Shorthorn Knowledge

[Pnw Farmer]

For being a farmer that dislikes cows (sarcasm, I can't let my wife know she converted me) I sure seem to have a hard time getting away from this site. Lol. I thought we were done buying any breeding stock until we got some calves sold next winter but my wife came across what I think is a pretty fair deal a couple hours from us. Loss of pasture is causing somebody to downsize, $1000 a bred cow, dropping calves currently, 6-10 years old, mixed bag of Shorthorns, Herefords, Charolais, and a few Angus. I liked what I read about the Shorthorn breed during a quick research session so we put our names on 2 and my uncle always wanted a blonde on his place so he's buying a Hereford for the Hereford/Charolais calf she'll have. All 3 are bred to pure Charolais bulls. I've read all the fluffing of the Shorthorn breed on the cattle sites, good mothers, docile, fast growth, lower inputs (better feed conversion?), so on and so forth. I'm just curious what those that actually raise them have to say. These aren't pasture pets like I normally talk about but the seller speaks of her herd as being a very mellow bunch. Since we bought the handful earlier this year we got lucky and picked up another little irrigated pasture so we've got the funds and the room to take them on. Any thoughts on what color a guy can expect out of a Shorthorn/Charolais cross? I don't know what color we're getting so I know a bunch of you will groan at lack of information. Lol. We will be breeding them to purebred Angus bulls in the future. Thanks in advance.

Farmer

 

[puzzled in oregon]

Don't think you will be unhappy with the Shorthorn. Charolais x Shorthorn, white or light roan calf. Shorthorn x Angus, black or blue roan calf.

 

[Lucky_P]

We used Shorthorn sires for several years, over mostly 3/4AN-1/4SM cows.
Really liked what we got from that cross, and made me think that cattlemen are really missing something by not using Shorthorns in a beef crossbreeding system - particularly if you're not in a situation where the buyers are fixated on black hide... We used only solid red bulls... no whites or roans... I knew I was gonna be in for a hit on red calves, much less any with roaning or chrome.
That said, there is probably as much variation in the Shorthorn breed as in any other, and I had friends in the breed who told me, 'There are two worlds in this breed... the 'show' world, and the commercial world'... and while there are some that can go back and forth between the two, most have to play in one sandbox or the other.
We stayed away from the big hair, big bone, high birthweight stuff, and primarily went with sires from commercially oriented operations, like Snead, Kaper, Waukaru.
Waukaru is probably the 'SAV' of the Shorthorn breed - they're probably the most performanc-oriented and well-documented herd in the country, with regard to records on growth, ADG, carcass traits, etc. We loved our Wakaru GoldMine and Coppertop daughters, but GoldCard, Orion, and Patent daughters just required too much feed - but their steer counterparts really grew! Really liked my Snead '034' daughters, too. Had hoped to try a straw or two of DRC 101VM(Dover), but never got around to it before we sold out.
Dispositions were good on all our halfblood Shorthorns, but we'd already culled any wild/crazy stuff out of the base cowherd.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Any thoughts on what color a guy can expect out of a Shorthorn/Charolais cross? I don't know what color we're getting so I know a bunch of you will groan at lack of information. Lol. We will be breeding them to purebred Angus bulls

Farmer

A growthy diluted discounted calf.

 

[Travlr]

For being a farmer that dislikes cows (sarcasm, I can't let my wife know she converted me) I sure seem to have a hard time getting away from this site. Lol. I thought we were done buying any breeding stock until we got some calves sold next winter but my wife came across what I think is a pretty fair deal a couple hours from us. Loss of pasture is causing somebody to downsize, $1000 a bred cow, dropping calves currently, 6-10 years old, mixed bag of Shorthorns, Herefords, Charolais, and a few Angus. I liked what I read about the Shorthorn breed during a quick research session so we put our names on 2 and my uncle always wanted a blonde on his place so he's buying a Hereford for the Hereford/Charolais calf she'll have. All 3 are bred to pure Charolais bulls. I've read all the fluffing of the Shorthorn breed on the cattle sites, good mothers, docile, fast growth, lower inputs (better feed conversion?), so on and so forth. I'm just curious what those that actually raise them have to say. These aren't pasture pets like I normally talk about but the seller speaks of her herd as being a very mellow bunch. Since we bought the handful earlier this year we got lucky and picked up another little irrigated pasture so we've got the funds and the room to take them on. Any thoughts on what color a guy can expect out of a Shorthorn/Charolais cross? I don't know what color we're getting so I know a bunch of you will groan at lack of information. Lol. We will be breeding them to purebred Angus bulls in the future. Thanks in advance.

Farmer

Shorthorn were a foundation breed used to create Beefmaster. They will generally bring a lot of mothering ability to a crossbreeding program. But there are two distinct types, one more dairy and one more meat oriented. Personally I'd rather have a dairy shorthorn cross cow in my pasture than any other dairy cross cow.

They will raise a big calf, fast, with the right bull on them.

 

[coachg]

Possibly a solid white calf or at worse a roan . My dad and I raised shorthorn for years . In the south their longer hair is not practical and black calves bring better prices . If the playing field was level for them I would be raising Shorthorns !

 

[Pnw Farmer]

Thanks for the replies so far. I should of specified these girls are beef Shorthorn and my wife requested she holds 2 blue roans for us. Maybe we can market the future Angus crosses as mostly black cattle. Lol. I was just curious from those that have raised them if there're any "quirks" or tendencies to the breed. I understand that each individual may be different from it's herd mates but I was curious if anybody has seen a Shorthorn act in a different manner than other breeds out there. Thanks again.

Farmer

 

[puzzled in oregon]

Thanks for the replies so far. I should of specified these girls are beef Shorthorn and my wife requested she holds 2 blue roans for us. Maybe we can market the future Angus crosses as mostly black cattle. Lol. I was just curious from those that have raised them if there're any "quirks" or tendencies to the breed. I understand that each individual may be different from it's herd mates but I was curious if anybody has seen a Shorthorn act in a different manner than other breeds out there. Thanks again.

Farmer

I have never seen a Shorthorn act like Corriente

 

[Pnw Farmer]

Haha, I wondered if I left that a little too open ended. Among the more standard beef breeds, Charolais, Angus, Hereford, Sims, and the like.

 

[Pnw Farmer]

If they acted like a Jersey I'd be tickled pink. Lol. Most of our Jerseys have been super sweet.

 

[TomA]

We have had shorthorns for years. Love their temperament. seems like they eat more than others but have no comparison.

 

[Pnw Farmer]

Thanks Tom, that seems to be a common factor in my research and why we decided to pick up a couple. I know every breed has its outliers and wild ones but the general consensus is that they've got mellow dispositions. Do yours push fences or are they pretty content to stay on their side of the line. Maybe that last question is more of an individual animal basis instead of covering an entire breed.

Farmer

 

[coachg]

We kept ours in a pasture with a single stand of electric wire .