Red Polls

[Sugar Creek]

I have posted a few times over the last couple of years with questions about Red Polls. I bought 8 open Red Poll heifers and turned them in with a Red Poll bull last spring. We had eight cavles on the ground in one month without assisting in any way. (except we had to thaw one out in the kitchen during a high wind, wind chill situation and I had to pull one calf out of a mud hole below a spring). The cows and the bull are as gentle as my dog and with lots of grass coming. milk is dripping on the ground from their udders. The cavles are like peas in a pod. The heifers do appear to be losing condition rather rapidly but I attribute it to their doing a job with their calves.

My question is why are these cattle so little heraded? They would seem to have a place in crossbreeding operations. They are a rather pure line of cattle, do well in the heat for English, are gentle, fertile, milk good and ours seem to be big enough.

 

[UG]

My guess is that Red Polls lost lots of popularity in the 70's when the influx of Continental breeds like Simmy's, Limmy's, Maines, Gelbviehs, etc. were all making a big splash. It also seemed that during this time there was more emphasis put on bigger framed cattle so Red Polls missed out again.

Though I have never owned any RP's I know a RP couple breeders who love them. I feel that in the proper crossbreeding situation they would work very well. As a matter of fact, I think many of the popular lines of Angus, Simmy, Charolais, (and other popular breeds) have gotten too big and the resulting females are too big for most commercial operations. These commercial herds would probably benefit by either using a Red Poll bull or adding some Red Poll influenced females.

By the way, the last carcass information I saw on Red Polls was very impressive.

 

[susie]

I have always like the look of the Red polled, but in looking for AI sires can't seem to locate semen. So i was thinking about red angus- how do they compare to the Red polled and also to the Black Angus as far as framesize? How about disposition comparision between these breeds? I'm still trying to decide which bull to use on my Holstein/hereford cross cow.

Thanks!

 

[Sugar Creek]

I am no expert but Red Polls do not have the frame size of either Red Angus or Black Angus but they are becoming framier. Semen is available but hard to find.

I raised Holstein X beef cows for years and liked Red Polls for a lot of the same reasons. I would think you would want to go with an Angus on that type cow to strengthen its weaknesses.

I have seen no better disposition than that in the Red Polls with the exception of some Herefords.

 

[myersfarm]

i worked one summer for a man that had a red poll dairy herd.....back in 1971...had alot good milkers and showed them he had alot wins in the show steer were they judged the carcus..but like all at once every thing he had in a bull was sterial...so he when out and bought some bulls...and like after 3 years old the bulls would be sterial...and the guy he bought them from his bull when got older were sterial........hard to make cows when no bulls around.....on't know if that was the problem in the whole breed or not.....i would love to buy some heifers i could milk...gentle as a jersey to me

 

[la4angus]

.hard to make cows when no bulls around...

Go the AI route. Better selection of bulls and less expensive. No busted fences and bull breaking out.