What about Brangus?

[Bestoutwest]

Tell me all about it. The good. The bad. The ugly. Only one breeder around me, so I could be opening a new door to the area. Climate is hot in the summer, mildish winters (ie it freezes, but not like North Dakota).

 

[Muddy]

Feedlots here didn't want anything with ears.

 

[B&M Farms]

I would leave the Brahman out if you are not in a state that touches the gulf coast.

 

[TexasBred]

Don't know what the market would do to them in your area. For us down here in my mind they are the perfect breed. Hearty, fertile, good mothers, easy calving, longivity, low maintenance and the market loves them down here. Just be sure it's a real brangus and not some of these 50% brahman,50% angus models...you'll go broke with those things.

 

[Bigfoot]

I have several brangus cows. I like em. Sell good, breed back, mature late, last for years, good mamas, graze when my continentals are in the shade, make a nice cross on both British and continental Bulls.

The bad:
I purebred calf will take a hit at our yards, be gentle when you work em, if your gonna band/cut/work their calves on the ground, be ready for her to claim it.

 

[Muddy]

Maybe there's a reason why that breeder is only one that has brangus in Idaho. I went to northern part of Idaho for snowmobiling over several years and I sure didn't want raising brimmer influenced cattle in that climate.

 

[Rafter S]

I like them, for all the reasons TB gave. Whether or not you plan to use them in your area may depend on how you plan to market your calves. I don't know anything about the markets in your area, but I suspect you'll take a hit if they show any significant Brahman influence. If you want to try them anyway, you might consider getting some Brangus cows and putting a Hereford (or other British or Continental breed) bull on them.

 

[Kingfisher]

Where were you planning on buying your "Brangus?"

 

[Muddy]

I like them, for all the reasons TB gave. Whether or not you plan to use them in your area may depend on how you plan to market your calves. I don't know anything about the markets in your area, but I suspect you'll take a hit if they show any significant Brahman influence. If you want to try them anyway, you might consider getting some Brangus cows and putting a Hereford (or other British or Continental breed) bull on them.

if it were me, I would just get Ultrablacks instead of brangus...less ear, more Angus.

 

[Jessica06]

I don't see any reason why Brangus wouldn't work, if they came from a similar climate. We select for ours to be slick pretty much year-round. Suhn is in Kansas, and the Brangus they picture in the snow look fat and happy to me! Along with Westall in NM. That's pretty rough looking country. There ARE Brangus out there that look pretty much like an Angus with a notch more sheath. I've seen Angus trashier than a Brangus, and Ultrablacks that are hard to tell apart from the real thing. The breed isn't "one size fits all" and there's a "type" out there to suit nearly any situation. Here on the coast it's beneficial to select for more of the Brahman traits, but we have some clean ones, too.

 

[branguscowgirl]

To add to what TB has already said, Brangus are thought to have increased disease resistance. I have never seen a case of pink eye in mine, and the flies are horrid here. I vaccinate well, but I also have not seen some of the diseases, retained placentas, or birthing problems that many have talked about in the 17 plus years that I have had strictly Brangus. So there must be some truth to it.

Brangus are not top sellers here in CA either. Some love them, and some hate them. Brangus bulls sell well due to ranchers wanting to add the hardiness to their range cattle. But we take a pretty good hit on steers. It can balance out if they stay healthier than average.

I wouldn't be worried about raising them in Idaho, if you like them. Select the best that you can afford. Good cattle, are good cattle no matter where you are at. And if you find that they don't sell to your satisfaction, then you can put an Angus or Hereford bull on them and do just fine.

 

[branguscowgirl]

BTW- My sister bought some of my Brangus females and took them to Klamath Falls Oregon. Some deep snow there, and they did just fine. And their calves didn't freeze to the ground either. They were smart enough to have them in the right places!

 

[Deepsouth]

Branguscowgirl, are you saying you like brangus?

 

[Bestoutwest]

Thanks guys, and gals, for the replies. A good point was made that they may not be here for a reason. I've got some thinking to do. All I know is that I need some beefier cattle at my place as the longhorns may be pretty, but they're not much on them to eat.

 

[Muddy]

Thanks guys, and gals, for the replies. A good point was made that they may not be here for a reason. I've got some thinking to do. All I know is that I need some beefier cattle at my place as the longhorns may be pretty, but they're not much on them to eat.

what's wrong with crossbreeding them to another breed to beef them up?

 

[Bestoutwest]

Thanks guys, and gals, for the replies. A good point was made that they may not be here for a reason. I've got some thinking to do. All I know is that I need some beefier cattle at my place as the longhorns may be pretty, but they're not much on them to eat.

what's wrong with crossbreeding them to another breed to beef them up?

We plan on doing that, too, but I was looking to maybe replace a female. We're pretty well stocked in this area for Angus and Hereford, with old blue-blood type farms that have been here for generations. I may look to something else, though, b/c I don't want to just be another fish in that sea.

 

[Rafter S]

Thanks guys, and gals, for the replies. A good point was made that they may not be here for a reason. I've got some thinking to do. All I know is that I need some beefier cattle at my place as the longhorns may be pretty, but they're not much on them to eat.

In that case you probably won't mind the hit you may take with Brangus. I'll bet it won't be as bad as on the Longhorns.

 

[Muddy]

Thanks guys, and gals, for the replies. A good point was made that they may not be here for a reason. I've got some thinking to do. All I know is that I need some beefier cattle at my place as the longhorns may be pretty, but they're not much on them to eat.

In that case you probably won't mind the hit you may take with Brangus. I'll bet it won't be as bad as on the Longhorns.

But how the eared calves do at the sale barn in northern states? There's a reason why brimmer composites never took off in northern states.

 

[Bestoutwest]

In that case you probably won't mind the hit you may take with Brangus. I'll bet it won't be as bad as on the Longhorns.

We plan on going the freezer beef route. Also, b/c we're both not ranch raised, we thought that starting out with something that's top billing is calving ease would be a good idea. We're small enough that we'll have the time to interact with people and sell stuff that way. I sell hay right now, which is a pain, so I'm used to dealing with customers backing out, taking forever to show up, etc. I'm hoping that selling a quarter, half or whole of 5 calves is going to be a lot easier than selling a bunch of hay 1 ton at a time.

 

[Muddy]

Perhaps you should look at British White cattle? They should do well in your market and environment/climate as well.