The only problem with using a Hereford bull.

[bball]

That and the fact that they may only be a month old and already have horns.

Ohh yeah, and then there is that too! :lol:

 

[Big Cheese]

I want to ask this question since we are kinda on the topic and I've been wondering this since I got in the Longhorn business. Why does the calves with the chrome and are spotted get marked off? If they are good calves and are growing good what does it matter how they look. Is it just because people think they have Longhorn in them and don't want them? Just a question I wanted to ask...figured it would make a good discussion.

That and the fact that they may only be a month old and already have horns says "Longhorn".

I never said anything about horns just the chrome.

 

[Big Cheese]

And thanks bball for the explanation. I figured that's what it was all about I was just curious about it. If you bring in a big beefy 500+ pound steer that is the cream of the crop in every way except....its spotted.....I just don't get why that would sell cheaper and why everyone wouldn't be doing whatever possible to get said calf. Just how it works I guess.

 

[TexasBred]

And thanks bball for the explanation. I figured that's what it was all about I was just curious about it. If you bring in a big beefy 500+ pound steer that is the cream of the crop in every way except....its spotted.....I just don't get why that would sell cheaper and why everyone wouldn't be doing whatever possible to get said calf. Just how it works I guess.

Cheesy here's a quote I cut and pasted from a paper done by a college professor about longhorns. He's not just a professor but also a cattleman. Most of your markets will be niche markets.

What are the markets for Texas Longhorns?

1. Breeding stock (private treaty sales and dedicated auctions)
2. Bulls for service sires
3. Steers for riding and western nostalgia
4. Stock for rodeos (ropers)
5. Cattle for organic meat, lean beef, and range-fed beef sales (as appropriate for the individual breeding program)
6. Cattle for the mainstream beef market (easy to sell at local sales barns, but typically the lowest price)

 

[Ojp6]

A lot of backgrounders have contracts with feedyards that say for example, that you have to have 70% of your calves be black on the load, no linebacker or spotted calves. This is to make sure the feedyards don't get Longhorns when they don't want them.

 

[Rafter S]

And thanks bball for the explanation. I figured that's what it was all about I was just curious about it. If you bring in a big beefy 500+ pound steer that is the cream of the crop in every way except....its spotted.....I just don't get why that would sell cheaper and why everyone wouldn't be doing whatever possible to get said calf. Just how it works I guess.

I don't know this for a fact, but if an otherwise good calf has Longhorn markings the buyers may feel that the Longhorn influence will cause them to not do as well in the feedlot (such as a poorer feed to gain conversion rate).

 

[Muddy]

Here, that spotted calf would do well here if he get sold with his half brothers no matter what the color is.

I've seen quality straight shorthorn calves get severely docked so hard than longhorn cross calves.

 

[bball]

A lot of backgrounders have contracts with feedyards that say for example, that you have to have 70% of your calves be black on the load, no linebacker or spotted calves. This is to make sure the feedyards don't get Longhorns when they don't want them.

Thanks Oj. I was hoping someone with your background would weigh in. You do some buying I thought I read somewhere. Apologies if I'm confused.

 

[TexasBred]

Here, that spotted calf would do well here if he get sold with his half brothers no matter what the color is.

I've seen quality straight shorthorn calves get severely docked so hard than longhorn cross calves.

Guess that eliminates Shorthorn and Longhorn in your area. :lol2: :lol2:

 

[bball]

Here, that spotted calf would do well here if he get sold with his half brothers no matter what the color is.

I've seen quality straight shorthorn calves get severely docked so hard than longhorn cross calves.

Guess that eliminates Shorthorn and Longhorn in your area. :lol2: :lol2:

It sure would if you had to market them exclusively at the salebarn..SH anyway. I don't mess with LH. The sad part is several studies have shown SH to produce as effectively and grade as well or better than Ang in side by side comparison.. all matters for not though if buyer doesn't want chrome. Didn't make the rules, just have to play by them (kinda ;-) )

 

[Muddy]

:idea:

Here, that spotted calf would do well here if he get sold with his half brothers no matter what the color is.

I've seen quality straight shorthorn calves get severely docked so hard than longhorn cross calves.

Guess that eliminates Shorthorn and Longhorn in your area. :lol2: :lol2:

Sad thing is that you're right on shorthorns being nearly eliminated in the area.

 

[Ojp6]

Southern MN and northern Iowa still have a pretty good market for shorthorn calves. We have one group of 20 blue roan cows that are primarily shorthorn angus cross and people will go wild over a blue roan calf at the sale barn. Our neighbor feeds out most of our calves but we take the blues to the barn because they tend to sell better than anywhere else.

