Starting Fresh

[High Cotton]

I have a couple questions. If you were starting over or starting from scratch. For a commercial herd what your breed choice be for cows and the bulls and why. I live in West Tennessee. Angus and angus cross black baldies seem to well at the sale. I was thinking about starting with angus cows and an angus bull. Keep my heifers and in a few years buy a smaller Hereford bull to breed back the young heifers. Then as I replace the angus bulls I can put those now 3+ year old heifers back in to the main herd. This is nothing set in stone. This is from what I have gathered from reading on here, hours of google searches, and going to the sale barn. Am I going in the right direction?

 

[tsmaxx47]

doesen't sound like a bad plan for a commercial operation, i have a neighbor down the road that is doing the same thing. his hereford bull produced some fine looking baldie calves this Spring. What is your ultimate goal? how big a herd do you want to develop and where are you planning to buy your foundation stock? and welcome to the site!

 

[oscar p]

If I were to start over. I would buy,Brangus or brangus type cows,and put a Hereford bull over them.The calves should be white faced,with just a touch of leather. The heifers will make some stand up cows. The bulls calves will bring top dollar over the scales.

 

[Isomade]

I buy brangus and brangus baldy cows. I run Charolais bulls for a strictly terminal operation. I really like the program. The only downfall is the lack of quality replacement cows available. I prefer to buy pairs with first calf at side. I have to do a lot of looking to find then quality of cow I want. Othernthan that I wouldn't change.

 

[High Cotton]

My ultimate goal is about 300 head and to own the land. I would like to start with about 50 head. I haven't really beat the bushes to hard for foundation stock yet. If things work out like what I'm hoping its gonna be next fall before I bring cows in. I've found a few places I'm interested and hopefully I will be able to talk to the land owners this week. I have heard it both ways get cows in the spring get them in the fall. What's ya'lls opinion? My thinking behind getting them in the fall. It would give me all summer to get my pastures where I want them. Right now I'm doing my research and getting my ducks in a row so to speak. My dad farmed in the 70's and early 80's. He sold out before I was really old enough to remember. Several dry years and losing his hay ground in the middle of the summer put him out. Growing up he was always helping neighbors and or friends and naturally I was his shadow. As I got older I would work for an older man but he just had a small hobby heard. I'm not completely lost but not by anymeans know everything. This is my chance to go out on my own and do it for my self.

I had considered brangus. My only real draw back is there doesn't seem to be as many available in my area. My dad ran Brangus bulls with Hereford cows. He told me the same thing as you Oscar.

Thanks for the warm welcome.

 

[High Cotton]

I buy brangus and brangus baldy cows. I run Charolais bulls for a strictly terminal operation. I really like the program. The only downfall is the lack of quality replacement cows available. I prefer to buy pairs with first calf at side. I have to do a lot of looking to find then quality of cow I want. Othernthan that I wouldn't change.

Do you have many problems with calving?

 

[Isomade]

I buy brangus and brangus baldy cows. I run Charolais bulls for a strictly terminal operation. I really like the program. The only downfall is the lack of quality replacement cows available. I prefer to buy pairs with first calf at side. I have to do a lot of looking to find then quality of cow I want. Othernthan that I wouldn't change.

Do you have many problems with calving?

No. The last 20 years has done a lot for Charolais birth weights. I currently run Gridmaker and Trademark bulls.

 

[jscunn]

West Tn is far enough north that any brahman influenced cattle will take a beating at the sale barn. IMO

I would start with baldie female and breed her back to the Angus bull. If you breed her to a Hereford gonna get some reds which will also be docked at the barn. The one real advantage of the baldie over the straight Angus or Hereford is the fertility advantage of the baldie. Using the Angus bull gives you the black hide, and the more percent Angus in the calf the better the chance it has of qualifying for CAB, studies have shown. Now all you have to do is find some good baldie females, shouldnt be too hard in your area.

 

[BC]

West Tn is far enough north that any brahman influenced cattle will take a beating at the sale barn. IMO

I would start with baldie female and breed her back to the Angus bull. If you breed her to a Hereford gonna get some reds which will also be docked at the barn. The one real advantage of the baldie over the straight Angus or Hereford is the fertility advantage of the baldie. Using the Angus bull gives you the black hide, and the more percent Angus in the calf the better the chance it has of qualifying for CAB, studies have shown. Now all you have to do is find some good baldie females, shouldnt be too hard in your area.

The highest priced calves I have seen lately at sale barns were Charolais cross. Seems with so many black calves now, there is not as much premium for them as there was several years ago.

 

[angus9259]

West Tn is far enough north that any brahman influenced cattle will take a beating at the sale barn. IMO

I would start with baldie female and breed her back to the Angus bull. If you breed her to a Hereford gonna get some reds which will also be docked at the barn. The one real advantage of the baldie over the straight Angus or Hereford is the fertility advantage of the baldie. Using the Angus bull gives you the black hide, and the more percent Angus in the calf the better the chance it has of qualifying for CAB, studies have shown. Now all you have to do is find some good baldie females, shouldnt be too hard in your area.

My thoughts are similar but I might go a step further and start with Hereford cows and put an angus bull on them from the get go - make your own baldy replacements. Then either keep running a angus bull on top of those or choose something to produce a black 3 way cross. In any event, I would start with some good hereford stock and an angus bull.

