The right kind of Black Hereford!

[chevytaHOE5674]

The problem I have with the bull in the OP is that it doesn't look like a bull. It could just as easily be a medium quality, long legged steer.
I prefer bulls to look like bulls and cows to look like cows.

I agree. I just dropped off a steer at the butcher that had his form only shorter. He will taste fine on the grill but not something I want for a bull.

 

[A.J.]

Does not change the fact that white tail feet and hocks will take a dock from lots of buyers.

They dock pretty hard for it here too. A recent example is at our local graded feeder calf sale last week they had one pen of 6 weight steers with 11 head. 10 were graded black #2 and one was graded as an OC #2. All were solid black and looked identical in size and quality, except the one they called OC had a tiny little bit of white above his hind feet. When they were bunched up together in the ring, no one could tell which one the OC was. The buyer bought the 10 solid blacks and separated the one off, and he brought 23 cents back of the others.

 

[Travlr]

mwj said:
Put that white tail and white feet and hocks on a baldy feeder and you will see the price drop quickly.

When a BH is bred to a solid cow, the calf markings are the same as when you breed a red Hereford to an angus or other solid cow.

Aaaaand here we go again. Price by color instead of price by quality. What a strange industry this is since CAB became the determinant factor in pricing.

 

[Brute 23]

This. Would have been an okay steer. He's lacking for a bull, no matter what color.

He would have got docked as a steer also. When we sell the black baldies there is a real fine line on the white and where it's located. If it goes down the kneck, up from their belly to far, too much up the legs, or on the tail, it will be a hit.

 

[simme]

Other than the Hereford thing and the homozygous black thing, I wonder what traits Warren likes about this bull. Maybe he will say. Muscle, topline, under line, legs, shoulders, length, hooks to pins, sheath, neck, head? Lots more important things than just breed and color.

 

[Warren Allison]

Other than the Hereford thing and the homozygous black thing, I wonder what traits Warren likes about this bull. Maybe he will say.

Actually I am not at all fond of Herefords, but I like black ones a lot better than red ones. As far as I am concerned, Herefords are only useful for two things: Black baldies and Brafords. Other than the homozygous for black thing, I also like the homo for polled thing. What I meant by

The right kind of Black Hereford!

is that he isn't hetera for black and/or hetera for polled, as a lot of Black Hereford bulls are.

 

[Warren Allison]

As much as I like Herefords, and I firmly believe that they are an excellent choice to cross with Angus, I don't think Hereford bulls are well suited for mixed herds if conservatively marked uniform color is the goal. The same thing can be said of the "black" Hereford. IF and only IF a "black" Hereford bull is homozygous black will the calves be black hided and if the cows are mixed with Hereford, Simmentals there is still going to be huge potential for some calves to have excess white.

No more potential for excessive white than if you used a like-patterned red Hereford.

Most all of the registered "black" Herefords I see around here are only heterozygous black, I'm sure there are a few homozygous black ones around but certainly just a few.
If somebody has predominantly Angus cows then a Hereford bull is a great option, as most present day registered Angus are not red carriers and will yield black conservatively marked BWF calves.
I really don't see a point in "black"Hereford for Angus cows when a good Hereford will get good BWF calves.

The main reason for using a homo for black and polled Hereford over a red Hereford, is that 100% of the resulting calves will also be homo for black and polled, and a lot of people retain...or sell... black baldy heifers for replacements. If you used a hetera for black Hereford, then only 75% of them would be homo for black, with 25% of them being hetera for black.

 

[Travlr]

No more potential for excessive white than if you used a like-patterned red Hereford.

The main reason for using a homo for black and polled Hereford over a red Hereford, is that 100% of the resulting calves will also be homo for black and polled, and a lot of people retain...or sell... black baldy heifers for replacements. If you used a hetera for black Hereford, then only 75% of them would be homo for black, with 25% of them being hetera for black.

Heter---o---

Hetero

 

[M.Magis]

No more potential for excessive white than if you used a like-patterned red Hereford.

Many or most traditional herefords with that much white would get cut for that very reason. I've kept black baldy steers similar to that to butcher because I knew what would happen at the barn.
But black or red, he seems to be lacking a bit.

 

[Ky hills]

No more potential for excessive white than if you used a like-patterned red Hereford.

The main reason for using a homo for black and polled Hereford over a red Hereford, is that 100% of the resulting calves will also be homo for black and polled, and a lot of people retain...or sell... black baldy heifers for replacements. If you used a hetera for black Hereford, then only 75% of them would be homo for black, with 25% of them being hetera for black.

Yes that's right, that's what I'm saying they have the same potential for for white as the red ones.
I'm still of the mindset that for a cross it's hard to beat the tried and true Angus Hereford cross. Breed those F1 BWF females back to an Angus or homozygous black Simmental. Even if sone of the F1 females were red those Angus or Simmental bulls will make for black calves