Should I switch from Charolais Bulls ?

[Double J Cattle]

I have been using Charolais Bulls on my commercial cows for about three years now and I was wondering if I should get a younger of the same, or go to Hereford or Angus. With the cows I have, any of the three would work. Is it just me or did the Charolais calves go out of style with the buyers ?

 

[1848]

If Charolais are working for you why change. If the bull is covering all the bases except color I wouldn't worry about it.
The weaning weight of them charolais calves will pay off in the sale barn, and nice big females won't go out of style..let the buyers cross them with what they want!

 

[BC]

A good yellow calf will sale within a few cents of the blacks and for the most part will outweigh them so net dollars are about equal. If Charolais work for you, why change?

 

[Brandonm2]

If you don't have a strong preference, I would talk to my buyers. If the calves just go down to the auction barn, there are usually just a few order buyer guys that sit on the front row together and buy half the cattle week after week. I have never found those guys to be particularly unfriendly if you have some direct business related questions. Some barns REALLY favor the Black calves and some don't. If you THINK you are getting a price dock at your market, I don't have enough information to say that is not the case. I tend too want to say go with the Hereford and then come back with the Angus in 3-5 years; but I have not seen your cows, do not know your ranch conditions, and I know nothing about your goals or your market conditions so I am reluctant to make any suggestion.

 

[Double J Cattle]

I just had a brain fart. The only thing I am going to change is when I get a younger bull when the time comes. I'm going to stay with the Charolais. There have been a passel of cattlemen in my area switch from Charolais to black bulls in the past year or so. That was all that got me to thinking. If it aint broke, dont fix it. I am going to follow that.

 

[MikeC]

I have been using Charolais Bulls on my commercial cows for about three years now and I was wondering if I should get a younger of the same, or go to Hereford or Angus. With the cows I have, any of the three would work. Is it just me or did the Charolais calves go out of style with the buyers ?

Kinda depends on how many replacement heifers you have saved, if any. If you have, you might want another breed to add heterosis.

Might be that the "breed" of bulls you use are of lesser importance than the type calves you are selling. A good healthy, meaty, muscled calf of any color or breed will sell well.

Try retaining ownership and selling on the grid. It's the only way to know how your calves stack up in the "Final" analysis.

 

[mtnman]

If you got him as a yearling, you shouldn't need another bull for at least 5 more years anyway.

mtnman

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

I agree with MikeC,changing to a different bull (english on the continentals) would add hybrid vigor.(Murray Grey would be a good choice). ;-) :cboy:

 

[Double J Cattle]

Well, I've never kept any heifers out of my commercial herd. They all are terminal crosses. I usually buy if need be. I keep some out of my registered Brahmas every now and then. Murray gray is something I've never considered. You could be onto something there. I like the Charolais calves alot, I just started this post because there are not as many people still do in my area. Thats the answer I was wanting above all, I just went about it the wrong way in asking. I would love to look at those Murray Grays some time though.

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

This is an 18 month old MG Bull, and a yearling MG heifer. The breed would do a good job for you with your commercial cows.

 

[Brandonm2]

Nice cattle; but seriously are Murray Greys really nothing more than a linebred grey Angus tracing their patrenal lineage to Murray's grey crossbred cow? I guess if you can breed Red Anguses you might just as well breed Grey ones too; but phenotypically is there ANY significant difference between a Murray Grey and any other Angus family???

 

[LegacyBreeder]

Nice cattle; but seriously are Murray Greys really nothing more than a linebred grey Angus tracing their patrenal lineage to Murray's grey crossbred cow? I guess if you can breed Red Anguses you might just as well breed Grey ones too; but phenotypically is there ANY significant difference between a Murray Grey and any other Angus family???

To my understanding, Murray Grey is an Australian breed that was developed from a Shorthorn cow that threw gray calves when crossed with an Angus bull. It was completely unheard of, and the breeder quite liked the calves and started a program of linebreeding to create the current breed. Modern MGs are about fifty-fifty angus shorthorn in genetic makeup. Nice animals from what I can tell. So no, they aren't a Grey Angus breed. :cboy:

 

[CopeMan]

They are good looking cattle, they sure do lok alot like Char/angus cross that are so popular.

 

[CopeMan]

They are good looking cattle, they sure do look alot like Char/angus cross that are so popular.

 

[Beefy]

i wouldnt switch. i dont think they have gone out of favor around here. if you do switch i'd go with angus though i guess.

 

[Brandonm2]

I could be wrong; but as I understand it you breed UP to Murray Greys by using Murray Grey bulls on ONLY Reg Black Angus cows and registering the grey progeny. I think the same has been true in Australia so there is still a shorthorn "taint" as indicated by the grey hair coat making them slightly unique to Anguses; but phenotypically all I have ever seen look like grey Anguses. If the breed book is not now closed (and it very well could be as far as I know) a Murray Grey COULD be linebred Scotch Cap once you set the grey color pattern in a set of Registered Black Angus cows.

 

[Beefy]

that sounds like a question for Springer.

 

[Stocker Steve]

What color will a Murray Gray throw on black or red cows?