The "Stand Alone" Breed

[ALACOWMAN]

I have seen them standing alone in ponds many of a time

And under the shade trees..........

Now that I own some well bred registered Angus cows, I see cows laying down for what it is... efficiency. My angus cows get up, eat, and go lay back down while the Charolais and crossbreds eat... and eat... and eat... The calves from the white cows are a little bigger but not enough to justify the extra feed costs.
And yes, it gets HOT here to. We typically hit one-fifteen at least twice a year with a month of one hundred and the behavior is about the same on most of the cows. The big ones suffer more than the little ones regardless of color.

but you can go out at midnight and see them playing catchup while the others or laying down. i dont care if they do stand in a pond or in the shade, as long as their ready to load out at sale time

 

[vclavin]

http://www.angus.org/pub/newsroom/releases/11510_CABAngusAdvantage.aspx

This article should get you going!

Valerie

Are you playing the devil's advocate here?? ;-)

We raise both xbreeds and reg Angus. Although I am not "entirely sold" on the above article, I have to admit that the xbreeds we have on our farm have never grown as well as the reg Angus....(huge doesn't necessarily grow fastest) at least not until they are at least 3/4 blood. Also, the higher the % Angus the better the carcass quality.
CAB is not restricted to pure Angus due to the "low" numbers that qualify for that status. If breeders keep up with carcass and not overdue the growth then someday only Angus would be CAB. There's too much money involved for Angus to "go away".
That said, We are planning to AI a few 3/4 angus to Hereford . Can't wait to get them ultrasounded when yearling.
Valerie
Our vet has a small feedlot and states that the cattle only need to grow to 1200lbs by 15 months of age. He states most cattle can not do this! Low quality...maybe

 

[ALACOWMAN]

http://www.angus.org/pub/newsroom/releases/11510_CABAngusAdvantage.aspx

This article should get you going!

Valerie

Are you playing the devil's advocate here?? ;-)

We raise both xbreeds and reg Angus. Although I am not "entirely sold" on the above article, I have to admit that the xbreeds we have on our farm have never grown as well as the reg Angus....(huge doesn't necessarily grow fastest) at least not until they are at least 3/4 blood. Also, the higher the % Angus the better the carcass quality.
CAB is not restricted to pure Angus due to the "low" numbers that qualify for that status. If breeders keep up with carcass and not overdue the growth then someday only Angus would be CAB. There's too much money involved for Angus to "go away".
That said, We are planning to AI a few 3/4 angus to Hereford . Can't wait to get them ultrasounded when yearling.
Valerie
Our vet has a small feedlot and states that the cattle only need to grow to 1200lbs by 15 months of age. He states most cattle can not do this! Low quality...maybe[/quote] doubt it

 

[angus9259]

I wonder why less than 2% of CAB is 100% Angus.
Having said that I also beleive the Angus assoc. has done an outstanding job at educating their members in how to raise and breed better beef. They have done a lot for the beef industry as a whole.

When it came to marketing their breed it was pure genius. The down side is most every breed has turned into a septic tank of Angus genetics to get a black hide. We are losing some beautiful cattle bred for hundreds of years for specific traits by infusing Angus genetics to get a black hide.

My vet (who raises simmental) shakes her head at the same issue with her own association. To her, it's almost as if they promote sim-angus more than they promote simmental. She wonders (jokingly) if sim-angus will be the new simmental breed. Some might argue - if they're black, they already are the new simmental breed.

 

[cow pollinater]

Do you wear black when it's 115 degrees ?

No, I wear dark blue coveralls with dark blue jeans underneath year round. And most of my hats are dark blue canvas. after the regular job I peel off the coveralls and go with just dark blue jeans and shirt. I've never felt so hot that I feel the need to switch to a different color.

 

[cow pollinater]

but you can go out at midnight and see them playing catchup while the others or laying down.

