Murray Grey q

[FlaAngus]

I just got back from a herd dispersal sale and the man had 3 murrays that were very short legged, is this a breed trait or was it just a fluke? I've been thinkin bout using one on my angus and angus/simmi cross cows.

 

[OK Jeanne]

Were the legs as short as this??:

Or about as short as this?::

Or maybe as short as this bull's legs??::

But then, here's a cow that is about as wide as she
is tall---were they like this one??:

Where was the sale? Were they purebred Murrays?

 

[UG]

OK Jeanne,

What is the story on the cow in the bottom photo. I've never seen a cow that fat.

 

[KNERSIE]

I have a question about murrey grays. Since shorthorns are TH and PHA carriers does that mean some of these Murry Grays are or once were? Has it been bred out of them?

Thats a very good question, never thought of it.

 

[OK Jeanne]

OK Jeanne,

What is the story on the cow in the bottom photo. I've never seen a cow that fat.

That's Star K Suzie Q. 2004 was a good year around here
for grazing. I recall it rained just when we needed it all
spring & summer. So what can you do? Wire their jaws
shut? She was feeding a calf at the time--which was
in July. I've always thought that a cow that stored up
extra energy(fat) in their brisket, etc during the good times could make it better through the hard times when they
inevitably came along. Is that thinking wrong? Suzie Q
has never missed getting pregnant - and at one flush
she gave us 31 good embryos, which we have used and
sold over the past few years. So in my book, she's a
keeper.


What is TH and PHA? Some genetic disease in
shorthorns?

 

[KNERSIE]

I've always thought that a cow that stored up
extra energy(fat) in their brisket, etc during the good times could make it better through the hard times when they
inevitably came along. Is that thinking wrong?

its certainly not wrong, in fact you can't be more correct.

It's contradictory to the popular belief that the extra fat is waste. If more cows had the ability to store energy reserves in the form of fat in the brisket and as backfat, we would see much less hard keepers posted on these boards.

I have said it before, but I'll say it again...

if anyone wonders what good easy keeping grass genetics look like in the cowherd, take a look at OK-Jeanne's cows, these cows will work everywhere even under the harshest conditions

 

[UG]

OK Jeanne,

What is the story on the cow in the bottom photo. I've never seen a cow that fat.

That's Star K Suzie Q. 2004 was a good year around here
for grazing. I recall it rained just when we needed it all
spring & summer. So what can you do? Wire their jaws
shut? She was feeding a calf at the time--which was
in July. I've always thought that a cow that stored up
extra energy(fat) in their brisket, etc during the good times could make it better through the hard times when they
inevitably came along. Is that thinking wrong? Suzie Q
has never missed getting pregnant - and at one flush
she gave us 31 good embryos, which we have used and
sold over the past few years. So in my book, she's a
keeper.


OK Jeanne,
I'm impressed with Susie Q. Too many of today's cattle aren't able to put on flesh when only grazing grass.

I'd like to see Susie Q in my pasture.

 

[3waycross]

That Suzie Q's a keeper.

Course I grew up with Quarter Horses and Italian women.

I guess you all can guess what kinda rear ends I like.

 

[OK Jeanne]

OK Jeanne,

What is the story on the cow in the bottom photo. I've never seen a cow that fat.

OK Jeanne,
I'm impressed with Susie Q. Too many of today's cattle aren't able to put on flesh when only grazing grass.

I'd like to see Susie Q in my pasture.

------------------------------------------


Asking for advice: We have 3 daughters from Suzie Q
at present. If we decided to put her in the fall internet
auction, as a bred cow, what should we ask for her?
Her date of birth was May 22, 1999. She's purebred
Murray Grey and registered.

 

[KMacGinley]

I believe the MGs shorthorn blood was TH free, since they believe it (TH) came from the maines they have been crossing shorthorns with recently.

 

[UG]

OK Jeanne,

What is the story on the cow in the bottom photo. I've never seen a cow that fat.

OK Jeanne,
I'm impressed with Susie Q. Too many of today's cattle aren't able to put on flesh when only grazing grass.

I'd like to see Susie Q in my pasture.

------------------------------------------


Asking for advice: We have 3 daughters from Suzie Q
at present. If we decided to put her in the fall internet
auction, as a bred cow, what should we ask for her?
Her date of birth was May 22, 1999. She's purebred
Murray Grey and registered.

OK Jeanne,

that is a tough question since I'm not familiar with the value that good MG's bring. It seems that the top genetics of the more popular breeds (i.e. Angus, Simmental, etc.) bring more $ than the top genetics from other breeds. For example, it is fairly uncommon for a top young Gelbvieh bull to bring more than $25,000. Yet, there are dozens of top young Angus bulls that bring that (or much more money) every year.

