Maine Anjou

[DOC HARRIS]

Watched "The Cattle Show" tonight on RFD-TV (as I try to do every Wednesday night) and they featured the Maine Anjou Breed. Very impressive looking phenotype! What does anyone know about the breed and their EPD's? They stressed that Calving Ease seems to stick in everyone's craw, but they said that was NOT the case! How about the rest of the important features??

 

[certherfbeef]

DOC,
I've got a lot of Maine blood in my commercial herd. They are big footed and rugged cattle. At least mine are. When they are crossed with my simmys. I get a cleaner fronted, big boned, well uddered extremenly maternal cow. I don't have any full blood maine, but I sure do like the influence. And I can get them in either red or black.
There is however some stink that the reason for the TH problem in the shorthorn breed nowadays stemmed from the maine breed. But close evaluation of genetics and you can avoid the problem.

 

[choward6200jd]

I raise a great deal of maine crossed on chianina cattle and they are a very good cross on them. All of the bloodlines I use are very gentle and milk.
The maine bull I use is out of DJ Ceaser. He is very well know for the mother cows he produces. Another maine cross bull I use which I think is the best bull i have is a son of Black Dice.

The Ceaser bull I use is 9 years old and we have only pulled one claf in that time. The reason being on that calf was he was coming backwards.

 

[choward6200jd]

I dont know how people attend the Ohio Beef Expo but there has been a hige increase in the sale of the main cattle. Prices in my opinion have more than tripled in the past 10 years on the cattle.

The Kentucky beef expo has good maine cattle in their sale as well.

 

[UG]

When I was getting back into the purebred cattle business in the mid 90's, Maines were the list of breeds that I considered. Though there are some good Maines that work well in the commercial industry, I was turned off by the fact that the majority of Maine breeders are more concerned with fancy, clubby, show-type cattle than they are about producing good, functional breeding stock for the commercial industry. What really strikes me funny is when Maine (as well as Shorthorn and Chi breeders) are promoting that their cattle produce lots of hair. The only commercial producers that may feel this is a benefit are the guys running cows in the higher elevations of Montana, Utah, etc.

Like many of the other continental breeds Maines gained a reputation in the 70's and 80's for siring big calves at birth, resulting in a high incidence of calving difficulties. Some of the continental breeds (like Simmy's and Gelbviehs) dealt with the problem head on and have improved on their caling ease significantly. I am not aware that the Maine breed has made this a priority over the past several years, and thus may still have a reputation for hard calving cattle.

 

[certherfbeef]

I dont know how people attend the Ohio Beef Expo but there has been a hige increase in the sale of the main cattle. Prices in my opinion have more than tripled in the past 10 years on the cattle.

The Kentucky beef expo has good maine cattle in their sale as well.

The increase in the maine cattle in ohio and kentucky is due in part to the club calf breeders and "steer jocks". The maine influence give them the blocky, square and straight look they are after. Along with the black color and some maternal traits for the few heifers that are retained. The composite bull semen sales have jumped quite a bit as well. The maine association has what is called a Maintainer, from what I'm told it is just a high % maine. I also noticed that NAILE has added classes for these % cattle in the respective breed shows.

 

[CopeMan]

When I was getting back into the purebred cattle business in the mid 90's, Maines were the list of breeds that I considered. Though there are some good Maines that work well in the commercial industry, I was turned off by the fact that the majority of Maine breeders are more concerned with fancy, clubby, show-type cattle than they are about producing good, functional breeding stock for the commercial industry. What really strikes me funny is when Maine (as well as Shorthorn and Chi breeders) are promoting that their cattle produce lots of hair. The only commercial producers that may feel this is a benefit are the guys running cows in the higher elevations of Montana, Utah, etc.

Like many of the other continental breeds Maines gained a reputation in the 70's and 80's for siring big calves at birth, resulting in a high incidence of calving difficulties. Some of the continental breeds (like Simmy's and Gelbviehs) dealt with the problem head on and have improved on their caling ease significantly. I am not aware that the Maine breed has made this a priority over the past several years, and thus may still have a reputation for hard calving cattle.

When I think of those breeds I think "Club Calves" With all that going on its hard to thik of them as breeding stock. All the websites on the internet for these breeds is usually Club Calf sites. Even Chiangus is the same way. However I did attend the Willow Oak Chiangus sale this past spring and all the bulls and the few heifers sold all went to either seedstock or commerical herds.

 

[choward6200jd]

I totally agree about the use of these cattle as just show cattle. I am breeding these cattle to raise good mother cows. You will find most of the chi cattle and maine cattle are only being raised for showing. This is not a good sign for either breed in my opinion.

 

[CopeMan]

I totally agree about the use of these cattle as just show cattle. I am breeding these cattle to raise good mother cows. You will find most of the chi cattle and maine cattle are only being raised for showing. This is not a good sign for either breed in my opinion.

The breed associations need to change this or something needs to happen. I like Chiangus, ive thought about getting a bull inthe future. I tis is a shame casue anyone who is wanting to use them in a producing operation can tell how thay are working and reall what they look like cause all the websites are show calves and there are no Maines here in my area. I would like to see some thougg, they sound like good cattle.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

I totally agree about the use of these cattle as just show cattle. I am breeding these cattle to raise good mother cows. You will find most of the chi cattle and maine cattle are only being raised for showing. This is not a good sign for either breed in my opinion.

As a result of the research I have done on this breed I have to agree with you. It is constant Show - Show -Show and very little about what the Chi breed is capable of doing for the Commercial Breeder and improving his $Profit margin at the end of the year.

I believe the Maine Anjou Association has gotten the message and is attempting to promote their breed for practical and common sense breeders of BUSINESS cattle. Time will tell, as it always seems to do. DOC HARRIS

 

[CopeMan]

I believe they are also. After reading this post I checked out the AMAA and they had a video telling about the breed and two men who are trying to promote the breed. Very Interesting. http://www.maine-anjou.org/video/video01.html

 

[TheBullLady]

We AI'd a bunch of our commercial cows to a Maine bull back in the late 80's and were very happy with the cows out of those bulls. In fact, I still have a 15 year old 1/2 Maine cow in the herd, and she has a whale of a calf every year.

Having said that, I agree that so much of the Maine breed now is geared towards show calves, which don't necessarily make good brood cows. We borrowed a Maine bull from a friend last year when we were between bulls, and the calves were okay, but most of them were really fine boned for me. Of course, that's only one bull!

 

[CopeMan]

I dont get the whole "Club Calf" thing!! I dont ever see any in the local shows here.

 

[MikeC]

I don't have much experience with Maines but after watching a show on RFD (Wed. after lunch) I look at them differently now. Those calves were awesome! Meaty and thick.