Square Meaters?

[Jbrazel]

Square meaters are a breed created in the 90s and developed from Murray grey but they are smaller and bred to grow and mature really quickly.

First of all I thought of them to be just another breed that will be unpopular and won't compete with the Angus, Shorthorn, Murray grey and the other more popular breeds. However I have seen that in carcass competition they definitely compete against others and sometimes come out on top winning.

Just wondering other people's opinion on the breed.

 

[dave_shelby]

I'm at least interested, as I prefer a smaller 1000-1100 pound cow.

 

[Jbrazel]

I'm at least interested, as I prefer a smaller 1000-1100 pound cow.

Yes. Just wondering why you like a smaller cow?

 

[dave_shelby]

That is a well-cover debate, but without wading in too deep, I find that they work better in a high-density non-selective grazing regime. There are a lot of other factors to obviously so its not at the top of the list when selecting heifers.

Notably at this time of year here in VA - less compaction, pugging.

 

[Redgully]

Check out preston rise square meaters on facebook. They have a fantastic herd. The ag school my kids go to run their bulls over their cows and also buy a few steers from them. In the hoof auction in the past they have been overlooked only to score very highly on the hook. The buyers are waking up and last year did well on the hoof auction. They didn't get top but on the hook took supreme carcass. From memory they took all the top places. They finish very early and you can run more head to the acre. They are certainly solid nuggets.

 

[TwoByrdsMG]

You can also look up Square Meater Cattle USA, Dave is working with Erin to import some of those genetics including a Maneroo Fulton 2nd son.

 

[sstterry]

Those cattle look very interesting, but I wish they had been named something different.
Precisely what is the difference between them and the Murray Grey?

 

[ClinchValley86]

Those cattle look very interesting, but I wish they had been named something different.
Precisely what is the difference between them and the Murray Grey?

I dare say size mainly. MG are known for excellent carcass traits, so doesn't seem there would be much else to improve on IMO.

I'd use a MG bull in a heartbeat if a good one was within reach. I'm also a sucker for that type of color, no secret there.

 

[Jbrazel]

Those cattle look very interesting, but I wish they had been named something different.
Precisely what is the difference between them and the Murray Grey?

They are smaller and compact and I believe they mature earlier.

 

[Jbrazel]

I dare say size mainly. MG are known for excellent carcass traits, so doesn't seem there would be much else to improve on IMO.

I'd use a MG bull in a heartbeat if a good one was within reach. I'm also a sucker for that type of color, no secret there.

I believe that difference is also their earlier maturing and yes their compact smaller size. The reasoning was to have a breed to produce yearlings that are well muscled.

I also love the greys I get a bit sick of seeing so many Angus.

But I believe that the squares meaters could certainly suit a specific role of being able to grow out steers and heifers quickly.

 

[RustyTub]

Is the Grey color dominant or recessive in a grey bull over black angus cow

 

[Jbrazel]

Is the Grey color dominant or recessive in a grey bull over black angus cow

I believe that it'd be recessive and black would be dominant. But I'm not sure that's just having a guess.

 

[RockinRB]

The dilution gene is a dominant gene, so if your grey bull is homozygous dilutor then all of your calves out of black cows will be grey. If he is heterozygous, then only about 25% will be grey.

 

[farmerjan]

@dave_shelby and @sstterry ... I also am rather interested in them. I get sick of the black "thing"... the grey char x cattle do pretty good here... might be something that would catch on and not have the cattle be so big... I am all in on trying something different. I would have a few murray grey females if they were available around here... I like the way they are built, overall..

 

[Jbrazel]

Yes I like the char x breeds too. Especially right now with the Australian market on how big grass finished bullocks are selling.

 

[dave_shelby]

I've long wanted Murray Grays. There are some breeders in OH and PA but most seem to be out west. I want heat and fescue tolerance with all of the other things we are all chasing. We got Charolais here that's as close as we can get.

 

[sstterry]

@dave_shelby and @sstterry ... I also am rather interested in them. I get sick of the black "thing"... the grey char x cattle do pretty good here... might be something that would catch on and not have the cattle be so big... I am all in on trying something different. I would have a few murray grey females if they were available around here... I like the way they are built, overall..

Our farm started with Registered Charolais back in the 60's. We were one of the first to have Charolais in our area (2 tractor trailer loads came from Texas). I still have some of the original lineage on the farm. But, as True Grit once said when he was on here, "If you look at my pastures, it's like someone has thrown a box of Crayola Crayons out there." Most of those are some type of Char-x cross.

 

[mwj]

The sad thing is, if you don't sell in a package they will lose you a lot of money in today's market.

 

[ClinchValley86]

The dilution gene is a dominant gene, so if your grey bull is homozygous dilutor then all of your calves out of black cows will be grey. If he is heterozygous, then only about 25% will be grey.

how's that work with yellow color on black cows? same way?

 

[ClinchValley86]

At some point the obsession over black has to esse up a little bit, especially if numbers are as low as it'd appear. I have almost zero shade here and black just has a hard time. Last summer they used less than 5 trees all growing season. Most days no shade though.

Good bit of Murray Gray in Middle of the country on fescue. I've heard of some in NC and there someone crossing them in middle TN and selling some nice crossbred cattle. Seen them on Cattle Range a few times