My Next Herd Bull Breed?

[ALACOWMAN]

Maybe you ought to change your management practices and have all of your cattle calve at the same time.
Your management is your problem, not the breed of cattle.
Hybrid vigor will not protect against disease.

exactly

 

[Taurus]

Uv got Angus & see the benefit from cross breeding through hybrid vigor so I'd suggest using a solid colored Continental breed such as Black SIMM or Limo. This will hold pigment (unlike Hereford or traditional Simmental) & give ur progeny increased daily weight gain, feed efficiency and meat yield. It will also maintain you Black coat color if you select bulls that are homozygous black.
You could keep replacement heifers from this cross and later buy a SIMM/Angus or Lim-Flex to hold the % of breed.
Just my suggestion- no one else seems to be helping.

You ain't helping either and I don't see how this is helping him to have his cattle to be immune to the diseases by crossbreeding with another breed. He just needs a better management that's all.

 

[MrJimH]

I have NEVER said that a cross would CURE blackleg.

Yes, scheduling calving would be good, a new corral, new tractor, new pickup truck, newer fence, more cross fence, fewer weeds, barn repairs, upgraded haying equipment, etc. ALL that is on my things to do list.

An "I don't know" or is a valid answer.

Many suggested general tips to help a generic cow/calf operation, most I know, some did not apply, some were foolish (salebarn junkie), but were not on the narrow topic that is the main point of this thread.

Yes I know Longhorn x Angus calves would take a hit at the market, BUT at some percentage that hit goes away.
I have never seen any data on 1/4 or less Longhorn in Angus stock. Just like Brahma x Angus.

What part of "Cross-breeding & utilizing hybrid vigor can HELP somewhat," suggests I am looking for a magic bullet?

Brangus, Longhorn, and other breeds brag about increased disease resistance. So since I have never seen any reliable data on this I though some experts here might have some valid input I could consider when the time comes to select my next herd bull.

 

[Rowdy]

Crossbreed are substantially more resistant to disease than their purebred counterparts.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

blackleg is the equalizer

 

[Rowdy]

Agree 100%

 

[salebarn junkie]

2 things are for certain if your cow gets blackleg its going to die and the only way to prevent it is to vaccinate

 

[Rowdy]

At the same time I have family that have run 90+ cows down by lone oak that have never vaccinated,wormed, no minerals or anything in 30 years. Their entire place looks like a coastal meadow though. Now I don't know their success rate starting out but they have a FINE group of cows today and anyone on here would be proud to show them off. Perhaps when you're animals really do fit your environment, much of the inputs I feel are necessary are not.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

and you could move that herd a couple farms or counties over and they could start dropping like flies

 

[Taurus]

and you could move that herd a couple farms or counties over and they could start dropping like flies

Yup I once moved our cows to a new summer pasture and that's when I have pinkeye problems. They got the pinkeye from the neighborhood cows.

 

[AussieLim]

Uv got Angus & see the benefit from cross breeding through hybrid vigor so I'd suggest using a solid colored Continental breed such as Black SIMM or Limo. This will hold pigment (unlike Hereford or traditional Simmental) & give ur progeny increased daily weight gain, feed efficiency and meat yield. It will also maintain you Black coat color if you select bulls that are homozygous black.
You could keep replacement heifers from this cross and later buy a SIMM/Angus or Lim-Flex to hold the % of breed.
Just my suggestion- no one else seems to be helping.

You ain't helping either and I don't see how this is helping him to have his cattle to be immune to the diseases by crossbreeding with another breed. He just needs a better management that's all.

Taurus If u read my earlier comment I said that no breed is immune to Blackleg but did say the hybrid cattle can be slightly more vigorous in their health.

This lad has then asked if he was to cross what would be a suggestion.

This was my suggestion- no silver bullet but I helped him by asserting his question.

Maybe you should read all the post before you jump down people's throats!

 

[regolith]

Well if the guy wants a serious answer, it's obvious that maximum disease resistance will be obtained by maximising hybrid vigour, which entails breeding his cows to the most unrelated breed they can still be fertile with.

Try buffalo. Don't continue to breed from any that die or go blind or lose weight. if you have anything left in thirty years time there's a good chance they'll have attained all the genetic advantage available to them, to match your environment challenges.
At which point, you will have to maintain a closed herd with no new genetic input to maintain that advantage.
And the good part is that everyone else will be clamouring for your disease-resistant stabilised genetics.

