raising cattle

[Anonymous]

Im looking to start a cattle farm. I would like to know what the best breed is for beef/breeding.I would like to do something different then angus.I was thinking Texaslonghorns is that a good one or not. Whats your pick?

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[Anonymous]

It depends on what you plan on doing with the cattle. If you want pasture pretties that will be docked heavily when you sell, Longhorns will work. If you get into registered Longhorns you may be a little better off. It's hard to beat the baldy, either red or black, or even straight Red Angus or Polled Herefords. In some parts of the country Herefords are docked almost as bad as Longhorns come sale time.

dunmovin farms

> Im looking to start a cattle farm.
> I would like to know what the best
> breed is for beef/breeding.I would
> like to do something different
> then angus.I was thinking
> Texaslonghorns is that a good one
> or not. Whats your pick?

 

[Anonymous]

Texas Longhorns are still beef cattle; however, true, the sale barns and packers habitually dock the seller since Longhorns don't all look alike, have horns, believe the MYTH that Longhorns are wild, tough meat, low processable carcass weights--it's an education problem and their being set in their ways and the public's eye for what a beef animal "should" look like.

Most Longhorns are sold at private treaty. The "culls" and those with attitude problems are usually eaten. Longhorn breeders are very watchful of their animals' confirmation and temperament. Longhorn cows breed early (usually around 14 to 16 months of age) and continue calving into their late teens and even into their twenties--fewer replacement heifers needed and more profit for breeder.

Longhorns are very disease and insect resistant, but need usual required vaccinations. Virtually immune to pinkeye. University research reports a 99.7% unassisted calving rate with calves ranging between 50 and 65 lbs. on the average.

They are very intelligent critters, easily learn their names, respond well to positive reinforcement, easy to sort and work, are excellent milkers and mothers, and are very good at keeping preditors away. They like to be worked gently and patiently. And it's best to keep your fences in good repair and tight--they like to test out fences with their horns.

Longhorns can be trained in Saddle and worked, ridden in parades, etc. Check out the Fort Worth, Texas Stockyards website and get info. on their tourist attraction, the drovers that ride the steers and move the herd back and forth between their grazing area (down the street) and the display areas on a daily basis (weather permitting).

Hope some of this info. helps! Peace! Bill

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[Anonymous]

I started out with Longhorns and put a good Beefmaster bull on them. I raised the heifers and they turned out to be good momma cows. They have horns but not long like a longhorn. The bull calves didn't really get cut at the sale, except every now and then a calf looked just like a longhorn (mainly spotted) and they did get cut, but overall you couldn't tell the calves were from a longhorn cow. A bull is half the calf.

 

[Anonymous]

> Jason listen to dun. It depends entirely on what you are doing with them. First look at where you are going to sell and go from there. Feeders in some areas are prefered to be black , some like red, a few places still bid well on baldies, freezer beef needs to finish smaller than commercial feeders, and purebred stock is a whole different ballgame. here in Ohio the university research stated that anything going thru the graded feeder sales was docked an average of $5 for horns

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[Anonymous]

I also agree with Dun. I live in Texas and the only real market in my neck of the woods for longhorns is as roping calves or to another longhorn breeder. As for cattle to make money with year in and year out it would be hard to beat a good bald face cow with a Angus bull. Black or Red they will do well consistently at the sales.

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[Anonymous]

When you want to breed beef cattle, go for quality, don't go for quantity. the best is to start off with a good, proven to calve and raise their calves well breed of dams. I would personally go for Limousin here (excellent meat as well). Cross these with a bull that is proven to give excellent beef quality, like the belgian blue or the piedmontese. if you are into the more extensive way of farming, use Chianina, your output in pounds will be less, but you wont need the vet as much, and your quality will be kept safe

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[Anonymous]

> Im looking to start a cattle farm.
> I would like to know what the best
> breed is for beef/breeding.I would
> like to do something different
> then angus.I was thinking
> Texaslonghorns is that a good one
> or not. Whats your pick?

What have you got against Angus? I would think they are about the best choice for a person just starting out in the business when all factors are considered. In which part of the country are you located?

I wouldn't go with Longhorns unless you are committed to the registered Longhorn market -- a "niche" market in my view. Certainly don't go with Longhorns if you are just planning to sell your calves in the weekday sale barns.

Another poster suggested that you use Limo cows and cross them with a Belgian Blue, Piedmontese or Chianina. I'm far from being an expert, but IMHO I think that would be a recipe for disaster. The Belgian Blue (and I'm pretty sure Piedmontese too) is a "double musceled" breed and is known for calving difficulties. I know next to nothing about straight Chianinas, but the individuals I've seen at the Houston Livestock Show were enormous; I don't know for certain that you would have calving problems with them but my "gut" tells me that a beginner should stay away from them. As a newcomer to the business you certainly don't need to stack the deck against yourself by going for a terminal cross that is almost certain to present you with more calving problems than you would have by using other breeds.

And until you get a little experience under your belt, your cows have had a couple of calves each and perhaps had a pelvic area measurement taken by a vet I'd advise you to stay away from Charolais bulls too.

Talk to the local ranchers and check out the sale barns to see what is in demand in you area.

If you just have something against Angus and have made up your mind to avoid them, consider Hereford, Shorthorn or Limo. If you are way down South consider Brangus (only 5/8 Angus) or a 50/50 Hereford & Brahman cross known as a "tiger stripe"

 

[Anonymous]

Angus is the breed ,or angus cross.Brangus,black baldies,Limo(Black),Simms(Black) and just about anything polled and black are based on Angus...Herefords are the great improver, But now there are black herefords. Look unless you hate Angus(Black), use angus cows and cross to hereford bulls to produce F-1s Black Baldies. Then breed all F-1s to pure Angus bulls...You just can not go wrong with this cross,unless you live way south..

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[Anonymous]

I have a farm deep South Texas and a farm in Northeast Mexico, I will go with any breed 3/8 Brahman, except Black Brangus, personally don't like blacks. Simbrah is a well balance breed, well known as "The All Porpuse American Breed".
> Im looking to start a cattle farm.
> I would like to know what the best
> breed is for beef/breeding.I would
> like to do something different
> then angus.I was thinking
> Texaslonghorns is that a good one
> or not. Whats your pick?

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

> Im looking to start a cattle farm.
> I would like to know what the best
> breed is for beef/breeding.I would
> like to do something different
> then angus.I was thinking
> Texaslonghorns is that a good one
> or not. Whats your pick?

Ask ten different people and you might get ten different answers.My personal pick would be the Murray Grey's.They adapt well to various climates,have good feed conversion,are very fertile,are docile,and essentially no calving problems.They would do well in your area.