:mrgreen: Nice try... You picked the wrong guy to pick on since I happen to get up at midnight for my 1:30 start time with the breeding service and during the summer months I'll usually get up a little earlier to fit in a few irrigation changing trips on the pasture before the route starts and I've never seen any differances between the breeds as far as night behavior. I'm convinced it's efficiency.

 

[novatech]

but you can go out at midnight and see them playing catchup while the others or laying down.

:mrgreen: Nice try... You picked the wrong guy to pick on since I happen to get up at midnight for my 1:30 start time with the breeding service and during the summer months I'll usually get up a little earlier to fit in a few irrigation changing trips on the pasture before the route starts and I've never seen any differances between the breeds as far as night behavior. I'm convinced it's efficiency.

A cow on irrigated fertilized pasture does not have to eat near as much as a cow scraping where you can only run a cow per 25 acres.
From the reports I have read there is nothing efficient about irrigating a pasture.
From my perspective efficiency may not mean the most efficient cow but rather the most efficient system in providing the consumer with what they want with the lowest input cost. An efficient cow is not only able to convert low quality feed/forage into beef but also maintain good fertility and health, while at the same time producing palatable meat.
More than likely most people will not observe how much their cattle graze during the summer. Most cattle, Brahman included, will graze through the night during the high heat of summer. This means you will see them lying around quite a bit during the day. This has nothing to do with efficiency. With out weighing and doing protein tests on every ounce consumed any opinion on efficiency can be nothing more than barn blind opinions.

 

[novatech]

but you can go out at midnight and see them playing catchup while the others or laying down.

:mrgreen: Nice try... You picked the wrong guy to pick on since I happen to get up at midnight for my 1:30 start time with the breeding service and during the summer months I'll usually get up a little earlier to fit in a few irrigation changing trips on the pasture before the route starts and I've never seen any differances between the breeds as far as night behavior. I'm convinced it's efficiency.

A cow on irrigated fertilized pasture does not have to eat near as much as a cow scraping where you can only run a cow per 25 acres.
From the reports I have read there is nothing efficient about irrigating a pasture.
From my perspective efficiency may not mean the most efficient cow but rather the most efficient system in providing the consumer with what they want with the lowest input cost. An efficient cow is not only able to convert low quality feed/forage into beef but also maintain good fertility and health, while at the same time producing palatable meat.
More than likely most people will not observe how much their cattle graze during the summer. Most cattle, Brahman included, will graze through the night during the high heat of summer. This means you will see them lying around quite a bit during the day. This has nothing to do with efficiency. With out weighing and doing protein tests on every ounce consumed any opinion on efficiency can be nothing more than barn blind opinions.

 

[Jovid]

http://www.angus.org/pub/newsroom/releases/11510_CABAngusAdvantage.aspx

This article should get you going!

Valerie

Are you playing the devil's advocate here?? ;-)

We raise both xbreeds and reg Angus. Although I am not "entirely sold" on the above article, I have to admit that the xbreeds we have on our farm have never grown as well as the reg Angus....(huge doesn't necessarily grow fastest) at least not until they are at least 3/4 blood. Also, the higher the % Angus the better the carcass quality.
CAB is not restricted to pure Angus due to the "low" numbers that qualify for that status. If breeders keep up with carcass and not overdue the growth then someday only Angus would be CAB. There's too much money involved for Angus to "go away".
That said, We are planning to AI a few 3/4 angus to Hereford . Can't wait to get them ultrasounded when yearling.
Valerie
Our vet has a small feedlot and states that the cattle only need to grow to 1200lbs by 15 months of age. He states most cattle can not do this! Low quality...maybe

Our Red Polls can. We have been able to get them to 1200 lbs in 14 months and grade high choice with a YG 2 or less.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

but you can go out at midnight and see them playing catchup while the others or laying down.

