Murray Gray

[Cross-7]

The pics I've seen posted on here of Murray gray cattle have always really impressed me.
They seem to be a smaller framed cattle but have a lot of depth and width.
Having a lighter color in my mind i'd think that be a plus in the heat of the summer.

Do they get docked for having a smaller frame ?
When bred to a black bull do you get smoke colored calves or ?

 

[Muddy]

Most sale barns will dock you for smaller frame, no matter what color the calf is. From what I seen from Backbone's pics, the Angus x Murray Grey will be chocolate or grey.

 

[Backbone Ranch]

When Murray Greys cows are crossed with a black bull, you should get calves that range from a smoke color to black. We currently have two 50% Murray Grey x 50% Angus cows in our herd. They were born in October of 2009 and have been great cows for us. They have yet to produce a calf that was not a replacement heifer or a quality commercial bull. Every single one of their calves have been great. Below are the two 50% Angus x 50% Murray Grey cows. These cows weigh between 1400 and 1500 lbs depending on the time of year.

A few of their progeny are shown below. These calves are 75% Murray Grey x 25% Angus.
4 month old bull

6 month old heifer

 

[Cross-7]

Thanks very nice cattle
I really like what I see

 

[DOC HARRIS]

:bang: It is a continuing point of interest to me to read the posts concerning different breeds of beef cattle, and how they might "match-up" with Angus crosses, or Hereford crosses, or crosses with ANY other breed of beef cattle - - - particularly with regard to how the progeny of those crosses would look! In other words, the PHENOTYPE of the resulting matings.

This is SINGLE TRAIT SELECTION breeding management protocols, my ranching friends, and is about as useful in making intelligent decisions in improving genetic inheritance factors in a breeding herd as urinating in the sea to raise the tide!

I have' raged' against "Single Trait Selection" choices in herd improvement planning for the 68 years during which I have taught Agriculture, and consulted with Beef Cattle producers as well as producers of other species of livestock until I have reluctantly concluded that most animal producers simply cannot seem to get in their heads that MULTIPLE TRAIT SELECTION decisions is the ONLY way to consistently progress forward in improving their herd genetics! :bang:

If these terms (Single Trait Selection and Multiple Trait Selection) are unfamiliar to you in serious beef production decisions, or beef management protocols, get on the internet and SEARCH them out, and/or contact the various Beef Cattle Associations and get informed and educated. I know it is interesting to surmise and wonder HOW a progeny of two different COLORED individuals would appear, - BUT it is NOT going to put consistent money in your bank account, if you are breeding cattle, to select breeding stock by COLOR only. There are many, many EPD's and HD50K marker assisted EPD's to consider in the process of selecting herd replacements, if you are interested in producing high quality cattle rather than just being a "cow-freshener" breeder. :deadhorse:

DOC HARRIS









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[WalnutCrest]

+bajillion

 

[Cross-7]

I just want calves with frame and not get docked that mash down the scale
I'll leave the building a better cow up to the experts

 

[quartermeter]

Then don't breed a smaller frame offbreed cow. Black Angus seem to bring the best money. And usually have good disposition. Just sayin.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

When Murray Greys cows are crossed with a black bull, you should get calves that range from a smoke color to black. We currently have two 50% Murray Grey x 50% Angus cows in our herd. They were born in October of 2009 and have been great cows for us. They have yet to produce a calf that was not a replacement heifer or a quality commercial bull. Every single one of their calves have been great. Below are the two 50% Angus x 50% Murray Grey cows. These cows weigh between 1400 and 1500 lbs depending on the time of year.

A few of their progeny are shown below. These calves are 75% Murray Grey x 25% Angus.
4 month old bull

6 month old heifer

Cross-7

By reading the post by Backbone Ranch you will see that he mentioned that his representative cows weighed around 1400-1500 pounds, depending on the time of the year. Murray Gray cattle are not small framed individuals! My experience with the breed has been they represent an ideal "type" of beef animal which can be utilized in both Maternal AND Terminal beef herds to a very profitable extent! Many breeders think that they know what their breeding matrons weigh, and when they walk them on a scale they are surprised that they are 'way over what they thought they weighed! It is a proven fact that breeding cows in a system of breeding back and producing calves year after year for 10 to 15 years or more which weigh around 1200 to 1250 pounds consistently are more profitable than heavier breeding cows. Proven fact! The Murray Gray's are not "light colored, Jersey-type look-alikes" by any stretch of the imagination. It is very obvious that they employed "Multiple Trait Selection" decisions when making their choices for mating selections! It really doesn't take an "expert" to think logically about their cattle breeding "BU$INE$$" decisions. It is the Breeder's responsibility to KNOW as much as possible about his business in order to be financially successful.

Go visit a Murray Gray breeder sometime and take a good look at his herd. I think you will be impressed.

I was!

DOC HARRIS

 

[Muddy]

Doc, just because they're 1,500lbs doesn't mean they're large framed. His cattle is just too well conditioned and fat which that is why they're heavy. You won't get premium at the sale barn for having short calves. The only one way is crossbreeding the cows to a large framed bull to just increasing the frame in the calves.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I just want calves with frame and not get docked that mash down the scale
I'll leave the building a better cow up to the experts

. Then it's simple, brangus cows, char bull....

 

[Cross-7]

Absolutely
I just like the looks of those cows
They sure look easy fleshing
I remember OK Jeanne saying they didn't feed their cattle they did that on grass.
My place isn't far from where those cows come from so they might be a good fit.

But as you say you can't be a good brangus cow

 

[Backbone Ranch]

Absolutely
I just like the looks of those cows
They sure look easy fleshing
I remember OK Jeanne saying they didn't feed their cattle they did that on grass.
My place isn't far from where those cows come from so they might be a good fit.

But as you say you can't be a good brangus cow

Our Murray Grey females range from a frame score 3 to 5.5. The 50% Angus x 50% Murray Grey females are between a frame 4 and 4.5 and are very deep bodied, have great mothering instincts, and are VERY wide. They maintain excellent condition throughout the year, through drought and flooding. As first calvers, they weaned bull calves weighing over 600 lbs each. We actually purchased our foundation stock from OK Jeanne; our cows do not get any supplements other than mineral, salt, and hay occasionally. There are some years where we do not have to feed hay at all. We have found that as a breed, Murray Greys are very easy keeping.

If you want a larger framed Murray Grey, there are definitely some out there. Here are a few popular AI sires that would not decrease your frame size.
Bundaleer X Road
http://www.bundaleerbeef.com.au/photos/bx37l.jpg

Gentle Acres Trojan
http://murraygreycows.com/reference-sires/#Trojan

Keighlians Wensleydale
http://murraygreycows.com/reference-sires/#Wensleydale

 

[quartermeter]

Then don't breed a smaller frame offbreed cow. Black Angus seem to bring the best money. And usually have good disposition. Just sayin.

I stand corrected. I've never seen Murray Grey's like those.