My suggestion would be to calculate just how many more calves and embryo's you can expect to get out of the cow in her lifetime and multiply that times a realistic price that you would receive for the progeny. Now deduct the costs that you will have in feed, breeding, etc. over her lifetime and add on what you expect to get for her as a cull cow at the sale barn when her productive years are over. Once you have that figure, you will want to bring that value back to what that money is worth today. That should give you a starting point for what to ask for her. Since you are having to guesstimate what her production will be in the future, you may want to only ask for a percentage (maybe 70%) of the final number that you calculated. ...I'm probably clear as mud on this example.

 

[UG]

nortexsoook,

I agree that many potential buyers will want to pay less than the DCF...at least the business minded ones will. However, producers will have different opinions on how long her productive life will be and how they value the progeny, thus coming up with differing DCF's.

There is also that segment of the purebred business that get too carried away when buying cattle (especially at an auction) and pay prices that are way higher than they should for economic gain...than again, not everyone is in the cattle business to make money.

 

[Badlands]

I don't know what you would ask for her, but you should make it clear that she is a PUREBRED MG, not a FULLBLOOD. She goes back to a Holstein cow through her MGS.

Badlands

 

[OK Jeanne]

We have sold her embryos for $400 each---and currently
only have 2 left. However, we have 12 left out of her
daughter, Sadie, who had 17 good ones on her first flush.

 

[OK Jeanne]

I don't know what you would ask for her, but you should make it clear that she is a PUREBRED MG, not a FULLBLOOD. She goes back to a Holstein cow through her MGS.

Badlands

Well, Badlands, I don't have any idea what MGS is....but
I'm bumfuzzled as to where her black/white splotches are
if she's part holstein (not to mention what happened to
her legs!!!?? :?: )

Here's a copy of her papers...which one of these
ancestors are holstein???:

 

[FlaAngus]

I finally got in the house for more than five minutes. :help: These bulls WERE purebred and fullbloods. Most of them were about like the black and white pic of the bull. They were nice but I've had too many judges tell me that my calves need more leg under them for Mg's to be much of a possibility. Thanks for the pics.

 

[Keren]

I'm thinking MGS might be maternal grandmother's side? Maybe.

Still wondering why Badlands is telling you about the breeding of your own cow, though :?:

(But in all fairness to him, the paper you showed does say purebred not fullblood)

FlaAngus - murray grey cross well with angus, and even better with simmental IMO - and I'm not just saying that because I've got MGs. I've fed out steers of all breeds and crosses, and the best I've found are the MG x limo.

We breed ours so they do have short legs - we prefer our cattle to be deep gutted and not have a lot of air under them. BUT, if it is a bit of leg you are looking for, you will be able to find that in a murray too. Like any breed you get some that are more leggy than others.

 

[Wisteria Farms]

I'm thinking MGS might be maternal grandmother's side? Maybe.

Still wondering why Badlands is telling you about the breeding of your own cow, though :?:

(But in all fairness to him, the paper you showed does say purebred not fullblood)

FlaAngus - murray grey cross well with angus, and even better with simmental IMO - and I'm not just saying that because I've got MGs. I've fed out steers of all breeds and crosses, and the best I've found are the MG x limo.

We breed ours so they do have short legs - we prefer our cattle to be deep gutted and not have a lot of air under them. BUT, if it is a bit of leg you are looking for, you will be able to find that in a murray too. Like any breed you get some that are more leggy than others.

Keren, Can you clarify? You said you liked them crossed with simmental but then said MG x limo. Which did you mean? I'm keeping notes as I'm trying to get into MG's. Thanks so much.

 

[Frankie]

I don't have any idea what MGS is....

I think MGS = Maternal (female) Grand Sire, the cow's mother's sire.

 

[OK Jeanne]

I don't have any idea what MGS is....

I think MGS = Maternal (female) Grand Sire, the cow's mother's sire.

In case that's what it means - here's the stats on Mr. Outback 014W:


Regn. No.: 26015
Reg. Status Registered
Sex: Bull
Birth Date: 04/09/1988
Calving Year: 1988
Status: Active
Type: Purebred
Sire: BALMORAL ELATION
Dam: MISS OUTBACK 092M
Breeder: DR. LLOYD L. BATES
Current Owner: JAMES BODARD
State: IA
Tattoo: 014W 014W
Color: Silver
Blood Percent: 98.44%MG

-----------------------
Regardless of what it means, I'm thinking it is very
difficult to see any dairy influence in Suzie Q. Her
mother, born in spring 1991, is still active in our herd.

Here's a different photo of Suzie Q:

And here's a photo of her mother:

Her old mom is still doing well, maintaining her condition
despite her age. If they have dairy in their deep background,
then I'd say, "bring it on"! :lol: