SALERS

[BuckemRanch]

I have been looking into this breed lately. I would like to hear any experiences people have had with them.

There is a breeder a couple of hours from me. He said he is running 800 head, I don't think they are all pure Saler.

The breeder told me the year before he went to this breed he had 100 breed hefiers. He had to pull 35 calves and do two c-sections. The next year he used a Saler bull on 100 heifers and didn't have to do anything. The calves were about 15 lbs lighter and 75 lbs heavier at weaning.

Thanks for any input.

 

[docgraybull]

No personal experience. But what I have read and heard: French cattle with low calving problems, good calf growth with high weaning weights, do good in cold climates. Mostly red and horned, but hear that they are breeding them to be black and polled.

 

[Angus Cattle Shower]

If I recall corectly, when I was little my dad had to have a brain tumor removed in calving season. So we got a Salers bull. Out of the 1996 calf crop we diddn't pull a single calf. We were so impressed, we got another one. When it is time to wean, the Salers are ryte up there. So I was you I would probably do it. One question. How much are they?
Hope this helps.

 

[Scotty]

They are good calving ease cattle. Take care of their young. Never heard of any calf buyer (in my area) ever wanting anything to do with them. As a matter of fact I have hear they are not good dressers and buyers saying out in the open during the sale when asked why a barn was catching so many of them that they "suck."


Scotty

 

[Frankie]

Salers developed a reputation for being crazy. I talked to Temple Grandin one time and she said they were not good in the feedlot. High strung, nervous animals don't gain as well in the feedlot as calm, docile cattle. I think that's what hurt Salers in the past.

 

[dun]

Salers developed a reputation for being crazy. I talked to Temple Grandin one time and she said they were not good in the feedlot. High strung, nervous animals don't gain as well in the feedlot as calm, docile cattle. I think that's what hurt Salers in the past.

Maybe it's from being french, like limos.

dun

 

[Scotty]

Maybe they are just sorry cattle. That has been known to happen. Sorry cattle show up.


Scotty

 

[Frankie]

Salers developed a reputation for being crazy. I talked to Temple Grandin one time and she said they were not good in the feedlot. High strung, nervous animals don't gain as well in the feedlot as calm, docile cattle. I think that's what hurt Salers in the past.

Maybe it's from being french, like limos.

dun

May be. Temple Grandin said she'd seen halter broke Limousin heifers bust their heads open while being worked in the feedlot chutes. On the other hand Hereford steers fresh off the range tended to be some of the calmest cattle in the chute. Of course, I was wearing my Angus shirt, so she didn't say anything bad about Angus Overall, she was pretty hard on Limousin and Salers in the feedlot.

 

[certherfbeef]

Never been a fan of the salers. But then again, never dealt with them either. I have an old Hereford cow that was an ET. Her recip mamma was a saler. Meaner than dog with a sore a$$. This old herf learned well. Can't get near her or her calf before that calf is 2 weeks old. Even on horseback.

On the flip side, I saw some pretty good looking black salers not too long ago. They were tolerable to handle too. Little bossy and pushy but not bad.

 

[houstoncutter]

Now now,fellas, yall talking about Limis and Salers being wild is sorta like us talking about Angus being inbreed mutts... You fellas might remember those if your past 40 years of age....You know, short legged pot gutted mutts that didnt cut out worth a damn. The meat was tender but their wasnt a lot of it... Of course you bred a little dairy cattle in the breed, and presto whammo they grew 6 frame sizes, so having said all that I think we might have to agree that all breeds have their mutts, and problems ;-)

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

My exposure to Salers & Limos are about the same. Poor dispositions & poor quality grades on carcasses. I have never owned any of them, this is thru carcass contest, bull tests, & know other breeders. You can check out the national breed associations. If they have a temperament score for EPD's, it's a pretty good indication that they are trying to improve their temperaments for that breed.

 

[ollie]

May be. Temple Grandin said she'd seen halter broke Limousin heifers bust their heads open while being worked in the feedlot chutes.

I wouldn't believe much else she said if she said that.Can't imagine why a halter broke heifer was in the feedlot. Can't also imagine why a halter broke heifer would be worse than range steers. If she was leaving the impression that hereford range steers were better than halter broke limi's then I don't believe her.

 

[certherfbeef]

Good point Ollie. Any of my halter broke cattle need a prod up the rear to even walk clear thru the chute. Never seen one bust their head open ramming thru it.