:mrgreen: Nice try... You picked the wrong guy to pick on since I happen to get up at midnight for my 1:30 start time with the breeding service and during the summer months I'll usually get up a little earlier to fit in a few irrigation changing trips on the pasture before the route starts and I've never seen any differances between the breeds as far as night behavior. I'm convinced it's efficiency.

not picking on you, i just dont sugar coat things.. ive seen em do it to many times :mrgreen:

 

[Caustic Burno]

but you can go out at midnight and see them playing catchup while the others or laying down.

:mrgreen: Nice try... You picked the wrong guy to pick on since I happen to get up at midnight for my 1:30 start time with the breeding service and during the summer months I'll usually get up a little earlier to fit in a few irrigation changing trips on the pasture before the route starts and I've never seen any differances between the breeds as far as night behavior. I'm convinced it's efficiency.

A cow on irrigated fertilized pasture does not have to eat near as much as a cow scraping where you can only run a cow per 25 acres.
From the reports I have read there is nothing efficient about irrigating a pasture.
From my perspective efficiency may not mean the most efficient cow but rather the most efficient system in providing the consumer with what they want with the lowest input cost. An efficient cow is not only able to convert low quality feed/forage into beef but also maintain good fertility and health, while at the same time producing palatable meat.
More than likely most people will not observe how much their cattle graze during the summer. Most cattle, Brahman included, will graze through the night during the high heat of summer. This means you will see them lying around quite a bit during the day. This has nothing to do with efficiency. With out weighing and doing protein tests on every ounce consumed any opinion on efficiency can be nothing more than barn blind opinions.

If you really want to find out if there efficient put them on Bahia grass. This will seperate them fast from those than can and can't.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

but you can go out at midnight and see them playing catchup while the others or laying down.

:mrgreen: Nice try... You picked the wrong guy to pick on since I happen to get up at midnight for my 1:30 start time with the breeding service and during the summer months I'll usually get up a little earlier to fit in a few irrigation changing trips on the pasture before the route starts and I've never seen any differances between the breeds as far as night behavior. I'm convinced it's efficiency.

A cow on irrigated fertilized pasture does not have to eat near as much as a cow scraping where you can only run a cow per 25 acres.
From the reports I have read there is nothing efficient about irrigating a pasture.
From my perspective efficiency may not mean the most efficient cow but rather the most efficient system in providing the consumer with what they want with the lowest input cost. An efficient cow is not only able to convert low quality feed/forage into beef but also maintain good fertility and health, while at the same time producing palatable meat.
More than likely most people will not observe how much their cattle graze during the summer. Most cattle, Brahman included, will graze through the night during the high heat of summer. This means you will see them lying around quite a bit during the day. This has nothing to do with efficiency. With out weighing and doing protein tests on every ounce consumed any opinion on efficiency can be nothing more than barn blind opinions.

thats true, and because they take the best opportunity to graze its nature, i walk out on my front porch after 10pm, and the cattle are grazing after a hot humid day.... i aint shocked by it

 

[Jake]

I'm with Alacowman in I fail to see the problem with the black cows being in the shade or swimming in the pond. There is NO noticible difference between the production on our reds vs. our blacks. A cow is going to spend a similar amount of time grazing every day with the majority of that grazing coming at night. Being prey animals cows always have and probably always will be primarily nocturnal creatures. Sure they will be up grazing during the day but their natural instincts are the same as the deer. Mull around all day and stay alert all night.

 

[vclavin]

I think being a "Stand ALone" breed would be neat especially since it's referring to the Breed we raise. That said, not every animal of Reg Angus blood can be in the "Stand Alone" slot. I Love these gentle creatures but their data simply cannot be scientic ... all were not raised the same, or in the same environment, and probably not the same vaccine regime. Too many variables to be completely true and must admit a good try at gaining market share.
As far as the 1200lbs at 15 months of age, mine perform as well. The real point is this.... many are getting this weight at yearling. Why push the growth so fast when it's only needed to achieve the weight at 15 months?
Valerie