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plbcattle

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what do most of you consider the most important things you look for when buying a replacement bull or females. I know everyone wants low bitrh,high meat and marbling,milking and so forth but very few animals combine it all. so what are the most important to you.
 
Disposition is important. I don't mind cows that run away, its the ones that stalk you that kind of bother me. Fertility is very high on the list as well. Cows that throw ugly or funny colored calves also get culled.
 
Disposition is important. I don't mind cows that run away, its the ones that stalk you that kind of bother me. Fertility is very high on the list as well. Cows that throw ugly or funny colored calves also get culled.

What do you mean by "funny"? Anything other than black?
Because to me, color does not matter. When you walk into the butcher's place and see meat hanging, do you know(if the meat is NOT yours) what breed or color it was?
 
greatgerts":1thkf17y said:
Disposition is important. I don't mind cows that run away, its the ones that stalk you that kind of bother me. Fertility is very high on the list as well. Cows that throw ugly or funny colored calves also get culled.

What do you mean by "funny"? Anything other than black?
Because to me, color does not matter. When you walk into the butcher's place and see meat hanging, do you know(if the meat is NOT yours) what breed or color it was?

Agree! All meat is pink/red inside (skin/hide color aside). If the lights are out and you're endulging, can you tell which breed, species, or place of origin the meat comes from? Especially, if it tastes good and you're enjoying... 8)
 
Running Arrow Bill":1btrqtxr said:
If the lights are out and you're endulging, can you tell which breed, species, or place of origin the meat comes from? Especially, if it tastes good and you're enjoying... 8)
Bill
Some different breeds will produce a different texture of beef in comparison to some others.
Meat from brahman and most brahman crosses will be stringy and tough. Meat from charolasis and some charolais crosses will be coarse and tough. Meat from the the British breeds will be more fine textured, and more tender. If the cattle that produced this beef has been finished on a high grain ration ;ie: heavy with corn with ample protein the meat will be more tender and have a better flavor, in most peoples opinion than from grass and high roughage rations.
When you ask about the place of orgin, are you talking about where the calf was born, if yes then the answer is no. If you are talking about a feedyard in comparison to straight off of grass only in a 1000 acre pasture, then the answer is yes.
 
Running Arrow Bill":i9xgnzvj said:
Disposition, pedigree, fertility, conformation.

Fertility is the more important than pedigree . If a cow or bull will not breed nothing else matters........
 
What do you mean by "funny"?

I've got one calf this year off a shorthorn cow and a Simm-Angus bull that came out white with black markings. Looks like a holstein, virtually worthless at auction. I had one come out with tiger-stripes last year, also virtually worthless at auction. That's what i mean by funny colored. Cows that throw calves that are any color combination that is going to get you docked significantly at auction are not worth keeping.
 
breed, structure, EPDs, growth, fertility, then disposition ( we've got some bad ones already what's a few more, if their really bad they can be culled)
 
Males and Females:

Fertility
Efficiency
Vigor
Temperment
Growth
Moderate birth (85-90) is just fine.
No big guts nor saggy. Want the rear to stick out more than the gut.
Proportioned
length of top line
feet/legs
Nice wide croup and rear muscles
filled flank area
length of hamstring

Bulls:
Perferably 6 genestars. As science is advancing now.
14 plus REA
1.20 plus REA/CWT
Less than .25 Rib Fat, Preferably less than .20 Rib Fat.
Sheath pretty clean
 
Conformation first and foremost (long, deep and thick body with good legs). I want calves that inherit the type of body structure that the buyers are looking for at sale time.

If purchasing a mature female, udder structure all the way. My cattle's summer range is a pretty big area, so good feet are also important in both males and females. Always look for females that are wide through the hips...broody looking. I hate having to pull a calf, and can help cut that down by buying bulls with reasonable birthweight, clean fronted long body, and keeping and eye on EPDs, but if the cow is narrow through the pelvis she probably is going to end up eventually needing an assist. Murphy's Law sort of thing.

This is probably going to sound redundant, but to sum it up:
Feminine females and masculine males.

I've ended up with the odd cow that was masculine looking and they ended up back on the truck for being poor cows...both in the milk department and fertility wise. And Honey once bought a bull that was a little on the fine side of things, and the only breeding he did was to the other bulls. Cows would cycle and he'd just hang around doing nothing until another bull showed up, and then he'd be making a sandwich out of the other bull when he was riding the cow. He grew wheels, but ultimately Honey lost money 'cause a dud bull in summer is surely worth a lot less than the same weight animal at a bull sale in the spring.

Take care.
 
Annie that bull Honey bought must have come from Quebec . :lol:
 

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