greenwillowherefords
Well-known member
I am of the opinion that we have been going about some of our discussions the wrong way. I want to use this post to make a few points without everyone being at each other's throats.
#1 Certified Hereford Beef does owe something to CAB and AAA for blazing the trail. CHB has also done quite a bit of trail-blazing itself. The growth has been quite commendable. There has even been a store chain in the Northeast that switched from CAB to CHB, as reported several months ago in the publication HW. Those of you who couldn't find it with a web search notwithstanding, there IS now a special line of CHB that is entirely Choice and above. This line IS being handled by one of the packers exclusively.
You owe it to yourself to try both CHB and CAB. They are both excellent products, and I have eaten both. I can honestly say that it would be hard to tell a difference. If you haven't tried both, don't get too arrogant in your discussion of them!
#2 There are a number of Hereford sires available that have been proven to sire high percent Choice straight bred progeny. I have seen stats on Largent and BB genetics that were going 70-80 something % Choice on over 100 head lots. I've seen Hudson Hereford sires progeny stats that went in the high 90's Choice or Prime.
#3 I have talked to a cattleman who retains ownership through the feedlot. He raises both registered and commercial Herefords, as well as black baldies. He is using some cutting edge carcass genetics. Here are some statements he made to me: They have a hard time finding an Angus bull who doesn't fall apart in their environment, which is western OK, and requires a lot of traveling to cover the cows and find forage. Meanwhile, their Hereford bulls seem to thrive on these conditions. (Before you bristle at this Frankie, I believe you have said that you didn't dispute the Hereford's foraging and range qualities) In the last few years, their straightbred Hereford steers have outperformed their baldie counterparts in the feedlot on both ADG and conversion efficiency. I have heard from another source that their straight Herefords were weighing more than the baldies at weaning. I am not making a blanket statement that this is the average, just that it is happening in some instances.
#4 Middleswarth of WY had the champion pen of commercial heifers at Denver. They were showing the only Herefords in the entire commercial show and sale, out of over a thousand head. Their average weight was 1230, and they topped the sale averaging $1400 per head. (Frankie, I agree that we can't pay much attention to the show ring, but blacks have dominated the showring for so long that it makes your statements about Herefords chasing show fads ring a little hollow)
#5 A customer raised on a Kansas farm eating both Hereford and Angus beef said that my last butcher steer was the best he'd ever eaten in his life. He was a 3/4 Hereford red baldie.
There. I've had my say. :lol:
#1 Certified Hereford Beef does owe something to CAB and AAA for blazing the trail. CHB has also done quite a bit of trail-blazing itself. The growth has been quite commendable. There has even been a store chain in the Northeast that switched from CAB to CHB, as reported several months ago in the publication HW. Those of you who couldn't find it with a web search notwithstanding, there IS now a special line of CHB that is entirely Choice and above. This line IS being handled by one of the packers exclusively.
You owe it to yourself to try both CHB and CAB. They are both excellent products, and I have eaten both. I can honestly say that it would be hard to tell a difference. If you haven't tried both, don't get too arrogant in your discussion of them!
#2 There are a number of Hereford sires available that have been proven to sire high percent Choice straight bred progeny. I have seen stats on Largent and BB genetics that were going 70-80 something % Choice on over 100 head lots. I've seen Hudson Hereford sires progeny stats that went in the high 90's Choice or Prime.
#3 I have talked to a cattleman who retains ownership through the feedlot. He raises both registered and commercial Herefords, as well as black baldies. He is using some cutting edge carcass genetics. Here are some statements he made to me: They have a hard time finding an Angus bull who doesn't fall apart in their environment, which is western OK, and requires a lot of traveling to cover the cows and find forage. Meanwhile, their Hereford bulls seem to thrive on these conditions. (Before you bristle at this Frankie, I believe you have said that you didn't dispute the Hereford's foraging and range qualities) In the last few years, their straightbred Hereford steers have outperformed their baldie counterparts in the feedlot on both ADG and conversion efficiency. I have heard from another source that their straight Herefords were weighing more than the baldies at weaning. I am not making a blanket statement that this is the average, just that it is happening in some instances.
#4 Middleswarth of WY had the champion pen of commercial heifers at Denver. They were showing the only Herefords in the entire commercial show and sale, out of over a thousand head. Their average weight was 1230, and they topped the sale averaging $1400 per head. (Frankie, I agree that we can't pay much attention to the show ring, but blacks have dominated the showring for so long that it makes your statements about Herefords chasing show fads ring a little hollow)
#5 A customer raised on a Kansas farm eating both Hereford and Angus beef said that my last butcher steer was the best he'd ever eaten in his life. He was a 3/4 Hereford red baldie.
There. I've had my say. :lol:
