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BRAFORDMAN
Well-known member
Caustic Burno":19mzudy7 said:BRAFORDMAN":19mzudy7 said:I was just asking questions, never said you were wrong or right. And yes my herd is made up of red cows. Before you jumped to conclusion on anything you never asked me what kind of cows he went on.
This bull is what I make a living from while I am in school. I never said I would keep heifers out of him, HIS calves are sent to the salebarn. Would I keep heifers yes I would. You will never know if his heifers will turn out good or any other bulls heifers will unless you keep a few and see. EPDS are not always correct. SOme of these papered full blood bull will trows some surprises as well. What did people do before EPDs, it is call trial and error.
ANd about the crossbred bull thing, sometimes there are a few good ones. I have a braford cross bull that my dad raised, his mother was a dark colored F1 braford and she was bred when we got her. The bull was born red white face with a hump on his back. I do not know what his father was and do not care. We decided to keep him and some heifers, I had problems with one heifer in 9 years.
I have been using the bull for about 9 years now never had any other problems he has bred heifers, santa gertrudis cross cows,brangus baldies and black baldies and brangus. Never had huge calves calves . This bull is about 2700 lbs and has been grass fed all his life.
His calves are tigerstripe with white faces. On once in a blue moon I will get a few solid colors. F1s sell as good as black calves do and his calves look like F1s.
My herd of cows is made up of his offspring. His heifers milk better and raised huge calves and maintain their body condition on grass only. His calves bring good money.
I do not care if my cows look like a box of crayons, they raise some darn good calves for me. All i need is the right bull and he will give me a uniform calf crop.
Raising commercial cattle is different in each state.
In my neck of the woods tigerstripe, char cross( including smokies), black and dark reds sell better over anything.
And sell barns work different in texas. Your calves are not sold in groups and on uniformity, they are sold one by one. Things may work different in your part of the country. There is no way to maximize profit. It is either the calf is good or it isn't. The buyers look at each calf individually.
Were do you haul to Raywood or Sealy as if I remember right Winnie shutdown. Used to enjoy going to Winnie and watching the show. You are right about the Tigers sell better than anything if it is a heifer, dang near have to give the steer calf away. Even though our calves are sold one by one in Texas that order buyer is still trying to fill the trailer with uniform cattle. If you ever set through a sale like Crockett you will see one buyer buying X color in 4 to 5 weights and another buying Y color.
There is nothing wrong with a box of crayons you are just going to have more anomlies in your calf crop, and you will never maximize your profit potential until you standardize you commercial herd be it Herf/Char, Herf/Briimer etc .
You can't fight the science a two way cross is going to give you 10% more weaning weight a 3 way cross 20%.
With anymore than that all bets are off.
By targeting your operation to get a consistant commercial cow you give yourself more options to maximize profit.
There is many a commercial cowman that runs a uniform herd of cattle.
Targeting for black baldie or red baldie momma cow lets you change the entire calf crop color to follow the market by changing the bull. That said you have more options with the red baldie cow than any other. You should also be working to a polled herd as we get docked for horns across the scales as well.
I haul to J&J in Texerkana. All of my bulls or polled except my braford cross bull and believe it or not most of his calves are polled even out of horned cows.
