South Poll

[spoon]

Anyone raising South Poll cattle or know someone who is? I like what I have read and seen on the web but they seem to just getting a good start with their breed.

 

[Brandonm22]

I have seen Teddy Gentry's herd numerous times over the years (only actually visited twice but have driven by there dozens of times.....usually going to and from his cousin & fellow band mate Randy Owen's neighboring Polled Hereford ranch or visiting Little River Canyon). The South Polls are good, sound phenotypically correct, bomb proof, hardy little cows, that should work well in the grass fed environment Gentry designed them for. That said.....I may be biased against them, and I don't know the actual frame scores or hip heights. I also have never seen the calves formally at weaning; but JUST by my eyeball looking out the window of a truck at a herd of cows and calves they look SMALL to my eyes and I like moderate framed cows. Now in a crossbreeding regimen where they were a maternal line and you were crossing them to a bigger framed sire line, I think you would be fine. Selling pure South Poll calves into the conventional feedlot marketing system, I "think" they would often take a significant dock for their smallness.

 

[brandonm_13]

I've been doing quite a bit of research on grass finishing, so I can go more to direct marketing to increase my profit margins, and from what I've read, the smaller frame is ideal for a grass only operation. Granted, you'd probably get docked some at a sale barn, but for grass finishing, the smaller the cow, the easier it is to finish and have similar fat to muscle ratio like a grain finished animal.

 

[Brandonm22]

If the enviro wackoes close down our feedlots or the public buys into the grass finishing thing in a big way the South Poll is positioned well to capitalize when/if the industry makes that transition in the south. Up north, I think they would be too slick haired for some environments.

http://www.benttreefarms.com/SouthPoll/history.html

 

[brandonm_13]

Well, you could probably substitute Senepol with Red Poll, and then choose longer haired herefords and angus, but either way you go, I think it is a good workable breed for grass finishing.

 

[Jovid]

Well, you could probably substitute Senepol with Red Poll, and then choose longer haired herefords and angus, but either way you go, I think it is a good workable breed for grass finishing.

I like the idea of substituting with Red Poll

 

[spoon]

I've been locked out since the server change so I am a little late replying but thanks to all who replied.

 

[brandonm_13]

I'm just curious. Does anyone actually know how much Red Poll is in a Senepol? I know they were crossed with N'dama cattle, but I don't actually think I've seen the percentages.

 

[Jovid]

I'm just curious. Does anyone actually know how much Red Poll is in a Senepol? I know they were crossed with N'dama cattle, but I don't actually think I've seen the percentages.

I would say 50%

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/catt ... /index.htm