All I know is that I produced high quality animals regardless of color or CAB qualification... and those that were denied their value due to their color were every bit as good as those that were overvalued due to color.
The dude up in NW Ga that Clay and I have posted about, has a reg Black Simm herd of 30 cows and a registered Chi-Angus herd of 30 cows, that he uses to raise CA x BS and BS x CA crosses. Some of the Chi-Angus cows may be a couple inches taller on average than the Black Sims, and maybe 100 lbs or two heavier....it just depends on the percentage Chianina But, the Chi-Ang calves out of the Simm cows, and the Simm calves out of the Chi-Angus cows, are indistinguishable from each other. at weaning. Ear tag color is the only way to tell the CA x black Simm from the BS x CA. The man had some of these cross-bred heifers that he had retaained, and he bred them to a black Beefmaster bull. There was no difference in these calves whether their dam was a BS x CA or CA x BS.
Was that evaluation at weaning or at slaughter. What age/stage did you typically sell? Weaning or at slaughter? Are the "best" calves at weaning also the best at slaughter? In terms of visual evaluation as well as profit? If a group of steers produce the best value/profit at slaughter, will the heifers from that same calf crop (same genetics) produce the "best" cows? Just some thoughts/questions for discussion.
Sorry buddy, but your own posts put the lie to this, "Buyers pay a premium on black calves the THINK stand a chance of making CAB status."
Jeanne, you forgot the numbers for feed efficiency, yield, growth and fertility. I have just finished reading all this Simmental propaganda on FB written by Ron (Bright Raven), it is a bit like a broken record. For me Angus work very well, I get paid a premium for them, they survive on my poor rocky broken country very well, their fertility is excellent and their balanced structure/bone/feet allow them to navigate my rocky outcrops to find that pick of feed in tough times like we are seeing now. Big bone might be OK in your lush pastures of NY and Kentucky but it doesn't work here. The buyers at our weaner sales prefer the bigger frame and balanced structure of bone and feet. My neighbour has a herd of registered Simmental cows that uses predominantly North American genetics and my cows walk all over them when it comes to fertility in our conditions, my cows breed like flies.
Black beef calves out of Corr cows, are a LOT different than black Corr steers. I don't lie, Hoss. It is 100% true why buyers will pay more for a black calf, and it is also 100% true that they won't for ANY or ALL black calves. Just the ones that might grade CAB. And, I said the half-Corr calves we weaned at 6 mos, looked the same and brought the same as any other commercial Angus or other black beef calves do. So where is the lie, there, Hoss?
What percentage of Corriente/Angus cross calves will end up qualifying for CAB? And if you are right about, "experienced buyers can pretty much tell which black calves may be CAB qualified, and bid accordingly. A solid black Criolo breed steer, even one de-horned, will not fetch the premium price... ", then why are they paying more for your Corriente crosses than for quality animals?
I don't know if any do. I doubt it, because as they start approaching a year old, you can tell they probably won't have the marbling and REA needed for CAB. But as a 500 lb, 6 mos old, they look like any other angus cross or commercial Angus. I posted a poll on here a couple of years back, with pics of commercial angus calves, a Chi-angus, calf, a registered Angus calf, seems like one was a black Simm or Gelb or something, and an Angus x Corr calf. Only one person on here, Murray, picked it out. I said they would bring the same as other black calves at the sale. Never said they brought more.
Well you wobbled a bit (same as... Never said they brought more.) but I think that proves black calves get a premium regardless of quality.
Every time I go to the sale, I see black calves that don;t bring top dollar that day, so no.. no one pays extra for one that obviously won't attain CAB certification. Junk black calves don;t bring anymore than junk Hereford or Charolais. If someone doesn't want black cattle, or doesn't want to use a black bull, why in the world would they begrudge those who do raise calves that could fetch a premium? Dang, it is so simple. Do one of two things. Go black or ****.
There is no way you can lose money with them, unless the Great Flood came back and wiped out your whole herd. You'd have to be an idiot or one unlucky person to lose money with this cross. Lets say the 500 lb Angus, or Hereford or Simm or Charolais steers at 500 lbs brought $2.50. $1250. And say these crosses in fact only brought $1.25. $625. These crosses brought twice what their momma cost, and with zero inputs for either the cow or the calf, except for the price of a band. Those $1250 steers did not bring what their momma costs, and you have worming and vaccination on the cows and the calves, supplements, fertilizer and herbicide and lime for the pastures. And hay. And you have to consider your labor costs...your time... as well. We would round them up after the last ones calved, and ear tag them and cut the bull calves. Round them up again in 5 mos, put them on a trailer can carry them to the sale. 2 fun-filled days a year, riding good horses, is not work to me. If you have pasture that can graze 30 Ang or Herf cows, you can graze 90 Corrs. and have the same or less money in those 90 as the 30 Brits. You can raise 4 on the same pasture as you can big Simms or Chars, etc. So, you sell three $625 steers instead of one $1250 steer. That's 50% MORE gross sales with a wider profit margin. Sorry man, but I have done it every way with every breed there is. If there had been a way to make more money with less work and lower inputs ( I guess you can't get lower than zero) with any other breed, I would have done it on that place down there.
Some people take pride in the money they make to the exclusion of the product they produce. I'll stick with taking pride in a superior product... thanks all the same.
