is bread exactly the same so I guess we'll see. I plan on only breeding lowline with her from this point on.

I'll get exact hip measurements and post back when I can.

 

[ranchwabble]

Well I haven't had a change the get the tape out to mesure them but here is a little video so you can see.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KE6jTXBGfE[youtube]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KE6jTXBGfE

 

[chippie]

Do you keep a good quality hay out 24/7 for your cattle? They look like they could use some feed. They are a bit on the lean side.

What are your goals raising the lowline? Are you producing freezer beef or replacement heifers?

 

[3waycross]

Just exactly WHAT are you planning on selling to "the consumer"................................JERKEY cuz you are almost there.

It looks like your cattle need to be WORMED and then FED

I am sure you don't know any better or you wouldn't post a video of cattle that are that thin.

I know there are some good cattle people around where you live find one and get some advice on feeding and meds.

 

[MO_cows]

Sorry, I wasn't impressed with the Lowline cow, either. Is she a fullblood, purebred or percentage? She might be wormy, deficient in some mineral or nutrient, or maybe that calf is just dragging her down too much. It's a lot to ask of a miniature cow to raise a "normal" size calf. Your video didn't show much of the calf but it looked like it was about as tall as the mother.

 

[cs106]

I'm really surprised that a Lowline could have a Tarentaise cross calf since they are so high on birth weight. I'm gonna agree with 3waycross here, you probably need to get a vet (if you don't know much about meds) out and get those cattle treated and then get more feed into them. They look pretty thin.

 

[MO_cows]

I'm really surprised that a Lowline could have a Tarentaise cross calf since they are so high on birth weight. I'm gonna agree with 3waycross here, you probably need to get a vet (if you don't know much about meds) out and get those cattle treated and then get more feed into them. They look pretty thin.

I'll definitely agree that the average purebred/fullblood Tarentaise has a lot higher birthweight than the average purebred/fullblood Lowline. But in the big picture Tarentaise are on the moderate side for birth weight, particularly in comparison to other European breeds.

 

[cs106]

I'm really surprised that a Lowline could have a Tarentaise cross calf since they are so high on birth weight. I'm gonna agree with 3waycross here, you probably need to get a vet (if you don't know much about meds) out and get those cattle treated and then get more feed into them. They look pretty thin.

I'll definitely agree that the average purebred/fullblood Tarentaise has a lot higher birthweight than the average purebred/fullblood Lowline. But in the big picture Tarentaise are on the moderate side for birth weight, particularly in comparison to other European breeds.

Depending on the bloodlines. But a Tar x Lowline is better than a Charolais x Lowline.

 

[djinwa]

Many worry about a regular size heifer having problems calving, and here someone breeds a heifer half that size to a regular bull and apparently it does okay. Would be interesting to know more details about the bull. Are there miniature tarentaise?

 

[cs106]

Are there miniature tarentaise?

Not that I'm aware of. We always joked about doing it because at shows all the city folk thought the tarentaise were "pretty" since they have the dark markings around their eyes. Our neighbors have mini herefords and they sell some to people with acreages. I'm kinda interested in details on bull also. Ranchwabble- do you know anything about the bull?

 

[ranchwabble]

Sorry, I wasn't impressed with the Lowline cow, either. Is she a fullblood, purebred or percentage? She might be wormy, deficient in some mineral or nutrient, or maybe that calf is just dragging her down too much. It's a lot to ask of a miniature cow to raise a "normal" size calf. Your video didn't show much of the calf but it looked like it was about as tall as the mother.

She was worse when we got them (felt like we rescued them). She has gained a little wieght. I haven't wormed her though so I'll go ahead and do that. That calf is dragging her down too but she is still gaining slowly.

 

[chippie]

Since the calf is 6 months old --- wean her. Your steer needs worming and groceries too. He is way to small to be almost 2 years old.

Deworm all of them at the same time. You will probably need to repeat it in 6 to 8 weeks.