I am about start buying some cattle. These will be sale barn specials nothing fancy anything I can get. I am thinking of putting them on brahma bulls and keep heifers out of the to upgrade. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Using Brahman Bulls to upgrade your herd
- Thread starter Newcutter
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Buying from the sale barn makes me a little nervous but people do it all the time. If you have experience with it it can be a good deal.
I love Brahman cattle as much as the next person but don't feel like you have to go with a full blood Brahman bull to get good mommas. For one a good Brahman bull can be pretty pricey. Two, you will take a beating on the bull calves at auction. A Brangus, Braford, Beefmaster, ect bull can still produce great mommas and you won't get hit as hard on the bull calves. Even a 1/2 or 3/4 blood bulls would work great in that scenario also.
Where are you located by chance?
I love Brahman cattle as much as the next person but don't feel like you have to go with a full blood Brahman bull to get good mommas. For one a good Brahman bull can be pretty pricey. Two, you will take a beating on the bull calves at auction. A Brangus, Braford, Beefmaster, ect bull can still produce great mommas and you won't get hit as hard on the bull calves. Even a 1/2 or 3/4 blood bulls would work great in that scenario also.
Where are you located by chance?
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Wrong way to do it you are asking for train wrecks. There is a phenomenNewcutter":udqm18os said:
that happens with Brahman over English yielding behemoth bull calves.
Look up improving herd genetics by David Riley through MSU or TAMU.
There is a good slide show by him from MSU that gives a lot of info on using Brahman
a lot of my cows are out of sale barn cows that were bred when I bought them they were all around 7 yrs. old then. Bought them as bred and sold them calves then I bred them back to a full blood gray Brahman bull and kept the heifers that I liked. Yes you will take a hit on the bull-steer calves I figured it was just part of what had to be done to get the heifers I wanted, they will still sell and the hit is not as bad as some think depends on where you sell at. Bred all my cross heifers back to a Angus bull ,you can buy a bull that will throw black calves and even take off some more ear, My black calves bring as good as any that sell at the sale barns and the buyer don't even know they are out of a bunch ol off colored cows. My neighbor has a whole pasture full of Brahman cross cows and breeds them all to a Char. bull and gets some NICE , NICE yellow calves that show very little Brahman. A lot on here will not agree with how we do it but it worked for my Grand Pa and its working for me so I'll just keep on keeping on.
You need to know what you are doing to go buy sale barn cows its NOT for everyone
You need to know what you are doing to go buy sale barn cows its NOT for everyone
greybeard
Well-known member
I agree with Brute---I love Brahma, but unless you're pretty young, have time to wait and just want to develop your own line from scratch, most of that work has already been done for you--begin with one of the established brahma influenced breeds if you want Brahma cross. For full blood Brahma, I think I'd start with some older cows--you don't have to worry so much about the first bunch of calves making it to the ground, especially if this is your first go around with cattle. Heifers can break your heart and your wallet all the same time..
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
I will put my sale barn girls up against any commercial girls.BRYANT":280p4bdq said:
You hit the nail on the head when you said the barn is not for the rookie your wallet can get hurt fast.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
Caustic Burno":2e1deccq said:
I love it when people tell me, "You've been lucky!" I've bought a train wreck before. Took her back.
Seen entire estates of great cattle dispersed at that sale barn before.
TexasBred
Well-known member
Good thing about an auction barn is that both buyer and seller leave thinking they got a great deal and both leave happy. And most times they have or the animal would have been PO'd or buyer would have quit bidding.
i am wanting to put a Brahman bull, On a set of mixed cattle ( Hereford-longhorns-corriente-brangus-crossbred etc.) see where going. Just cattle no uniform set just a set of put together cattle. I just wondering if a Brahman bull would be the best bull to put on these cattle to get some heifers. I would love to have a set of brangus or braford or a set of pure Brahman cows, but I can't afford them. I know people on this board don't like the approach I am taking but I really believe it will work.
Rafter S
Well-known member
Newcutter":298xrihl said:
If that's what you want to do then go for it. Its your money, your time, and your business. I expect you'll get some nice cows out of the deal in a few years. However, as someone else said, you're going to take a beating on the half Brahman steer calves. Couple that with the fact that you'll be retaining all, or at least most, of the heifers and you're looking at operating at a loss for several years before you can hope to turn it around and make a few dollars. Again, as long as you realize and accept that, I don't see anything wrong with your plan.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Newcutter":2wzn4ljq said:
Go for it what do you have to loose but money.
You ask for advice and go the opposite direction looking for a track the train can jump from. Better read this pay real close attention to BW.
There is no cheap way out here . Pay real close attention to slide 15 and 16.
http://msucares.com/livestock/beef/geneticslunch4.pdf
I would not use longhorns and corriente.
If I had unlimited funds and was still young I would buy a set of Char. cows and a Brahman bull to raise me some replacements. That is a cross I like myself I may be the only one on here that does
If I had unlimited funds and was still young I would buy a set of Char. cows and a Brahman bull to raise me some replacements. That is a cross I like myself I may be the only one on here that does
Newcutter":1xpa91w9 said:
I think your mind is made up. Your questions have been answered. It was just not what you wanted to hear.
You asked and we answered. No one will be mad at you for doing what you want. Its your money. :tiphat:
TexasBred
Well-known member
BRYANT":35m52jj5 said:
Out of a Char. cow and gray Brahman bull
breeds back fast and raises a good calf
Great looking pair. I wouldn't mind having a pasture full of those. :tiphat:
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
TexasBred":1nh0o480 said:BRYANT":1nh0o480 said:
Out of a Char. cow and gray Brahman bull
breeds back fast and raises a good calf
Great looking pair. I wouldn't mind having a pasture full of those. :tiphat:
Me either that is a good looking pair.
Always liked a Char cow just have anger issues I can't resolve on the bulls.
Maybe I need to go on Dr Phil.
I think a Brahman should be in every herd around the world, but we all know that would not work. With that being said, given the breeds you mentioned I don't know if that would be the best choice. Have you thought about Brangus or Beefmaster?
Now I too have the same idea to just buy some cows and put a Brahman bull on them (and I still may do it) but I don't know if I can afford the loss on the steers just starting out. That's just my thoughts.
Now I too have the same idea to just buy some cows and put a Brahman bull on them (and I still may do it) but I don't know if I can afford the loss on the steers just starting out. That's just my thoughts.
BK9954
Well-known member
I have left the barn feeling like I got screwed. 3 year old breedable cow sold for $1 a pound. After that all I will send are my trash to the barn. Nothing else.TexasBred":1fzl0jkm said:
