Some Murray Grey Cows

[Backbone Ranch]

We purchased around 20 Murray Grey females at the first of the month. They ranged in age from weaned heifers to 7 1/2 year old cows. The photos below show a handful of them. I am really excited to see how these females will impact our breeding program in the future.

This cow is OK Fran. She was born in 2007; we have two of her daughters in our herd currently and we really like them. Fran weaned a great looking bull calf this year. She weighs 1,284 lbs.

The cow below is a 4 1/2 year old. She is registered under the name OK Bee Happy. She is the dam of one our favorite 18 month old heifers. She weighs 1,380 lbs.

This next female is OK Honey Comb. She is a 5 1/2 year old. She comes from a very good dam line. She currently weighs 1,212 lbs.

The cow below is OK Sally. She is a 4 1/2 year old and weaned an exceptional heifer this year. She is a full sibling to our current herd sire. Sally weighs 1,332 lbs currently.

This cow is Ozark Mamie. She is a 3 1/2 year old and a half sister to some of the younger females in our herd. She has a really nice temperament.

This female is Ozark Sugar. She too is 3 1/2 years old and is a half sister to Ozark Mamie. She weighs 1,093 lbs currently.

This last photo shows WR Mystic Quartz. She is a 4 1/2 year old and is out of some very good bloodlines. Both her sire and dam are very deep bodied and wide. Mystic Quartz weighs 1,402 lbs.

 

[A.J.]

Those are some beefy mamas. Hope they work out well for you.

 

[Kingfisher]

Where did you get them?
Seen any deer? :)

 

[anewcomer]

Backbone, even before this addition, you have the nicest cow herd in America.

 

[angus9259]

Boy I love Murray Greys - those are beauties! I wish something other than black would sell up here.....

 

[Williamsv]

Beautiful cows! I really like those Murray Grey's.

 

[Backbone Ranch]

I really appreciate the comments and feedback that have been given. I really think that many of these cows will leave an impact on our herd in the future. As I said a bit earlier in the thread, I am very eager to see their calves that will be born next spring. I will try to get some photos of the bull that will be the sire of the majority of next spring's calves from these cows.

 

[Backbone Ranch]

Where did you get them?
Seen any deer? :)

We purchased them from Beaver Creek Farms in Lawton, OK. They have been in the Murray Grey business since 1995; we have found that their genetics produce cattle that are extremely efficient on grass and that the steers finish really well on grass alone. They have done a great job preserving the carcass traits that made the breed popular during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.

I have seen quite a few does, some small bucks, and some very large 10 point bucks over the past few weeks. It does not seem like the rut has started yet in our neck of the woods.

 

[texast]

I really enjoy seeing your cattle. They're full of body. I would love to see that cross with a Brahman, and on average how's their deposition? They seem pretty calm.

 

[Backbone Ranch]

I really enjoy seeing your cattle. They're full of body. I would love to see that cross with a Brahman, and on average how's their deposition? They seem pretty calm.

Murray Greys have a great disposition as a breed. We can ear tag and weigh our calves at birth without being run down my the cows. Many in our herd will allow us to scratch them behind the ears or under the chin.

Murray Greys cross exceptionally well with Brahman. Here is a link to a Greyman (Murray Grey x Brahman) breeder in Australia and a link to a thread on these boards that has some pics of a greyman heifer.
http://gilmandykegreyman.com.au/gallery/
http://www.cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=94160&p=1177637&hilit=pelion#p1177637

 

[texast]

Thanks for the reply I've viewed that site loves it!!! I like the cross a lot.

 

[cotton1]

Beautiful cattle! Im trying to get my frame score and weights down in my Charolais herd. The cattle you posted pictures of seem like the ideal frame and weight to me. I love how your cows are put together,and look uniform. Curiously what are the frame scores typically in your herd or in the Murray Grey breed? Are your bulls similarly sized? I bought a new bull in the spring thats a 6.1fs, and have gotten some of my cows down to fs5.8-6.2 range over the last few years. Just wondering if thats still too much legg. I was shooting for 1300lb with that. I love the shape and look of your cattle, congrats on some fancy looking additions!

 

[Backbone Ranch]

Beautiful cattle! Im trying to get my frame score and weights down in my Charolais herd. The cattle you posted pictures of seem like the ideal frame and weight to me. I love how your cows are put together,and look uniform. Curiously what are the frame scores typically in your herd or in the Murray Grey breed? Are your bulls similarly sized? I bought a new bull in the spring thats a 6.1fs, and have gotten some of my cows down to fs5.8-6.2 range over the last few years. Just wondering if thats still too much legg. I was shooting for 1300lb with that. I love the shape and look of your cattle, congrats on some fancy looking additions!

There is a lot of range in frame within all breeds, including the Murray Grey breed. Most of the cows in our herd are around a frame score 4; we have a few that a little bit larger and others that are a little bit smaller than our herd average, but we intend to keep our cattle at this frame. Our current herd sires are between a frame score 3 and 4. They are both 3 1/2 years old currently. After breeding cows all summer, they both weighed over 1,600 lbs. Both of them will probably still put on more pounds as they get older. I have attached a photo of one of primary herd sires. He is pictured in breeding condition during the middle of the summer.

 

[cotton1]

They sure are nice! Im trying to figure out the right frame to weight ratio. Looks like your cattle are about perfect, I dont blame you for trying to maintain their frames, etc. Im not sure that I can get my Charolais down in frame that much, but maybe my finished weight objective is not realistic. I feel like the size cattle you have are the right kind to make effecient breeding stock, and that is why my goals are to get somewhere in there within reason. I am guilty of buying big cows in the past and still have quite a few 17-1800 lb mamas. I love to look at them, but their babys are weaning about the same as the 1200 lb mamas. No brainer. Thanks for sharing the pictures and info!

 

[Backbone Ranch]

This bull is registered under the name OK Buford. He bred most of the cows that I posted photos of in this thread. He is a 3 1/2 year old and weighs 1,620 lbs.

The cow below is his dam. She is currently 7 1/2 years old and raised a great looking heifer calf this year.

This is Buford's sire as a 5 year old.