 

[dun]

Our one purchased "show" heifer is calm as can be when you put a halter on her, if you can get a halter on her. In the pasture she's high headed as can be.
A little side story about Temple Grandin. She gave a presentation to the DFA (Dairy Farmers of America) a couple of years ago and her first statement was that there is no place for a cattle dog on a dairy. That pretty much lost most of the audience right there. In this area where the majority of the dairys pasture the cows, having a dog to gather them and bring them to the barn is a huge time and work saver.

dun

 

[certherfbeef]

In this area where the majority of the dairys pasture the cows, having a dog to gather them and bring them to the barn is a huge time and work saver.

Guess that means when I was growing up I was the dog!! :roll: :roll:

 

[Oldtimer]

I have been looking into this breed lately. I would like to hear any experiences people have had with them.

There is a breeder a couple of hours from me. He said he is running 800 head, I don't think they are all pure Saler.

The breeder told me the year before he went to this breed he had 100 breed hefiers. He had to pull 35 calves and do two c-sections. The next year he used a Saler bull on 100 heifers and didn't have to do anything. The calves were about 15 lbs lighter and 75 lbs heavier at weaning.

Thanks for any input.

There was a big push on Salers up here in this country about 20-25 years ago- Leachmans were really promoting them and many ranchers went along with the promotion and started running Saler bulls on their hereford or angus cattle-- Very few of them still run the Salers- most went back to angus- some went with an alternate continental breed... That probably tells you what you want to know....

I've found from personal experience that they are great cattle for an old fat cowboy to handle-- If you're working them on horseback you never have to worry about dismounting to open a gate to put them in another pasture-- they can and will clear any 5 wire fence in the country...... If you're working them on foot in the corral you get plenty of exercise climbing up the fence escaping them... Easy to read eartags on because they always have their heads in the air... definitely don't take a lot of prodding to get thru a chute- just make sure the corral and alleyway is strong and TALL.....

I've heard the Saler breeders have been working hard on improving dispositions- just haven't personally seen it yet...

 

[ollie]

I have been looking into this breed lately. I would like to hear any experiences people have had with them.

There is a breeder a couple of hours from me. He said he is running 800 head, I don't think they are all pure Saler.

The breeder told me the year before he went to this breed he had 100 breed hefiers. He had to pull 35 calves and do two c-sections. The next year he used a Saler bull on 100 heifers and didn't have to do anything. The calves were about 15 lbs lighter and 75 lbs heavier at weaning.

Thanks for any input.

Why don't you go ask him how his 800 head are working for him. I doubt many of us have 800 head. If his are too hard for him to manage I wouldn't use them either , on the other hand if he can handle 800 head then I would consider them. Ask him where he gets his bulls. There is more difference within a breed than there is between breeds. Good ones and sorry ones come in all colors.

 

[BuckemRanch]

The breeder said he was had a closed program for 20 years.

 

[ollie]

They are good calving ease cattle. Take care of their young. Never heard of any calf buyer (in my area) ever wanting anything to do with them. As a matter of fact I have hear they are not good dressers and buyers saying out in the open during the sale when asked why a barn was catching so many of them that they "suck."


Scotty

Interesting the difference a sale barn makes . I was watching dvauctionline this summer and a sale barn in Neb. (burwell if I remember) sold a pot load of 450 weight dark red calves with a white switch that I would have assumed were salers for 1.45. I didn't pay alot of attention to the market but I don't think that was much discount.Maybe their buyers aren't as smart. I think they were off the 7 ranch if I remember. Maybe BP would know them. As far as carcas quality the Moore's won one of the divisions of the carcas contests at denver for years with a set of Salers.

 

[UG]

I must admit that when I read the Salers' breed association promotional literature I think I need to get into the Saler's business too. However, this may be a case of "if it looks too good to be true, it probably is."

Like the previous posts I too have heard horror stories of high-headed, nutty Saler cows. I also know of a large commercial producer who used Saler bulls "only once." I don't recall what he didn't like about the cattle but he won't use them again.

What is also concerning to me is that over the past 10 years it seems like there are significantly less Saler breeders out there, during a time when some other Continental breeds like Gelbvieh, Simmental, and Braunvieh are holding their market share or even gaining. It tells me that the Salers must not be working as well, at least in most operations, as some of the other breeds.

Another side note, I believe that Dave Nichols in Iowa used to run Salers in addition to his Angus and Simmental cattle. However, I'm not so sure he has many, if any Salers still around since I don't recall him promoting Saler cattle in recent years. Hmmm...I wonder why not?