KMacGinley":369tckhh said:
SRR: Did you post some pictures of your Welsh Black bulls a while back. They were some fine looking animals if those were yours.
I've always liked the Red Angus cattle that I've been around. Some of them look a lot better to me than most of the blacks, especially the bulls pictured in the stud catalogs.
I like my Angus, but it is getting pretty darn hard for me to pick AI sires, especially young ones, because with all the marbling selection going on the ones most of them crow about in the ads look like black holsteins to me.
Some more info on Welsh Black cattle.
Animal Description:
As a weatherproof dual-purpose breed, Welsh Black Cattle are not only easy and inexpensive to care for, but they show a large profit return!
Welsh Black Cattle tend to have extremely docile temperaments after years of management by farm wives! They are quite easy to handle, with amiable temperaments, and adapt very well to many management systems. Welsh Black Cattle are also extremely hardy. Rain, sleet, snow and wind do not seem to particularly bother them, and they can survive on even poor graze. The thick coats, which render them so hardy, also help to keep Welsh Black Cattle relatively safe from insects!
At maturity, a Welsh Black Bull will generally stand 145 centimeters at the withers and weigh about 810 kilograms. Cows follow, at about 130 centimeters tall and 550 kilograms. Usually, Welsh Black Cattle have long, thick coats, although in the summer or in warmer climates, these coats are shed into sleek, shorter hair. The name Welsh Black is a bit deceiving, because some Welsh Black Cattle are actually red! In both colors, a bit of white on the navel line is allowed. The red color in Welsh Black Cattle always breeds true, while black crosses will sometimes result in red! Welsh Black Cattle are also available in horned or polled varieties. The lactations of Welsh Black cows are long and level, lasting from nine to 11 months and yielding about 4,000 kilograms of milk per lactation. The meat of Welsh Black Cattle is also quality, with a carcass yield usually around 63 percent! Welsh Black Cattle are quite long lived, and have been known to calve even up to 20 years of age! They are hardy and are valued as a cross breeding line, imparting quick growth and general vigor to their offspring.
The Welsh Black herd book was established in 1904, after centuries of breeding. Welsh Black Cattle are descendents of pre-Roman indigenous cattle, and originally were bred as two strains: the North Wales and the South Wales types. During the 1900's, the types have been interbred into a single breed. Traditionally kept on the harsh, cold, wet pastureland of Wales, the Welsh Black breed was basically developed by nature! Only cattle that were healthy, weatherproof, able to survive on poor graze, and able to reproduce easily survived! Later, because Welsh cattle were traditionally kept by farmers' wives, the cattle with bad temperaments and poor milking records were culled by the busy women who had no time to deal with unruly or inefficient cows! Today, Welsh Black Cattle are known and loved worldwide, and continue to be valued beef, dairy and crossbreeding cattle.
Specific Care Information:
Welsh Black Cattle are very hardy and need nothing more than a bit of shelter. They do best when housed for the coldest two to six months of the year, and thrive on mixed feed. Welsh Black Cattle can survive on very poor graze due to an adaptation in the rumen. This contains special bacteria, able to break down tough vegetable fiber and allowing Welsh Black Cattle to subsist on graze that other cattle would not be able to digest!
Breeding and Propagation:
Welsh Black Cattle are renowned for their extremely easy calvings and high milk production. They reach sexual maturity at only eight months of age and continue reproducing well up into their late teens! These cows have large reproductive tracts and are excellent mothers. They will allot all physical resources to their calves even in poor seasons, growing thin while their calves grow fat! The calves are vigorous and healthy, with high rates of gain.
