Red Brahman Questions

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

i am going to purchase a Red Brahman bull calf to raise for my FFA project. ive been researching breeds a lot and red brahmans are what i like the most. i looked at a couple breeders in the area, and they all charged at least $1,500 for a calf. that is simply too much for me, being in high school. i was at a livestock show yesterday talking with someone who was showing red brahmans. these people offered me a 7 month old red brahman bull calf for $500, which i am amazed at. they had the sire at the show, which i was really impressed by. the sire has won many shows, taking Grand Champion Bull over a dozen times. i started thinking "why would they sell such a good animal for so cheap?" they could easily sell it for $2,000. could there be something wrong with it? they invited me to look at it and is there anything i should look for that would lead me not to buy it? think they are just such nice people they arent doing it for money just to help a student out?

off that topic i would also like to know some basic information about them. some people have said the red brahmans have a very short temper, some people have said they are like puppies. someone also said the hump on their back is very sensitive. is that true? should i avoid touching its hump? any extra information about them would be greatly appreciated.

here are some pics i took of the sire, i really wanna brag about it. im really excited about getting the animal. i saw these red brahmans and i immediately thought "i have to get one of these, they are such beautiful creatures".

Red Brahman Sire Pictures

 

[Beefy]

Good for you, Tex. Its great to see young people getting involved in cattle. You might as well take a look at the calf and see what you think about it. They are probably just good people trying to help a kid out. you could even get affiliated with some ranches and they might sponsor you or have you show for them in other shows. as far as temperament goes, it mostly depends on how the animal is handled and then you have to factor in individuality too b/c lets face it, some calves are just nutcases. but how they are handled is the biggest factor.

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

im definately gonna check out the calf and see the rest of their herd. as far as the temper goes, i handle cattle very well, but i was thinking more along the lines of trying to train the calf. if it doesnt want to go and i try to pull it, is it gonna go crazy on me? i raised a Dexter steer last year and it was extremely easy to train. never had any problems with it trying to run while im walking it or any other problems. finding out about their tempers isnt gonna change my mind on raising one, but id like to know if i may need a buddy to help hang on the the thing when im training it to walk. i know individuality is gonna play a big role too. my Dexter was like a dog. it would follow me everywhere i go. i didnt need a halter to walk it. and he always tried to pick on the bigger steers (1400lb brangus and 1200lb beefmaster)

 

[Beefy]

Brahmans are very smart. they respond well to being rewarded for positive behavior, like treats and scratching. that being said, if you are mean to them they will kick your butt and eat your lunch too. i wonder how much this calf has been handled? you should be able to tell from your visit what the calf's temperament is and make your decision based on that. they are just like any other calf youve shown. dont let stupid people tell you that all brahmans are crazy b/c most of them are not and the ones that are were made that way by stupid people.

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

thats a relief, according to the people their cattle are around people since the day their born and handled a lot. they treat their cattle more like pets than cattle

 

[Beefy]

sounds like a good deal and a lot of your work may be done for you already... let us know what you decide.

oh and if you want to post a picture it has to be on a website, you cant jsut post one from your computer or email, etc.

goodluck, beefy

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

ill definately be posting the status as new stuff happens.

i guess the site doesnt allow linking to pictures so i changed it to a link.

 

[Beefy]

Cherokee Ruby might be a good person to talk to about Brahmans, since she raises them and all.

 

[Beefy]

How much does Pops weigh? He looks kind of small to me but its probably because hes lying down.

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

thanks for all the info, finally get all the rumors straight.

 

[cherokeeruby]

Would like to see the pictures of the Sire and the bull calf, also the pedigree would be good to know. There is nothing wrong with touching the hump it is not sensitive, mine enjoy having it scratched. Cannot tell you why they would sell the calf for that price except many breeders try to help out a young person. Are you sure your FFA lets you show bulls, seems like at least in Texas they can only show heifers.

Anyway I did not see the link to the photos, if you can post it again I would appreciate it.

thanks for all the info, finally get all the rumors straight.

 

[Beefy]

Ruby-
its in the first message at the bottom.

 

[cherokeeruby]

Can't tell a thing from the pictures. Would like to know the breeding and breeder of these animals.

 

[Beefy]

Ruby-
i finally got the hang of this avatar thing.

 

[cherokeeruby]

Noticed that you changed yours, looks nice.

 

[Beefy]

Thank you ma'am. But dont get used to it, i'm still experimenting!

 

[TheBullLady]

Just curious.. who's the breeder? That will help determine if they're just being nice, or trying to pawn something off on you.

You should check and make sure you can show a bull calf FFA.. I'm pretty sure you can only show heifers.

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

it will be castrated, we cannot show a bull. steers are allowed. bulls just are not allowed to be raised for FFA. the name is Rocking T Brahmans. they arent an actual breeder though. the reason the price may be so low is that they breed them for their own family to show. the guys grandson has been really sick lately in and out of the hospital and will not be able to raise this calf, so they dont want to keep it if they arent using it. all of their cattle originally came from HK Cattle Company, which you can look at http://www.hkcattle.com I cant find the pedigree from the sire, but i have the pedigree for where grandsire. all of that can be viewed at http://www.hkcattle.com/passport_brahman.htm its not the direct pedigree, but its the pedigree of a close relative. ill try and get more info

 

[cherokeeruby]

OK, know HK and have some Passport descendants in my herd. Good bull. If all you want is a castrated bull calf we have one that is a couple of weeks old. BTW my avatar is his dam.

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

thank you for the offer, but a couple weeks old would be too young. it would have to be weaned and ready to be sold by the beginning of June. the calf i should be getting is the perfect age that i need. i got really lucky with this one. extremely good price and perfect age. i was fearing i would have to try and dish out $1,500 to buy a calf from HK