 

[jscunn]

If you were gonna create the baldie I would do it the other way, Angus cows Hereford bull. The Hereford cow/Angus bull had lower weaning weights and a higher cull percentage on both cow and calf than the Angus cow/Hereford bull did on our place. Besides easier to find good Angus cows/heifers than good Hereford cows. Since he lives in TN he is close to alot of good Hereford breeders to find a bull. I just think if he sells the resulting baldie heifers at weaning to the stockyard he is giving away the best parts of that cross (fertility and milking ability).

 

[dieselbeef]

im trending into beefmasters

 

[Angus Cowman]

If you were gonna create the baldie I would do it the other way, Angus cows Hereford bull. The Hereford cow/Angus bull had lower weaning weights and a higher cull percentage on both cow and calf than the Angus cow/Hereford bull did on our place. Besides easier to find good Angus cows/heifers than good Hereford cows. Since he lives in TN he is close to alot of good Hereford breeders to find a bull. I just think if he sells the resulting baldie heifers at weaning to the stockyard he is giving away the best parts of that cross (fertility and milking ability).

I agree with this and then if he wanted he could cross the hfrs to a good( bald faced) sim angus bull and get some great calves

 

[ALACOWMAN]

If you were gonna create the baldie I would do it the other way, Angus cows Hereford bull. The Hereford cow/Angus bull had lower weaning weights and a higher cull percentage on both cow and calf than the Angus cow/Hereford bull did on our place. Besides easier to find good Angus cows/heifers than good Hereford cows. Since he lives in TN he is close to alot of good Hereford breeders to find a bull. I just think if he sells the resulting baldie heifers at weaning to the stockyard he is giving away the best parts of that cross (fertility and milking ability).

yep,,, if i sold them at all it would be to other producers

 

[High Cotton]

im trending into beefmasters

I have heard beefmasters can be a cattleman's nightmare during calving season. Is this hearsay?

I was thinking angus cows, angus bull, and a smaller Hereford bull to breed young heifers. My reasoning was I would produce what seems to be popular in my area. Most of the larger herds seem to be angus or F1 Angus cross. That's what seems to sell well here. How bad are 200 Hereford when it comes to pink eye? I helped doctor a few cows with it and it seems like one one gets it 10 get it alsf

As far as brangus or cows crossed with bramaha. Where do the stockers go when they leave the sale? I know it's not uncommon to see trucks loads leaving with Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas on the door. There doesn't seem to be many stocker operations in my area.

Keep the replies coming.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

im trending into beefmasters

I have heard beefmasters can be a cattleman's nightmare during calving season. Is this hearsay? I was thinking angus cows, angus bull, and a smaller Hereford bull to breed young heifers. My reasoning was I would produce what seems to be popular in my area. Most of the larger herds seem to be angus or F1 Angus cross. That's what seems to sell well here. How bad are 200 Hereford when it comes to pink eye? I helped doctor a few cows with it and it seems like one one gets it 10 get it alsf

As far as brangus or cows crossed with bramaha. Where do the stockers go when they leave the sale? I know it's not uncommon to see trucks loads leaving with Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas on the door. There doesn't seem to be many stocker operations in my area.

Keep the replies coming.

don't know who told you that,, but their more like a ""dream'' as for as calving

 

[Kingfisher]

im trending into beefmasters

What do you get if you X beefmaster bull onto an Angus cow?

 

[High Cotton]

im trending into beefmasters

I have heard beefmasters can be a cattleman's nightmare during calving season. Is this hearsay? I was thinking angus cows, angus bull, and a smaller Hereford bull to breed young heifers. My reasoning was I would produce what seems to be popular in my area. Most of the larger herds seem to be angus or F1 Angus cross. That's what seems to sell well here. How bad are 200 Hereford when it comes to pink eye? I helped doctor a few cows with it and it seems like one one gets it 10 get it alsf

As far as brangus or cows crossed with bramaha. Where do the stockers go when they leave the sale? I know it's not uncommon to see trucks loads leaving with Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas on the door. There doesn't seem to be many stocker operations in my area.

Keep the replies coming.

don't know who told you that,, but their more like a ""dream'' as for as calving

I was going on what my dad told me and a few other people. My dad worked for a man who had beefmaster seed stock operation. He said they were always pulling calves. One thing about this though it was 20 years ago. Selective breeding has probaly changed alot of the negative traits in alot of breeds.

 

[High Cotton]

Double post.... Stupid IPhone!!!

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I have heard beefmasters can be a cattleman's nightmare during calving season. Is this hearsay? I was thinking angus cows, angus bull, and a smaller Hereford bull to breed young heifers. My reasoning was I would produce what seems to be popular in my area. Most of the larger herds seem to be angus or F1 Angus cross. That's what seems to sell well here. How bad are 200 Hereford when it comes to pink eye? I helped doctor a few cows with it and it seems like one one gets it 10 get it alsf

As far as brangus or cows crossed with bramaha. Where do the stockers go when they leave the sale? I know it's not uncommon to see trucks loads leaving with Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas on the door. There doesn't seem to be many stocker operations in my area.

Keep the replies coming.[/quote] don't know who told you that,, but their more like a ""dream'' as for as calving[/quote]
I was going on what my dad told me and a few other people. My dad worked for a man who had beefmaster seed stock operation. He said they were always pulling calves. One thing about this though it was 20 years ago. Selective breeding has probaly changed alot of the negative traits in alot of breeds.[/quote] nope,, thats what screwed it up... people messing with a good thing... do some research on beefmaster cattle, calving it one of their strong suits