Terminal Mama’s

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350farms

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Central Louisiana
In your experience what has been the better mama, F1 tiger stripe, or F1 brangus? Or do you think the 3/8x5/8 full bloods do better?
I'm located in central Louisiana -
 
It's all terminology but anything that isnt 8/8 isn't a fullblood no matter the breed.
The more knowledgeable people on here can advise you better than I about the crosses.
 
Nobody can answer that open question because we do not know the herds they source from, the selection or culling practices. You major input, regardless of the cow base, will be to use a black or Char bull to add proper color and muscling while dropping some ear. That's what I've seen in my LA experience. You can take about any cow, including a LH, and with the right bull have a decent calf. The environment there is rough, no doubt. The "pretty cows" of magazines and such will not cut it there on the forages and climate.
 
Nobody can answer that open question because we do not know the herds they source from, the selection or culling practices. You major input, regardless of the cow base, will be to use a black or Char bull to add proper color and muscling while dropping some ear. That's what I've seen in my LA experience. You can take about any cow, including a LH, and with the right bull have a decent calf. The environment there is rough, no doubt. The "pretty cows" of magazines and such will not cut it there on the forages and climate.
I know that there is a lot of variables, I am just looking for other peoples preferences for terminal calves.
 
The animal and who you are buying from will be more important than the breed. There will be junk in all four you listed and rock stars.

With them all being equal in quality you can't go wrong with any you listed but here are some general thoughts.

It is a lot easier to knock the ear off with 3/8 than 1/2.

The Braford type reds will handle flies and stuff better.

The F1s will hustle and handle poor country better, especially F1 Brafords.

You will probably pay more for the F1s over 3/8s.
 
I've heard the F1 Tiger Stripes are better mommas, but you need to be very very careful around them. They will flat run you over, stomp your skin into the soil, and compost you.

I've had F1 Brangus and I really like them. They are much more docile.

That said, I typically stick with a full blood commercial Brangus cow. They are docile and easy to find in my area. The F1 Brangus are more difficult to find and tend to run a little higher in price.
 
F1 Braford cows have a reputation for being the best momma cows there are. You have that Hertford docility that shows up in them. Angus can be TOO good of a momma, especially the first few days, and you will see a slight difference in docility with new calves between F1 Brafords and F1 Brangus cows. The past few months I have been helping a client build a herd, and we are finding the F1 Brafords to be the same price...sometimes higher...than pureblood Brafords. With either one, and given your location, you could use Brangus, or Ultrablack bulls, and get polled, black baldy calves, and the ear won't hurt you. I don't see the advantage in f1 Brangus over pureblood Brangus. If I had f1 Brangus, I'd probably go with a Hereford bull . I have a friend in south Ga that has pureblood Brangus cows, and he uses Beefmaster bulls. Ear doesn't hurt down there, and may even be a plus. The attached pdf is an excellent study on heterosis, and supports the idea that the F1 Brafords are the best cross, especially when its a Brahman bull and Hereford cows. It also supports that the best 3rd cross to use on the F1 Brafords, for maximum hybrid vigor is Angus bulls. The video attached from the Univ. of Iowa contains a chart showing the amount of DNA shared between all the different breeds. It shows that amongst the Continental breeds, there is very little diversity between them, and that most of them now carry a lot of Angus DNA, while purebred Herefords and purebred Angus have almost no shared DNA....one reason the black baldies do so well. And of course, the Brahmans share no DNA with the bos taurus breeds. This video supports the idea that the F1;s, either Braford or Brangus F1'swill yield you excellent brood cows, and that the 3rd cross for terminal claves should be either Angus on the Brafords or Herefords on the Brangus. If you can, then heck, try bth kinds of F1;s, and see what works best for you.
 

Attachments

  • GIreprooct12.pdf
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The F1 Braford is an amazing animal for a lot of reasons in the right environment.

With any thing Brahman cross I tell people buy them young and raise them. Especially if you are a small operation and will be working them by yourself or with family members. It's like getting a dog. You want a puppy if you have kids and stuff.
 
I've heard the F1 Tiger Stripes are better mommas, but you need to be very very careful around them. They will flat run you over, stomp your skin into the soil, and compost you.

I've had F1 Brangus and I really like them. They are much more docile.

That said, I typically stick with a full blood commercial Brangus cow. They are docile and easy to find in my area. The F1 Brangus are more difficult to find and tend to run a little higher in price.
I'm really interested in how a Brangus can be full blood when they are Brahma crossed with Angus. Seriously.
 
F1 Braford cows have a reputation for being the best momma cows there are. You have that Hertford docility that shows up in them. Angus can be TOO good of a momma, especially the first few days, and you will see a slight difference in docility with new calves between F1 Brafords and F1 Brangus cows. The past few months I have been helping a client build a herd, and we are finding the F1 Brafords to be the same price...sometimes higher...than pureblood Brafords. With either one, and given your location, you could use Brangus, or Ultrablack bulls, and get polled, black baldy calves, and the ear won't hurt you. I don't see the advantage in f1 Brangus over pureblood Brangus. If I had f1 Brangus, I'd probably go with a Hereford bull . I have a friend in south Ga that has pureblood Brangus cows, and he uses Beefmaster bulls. Ear doesn't hurt down there, and may even be a plus. The attached pdf is an excellent study on heterosis, and supports the idea that the F1 Brafords are the best cross, especially when its a Brahman bull and Hereford cows. It also supports that the best 3rd cross to use on the F1 Brafords, for maximum hybrid vigor is Angus bulls. The video attached from the Univ. of Iowa contains a chart showing the amount of DNA shared between all the different breeds. It shows that amongst the Continental breeds, there is very little diversity between them, and that most of them now carry a lot of Angus DNA, while purebred Herefords and purebred Angus have almost no shared DNA....one reason the black baldies do so well. And of course, the Brahmans share no DNA with the bos taurus breeds. This video supports the idea that the F1;s, either Braford or Brangus F1'swill yield you excellent brood cows, and that the 3rd cross for terminal claves should be either Angus on the Brafords or Herefords on the Brangus. If you can, then heck, try bth kinds of F1;s, and see what works best for you.

This was a very informative video, thanks for sharing it.
 
I'm really interested in how a Brangus can be full blood when they are Brahma crossed with Angus. Seriously.
I believe he meant to say a pure bred Brangus, because technically you are correct.
I think it's a misnomer to call any composite breed a purebred, but some breed associations disagree.
 
Brangus is a breed of cattle m, developed over
I'm really interested in how a Brangus can be full blood when they are Brahma crossed with Angus. Seriously.
The Brangus breed was developed over 80 years ago, by crossing Brahman and Angus. It is its own breed with its own registry.
 
I'm really interested in how a Brangus can be full blood when they are Brahma crossed with Angus. Seriously.
Great Danes were developed by crossing Irish Wolf Hounds and Bull Mastiffs. but a half IWH and 1/2 BM is NOT a Great Dane. The Thoroughbred was developed by crossing Arabians with the European cold bloods, but a 1/2 Arabian 1/2 Percheron is NOT a TB.
 
Great Danes were developed by crossing Irish Wolf Hounds and Bull Mastiffs. but a half IWH and 1/2 BM is NOT a Great Dane. The Thoroughbred was developed by crossing Arabians with the European cold bloods, but a 1/2 Arabian 1/2 Percheron is NOT a TB.
Is the Brangus herd book closed, and if so for how long?
 

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