 

[Ojp6]

A lot of backgrounders have contracts with feedyards that say for example, that you have to have 70% of your calves be black on the load, no linebacker or spotted calves. This is to make sure the feedyards don't get Longhorns when they don't want them.

Thanks Oj. I was hoping someone with your background would weigh in. You do some buying I thought I read somewhere. Apologies if I'm confused.

Yeah I buy a few. I actually am the one that ends up with a lot of the spotted ones and the linebacks because a couple of the guys I buy for really like them when they are .30-.50 cents a pound back of the blacks but it truly is a gamble. Even the nicest looking spotted calf can surprise you and not gain like you think they should and then there are some that will do better than the blacks. A lot of big buyers just don't want to waste time finding someone that will take the colored up ones.

 

[BC]

I want to ask this question since we are kinda on the topic and I've been wondering this since I got in the Longhorn business. Why does the calves with the chrome and are spotted get marked off? If they are good calves and are growing good what does it matter how they look. Is it just because people think they have Longhorn in them and don't want them? Just a question I wanted to ask...figured it would make a good discussion.

When a spotted calf comes off a trailer with a bunch of conservatively marked animals ( solid color), the purchaser goes to picking that animal apart. Why ask for that grief? Another thing about the half LH calves is they look real good until they get to close to 700 lbs, then the LH influence kicks in gear. They do not have the muscle thickness or bone and the feedlot performance is typically not as good as more traditional beef cattle. I had a wise old sale barn operator tell me that if you had LH cows, breed to a polled Charolais bull and don't let the calves get much bigger than 350 lbs (sell before the LH influence shows up).

 

[Muddy]

I want to ask this question since we are kinda on the topic and I've been wondering this since I got in the Longhorn business. Why does the calves with the chrome and are spotted get marked off? If they are good calves and are growing good what does it matter how they look. Is it just because people think they have Longhorn in them and don't want them? Just a question I wanted to ask...figured it would make a good discussion.

When a spotted calf comes off a trailer with a bunch of conservatively marked animals ( solid color), the purchaser goes to picking that animal apart. Why ask for that grief? Another thing about the half LH calves is they look real good until they get to close to 700 lbs, then the LH influence kicks in gear. They do not have the muscle thickness or bone and the feedlot performance is typically not as good as more traditional beef cattle. I had a wise old sale barn operator tell me that if you had LH cows, breed to a polled Charolais bull and don't let the calves get much bigger than 350 lbs (sell before the LH influence shows up).

While its good reason to rip apart on LH cross calves, it doesn't explained why they ripping apart on other colored beef breeds such as Pinzgauer and Shorthorns. Didn't you think they could tell the difference between Pinz crosses or Shorthorn crosses from Longhorn crosses?

 

[Supa Dexta]

You're just cheating the market though, and that doesn't get you far... for very long. Once a guy gets burned once feeding those out, he won't do it again. Especially if your name is attached to your cattle - And I feel a guy should stand behind his name and his animals.

 

[highgrit]

Black calves have the CAB deal helping them out. This is just a guess but I can't see where a 800lb Longhorn cow can turn out a 12 - 1400 lb steer. No matter what kind of bull you use. The final product is where the Longhorn calf looses out.

 

[bball]

A lot of backgrounders have contracts with feedyards that say for example, that you have to have 70% of your calves be black on the load, no linebacker or spotted calves. This is to make sure the feedyards don't get Longhorns when they don't want them.

Thanks Oj. I was hoping someone with your background would weigh in. You do some buying I thought I read somewhere. Apologies if I'm confused.

Yeah I buy a few. I actually am the one that ends up with a lot of the spotted ones and the linebacks because a couple of the guys I buy for really like them when they are .30-.50 cents a pound back of the blacks but it truly is a gamble. Even the nicest looking spotted calf can surprise you and not gain like you think they should and then there are some that will do better than the blacks. A lot of big buyers just don't want to waste time finding someone that will take the colored up ones.

So the reality is, if they see spotted or chrome, doesnt matter why (SH, PZ vs. LH) theyre discounting because of the inherent risk (gamble if you will)? that makes sense to me and i appreciate someone finally explaining WHY SH chrome takes a knock at the barn.

 

[Lazy M]

Because SH chrome is similar to LH markings and the buyers (even if they can tell it's a SH) don't want to explain to the feedlot managers why they are sending them a bunch of $&#@ing LH calves.

 

[Muddy]

Because SH chrome is similar to LH markings and the buyers (even if they can tell it's a SH) don't want to explain to the feedlot managers why they are sending them a bunch of $&#@ing LH calves.

So SH chrome is similar to LH markings? :???: I think roan coloring is more common in SH than in LH.