 

[Taurus]

Uv got Angus & see the benefit from cross breeding through hybrid vigor so I'd suggest using a solid colored Continental breed such as Black SIMM or Limo. This will hold pigment (unlike Hereford or traditional Simmental) & give ur progeny increased daily weight gain, feed efficiency and meat yield. It will also maintain you Black coat color if you select bulls that are homozygous black.
You could keep replacement heifers from this cross and later buy a SIMM/Angus or Lim-Flex to hold the % of breed.
Just my suggestion- no one else seems to be helping.

You ain't helping either and I don't see how this is helping him to have his cattle to be immune to the diseases by crossbreeding with another breed. He just needs a better management that's all.

Taurus If u read my earlier comment I said that no breed is immune to Blackleg but did say the hybrid cattle can be slightly more vigorous in their health.

This lad has then asked if he was to cross what would be a suggestion.

This was my suggestion- no silver bullet but I helped him by asserting his question.

Maybe you should read all the post before you jump down people's throats!

I don't see how that is helpful. A good management is what he needs in this situation, and I get this impression is that he doesn't want do a hard labor work and doesn't want to pay extras on his cattle. He just wanted to crossbreeding them but that doesn't mean the diseases will go away as the purebred angus cows needs to be vaccinated for the diseases. That goes for the bull of another breed too.

 

[houstoncutter]

Sell your calves at 400 lbs and most likely you won't have any problems...after that its a crap shoot

 

[BRYANT]

One of our herds is 100% Angus tho we don't keep up with papers any more and sell most at 500 - 900 lbs.

How many herds do you have?

If I am reading this right you have other herds that are not Angus and you are not having a problem with them if so what cross are they?

sorry if I'm taking this wrong

 

[chippie]

I am curious. If your cows are calving at different times of the year, how many times a year do you work them to sell the calves?
I understand about working a full time job. Many folks here are in the same boat. However if you get your cows calving at the same time, either all at once or half in the spring and half in the fall, it will be easier to schedule your time to work them and hire someone to help you.
If you do not have the facilities to work your cattle, maybe it is time to sell some so that you can purchase the equipment that you need.
If you only do things half a$$ed, it will end up costing you more money in loss and not being able to take care of your stock properly.
Building a couple of good pens and a chute will pay for itself in the long run.
Good luck.

 

[thommoos]

What part of "Cross-breeding & utilizing hybrid vigor can HELP somewhat," suggests I am looking for a magic bullet?

Brangus, Longhorn, and other breeds brag about increased disease resistance. So since I have never seen any reliable data on this I though some experts here might have some valid input I could consider when the time comes to select my next herd bull.

Dare I say putting a good Beefmaster on those Angus cows, will add vigor calves will, go faster, also desease and insect tolerant. Also desease resistant Brahma, if color is a concern there are some decent black bulls. I would just check on the phenotype you want, ie sheath, and ear.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

What part of "Cross-breeding & utilizing hybrid vigor can HELP somewhat," suggests I am looking for a magic bullet?

Brangus, Longhorn, and other breeds brag about increased disease resistance. So since I have never seen any reliable data on this I though some experts here might have some valid input I could consider when the time comes to select my next herd bull.

Dare I say putting a good Beefmaster on those Angus cows, will add vigor calves will, go faster, also desease and insect tolerant. Also desease resistant Brahma, if color is a concern there are some decent black bulls. I would just check on the phenotype you want, ie sheath, and ear.

i guess getting hammerd in the market beats dead calve..

 

[thommoos]

What part of "Cross-breeding & utilizing hybrid vigor can HELP somewhat," suggests I am looking for a magic bullet?

Brangus, Longhorn, and other breeds brag about increased disease resistance. So since I have never seen any reliable data on this I though some experts here might have some valid input I could consider when the time comes to select my next herd bull.

Dare I say putting a good Beefmaster on those Angus cows, will add vigor calves will, go faster, also desease and insect tolerant. Also desease resistant Brahma, if color is a concern there are some decent black bulls. I would just check on the phenotype you want, ie sheath, and ear.

i guess getting hammerd in the market beats dead calve..

Hammered huh? How hammered would he get with a Long Horn? Brangus is going to add sheath also. Considering how far north he is, I still like the Idea of a good Char cross. Just Possible considerations for MrJimH.

 

[greybeard]

i guess getting hammerd in the market beats dead calve..

I probably wouldn't use a Beefmaster on the Angus but Brangus do pretty good here.