what breed should i choose?

[crazy guy]

hi everyone
thanks for your help and answers to my previous questions, but now i have a new dilemma.

my plan was to buy young calfs, keep them till they are mature, breed them, and when their offspring reaches the right weight, sell them. and do the same every year. now i am also thinking about taking advantage of the cows milk producing ability. i could still produce the same amount of cattle for beef, but i would also have some money coming from the milk.
however, if i will be able to do that, considering the barn standards and equipment needed, is highly questionable.
if i would be sure that i will end up as dairy producer, i would just go with holstein and i would not bother with the money i loose bc i dont have the best beef cow, bc it would bring me more on the dairy producing side of the business.

so, my question is: what breed should i choose, what breed is good for beef production, that is also good milk producer? so if things will turn out that way, i will not have to get rid of all my cattle, and start all over again.
or should i just go ahead and use holstein for beef production, and if i will not switch to dairy production is not such a big deal?

thanks for reading

 

[3waycross]

hi everyone
thanks for your help and answers to my previous questions, but now i have a new dilemma.

my plan was to buy young calfs, keep them till they are mature, breed them, and when their offspring reaches the right weight, sell them. and do the same every year. now i am also thinking about taking advantage of the cows milk producing ability. i could still produce the same amount of cattle for beef, but i would also have some money coming from the milk.
however, if i will be able to do that, considering the barn standards and equipment needed, is highly questionable.
if i would be sure that i will end up as dairy producer, i would just go with holstein and i would not bother with the money i loose bc i dont have the best beef cow, bc it would bring me more on the dairy producing side of the business.

so, my question is: what breed should i choose, what breed is good for beef production, that is also good milk producer? so if things will turn out that way, i will not have to get rid of all my cattle, and start all over again.
or should i just go ahead and use holstein for beef production, and if i will not switch to dairy production is not such a big deal?

thanks for reading

Based on your post I would reccomend that you buy a few feeder calves , feed em out and sell em. If you don't lose your rear end on that you might want to expand into a cow calf operation.
No offense but it doesn't sound like you know much about cattle. Start slow and small and work your way up.

 

[crazy guy]

hi everyone
thanks for your help and answers to my previous questions, but now i have a new dilemma.

my plan was to buy young calfs, keep them till they are mature, breed them, and when their offspring reaches the right weight, sell them. and do the same every year. now i am also thinking about taking advantage of the cows milk producing ability. i could still produce the same amount of cattle for beef, but i would also have some money coming from the milk.
however, if i will be able to do that, considering the barn standards and equipment needed, is highly questionable.
if i would be sure that i will end up as dairy producer, i would just go with holstein and i would not bother with the money i loose bc i dont have the best beef cow, bc it would bring me more on the dairy producing side of the business.

so, my question is: what breed should i choose, what breed is good for beef production, that is also good milk producer? so if things will turn out that way, i will not have to get rid of all my cattle, and start all over again.
or should i just go ahead and use holstein for beef production, and if i will not switch to dairy production is not such a big deal?

thanks for reading

Based on your post I would reccomend that you buy a few feeder calves , feed em out and sell em. If you don't lose your rear end on that you might want to expand into a cow calf operation.
No offense but it doesn't sound like you know much about cattle. Start slow and small and work your way up.

sound like i don't know much about cattle? are you kidding? i know almost nothing about cattle. few weeks ago all my knowledge about cattle was: grass goes in the front, poo comes out in the back. lol
and yes, i will not start with few thousand cattle.
but what breed should i choose? (if i have the possibility to choose)

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Just get some nice crossbred calves, don't worry to much about there breeding. All you want starting out is healthy calves.

 

[deenranch]

To answer you question!!!!!

You would probably need to go with a milking shorthorn.


But I agree with the others.... I would buy a few head of calves from a neighbor and grow them out. If you buy holstiens and decide you want beef, you're pretty much scr_wed!!!! Holstiens don't grow our very fast....

 

[Isomade]

I agree with the others, go with a FEW calves to start with.

 

[crazy guy]

ok. so start with a few, and don't go with holstein.
thank you.

 

[Massey135]

To answer you question!!!!!

You would probably need to go with a milking shorthorn.


But I agree with the others.... I would buy a few head of calves from a neighbor and grow them out. If you buy holstiens and decide you want beef, you're pretty much scr_wed!!!! Holstiens don't grow our very fast....

Shorthorns yes, but don't go with the dairy type milkers. Dual purpose shorthorns are what your looking for. http://www.albaughranch.com/ or check out these type http://joycebarnes.vpweb.com/Ranch-Cattle.html

 

[bcarty]

Im going to be completely honest. You need to pick either beef or dairy and focus on that.

If you pick beef, then go with a beef animal. I dont think you understand that even a dual purpose animal will have to raise the calf at her side or else you will have to feed it, and you are not going to get enough milk to make it worth while. I would just forget the dairy side if you pick beef.

If you pick dairy then you need to pick a dairy cow and focus on that. You can breed your cows to an angus bull or other beef breed and get 1/2 beef 1/2 dairy calves. Those calves will do fairly well as beef animals. If you choose this option I would use Jersey dairy cows and breed them to a good carcass and growth angus bull (terminal sire). You will have to buy your replacements.

milking shorthorns are a good choice as well if you pick the dairy side. I would be very careful not to get large framed dairy cows or you will have a lot of money tied up in feeding the beef calves before you can market them.

Just being completely honest again, and if you dont know anything about cows two pieces of advice.
1. Hire someone to manage your farm that knows at least more than you about cows.
2. Don't come in thinking you should top the market when you sell, just because you spent the money to buy the best. The price of your cattle will be dictated by reputation and how good the cattle are. You are new so you have no reputation. Nothing aggravates a cowman more than when someone new to the business throws a fit because their cattle didnt bring top dollar at the same sale as cattlemen who have been at it a long long time and are doing things right.

 

[HDRider]

hi everyone
thanks for your help and answers to my previous questions, but now i have a new dilemma.

my plan was to buy young calfs, keep them till they are mature, breed them, and when their offspring reaches the right weight, sell them. and do the same every year. now i am also thinking about taking advantage of the cows milk producing ability. i could still produce the same amount of cattle for beef, but i would also have some money coming from the milk.
however, if i will be able to do that, considering the barn standards and equipment needed, is highly questionable.
if i would be sure that i will end up as dairy producer, i would just go with holstein and i would not bother with the money i loose bc i dont have the best beef cow, bc it would bring me more on the dairy producing side of the business.

so, my question is: what breed should i choose, what breed is good for beef production, that is also good milk producer? so if things will turn out that way, i will not have to get rid of all my cattle, and start all over again.
or should i just go ahead and use holstein for beef production, and if i will not switch to dairy production is not such a big deal?

thanks for reading

I am in the same boat, I don't know much about cattle, and I am trying to decide on a breed.

I am doing a lot of research and reading. This forum is great and Agman is a great person to listen to about grass.

I am planning on doing what some here have advised you. Buy weaned calves and bring them to sales weight on grass and sell them. Beyond that I want to raise and sell freezer beef. That leads me to start thinking about breeds.

Black seems to help marketing feeder beef. I have thought seriously about Murray Grey & Wagyu. I plan to ease into that. I am also following a prominent rancher, Pharo, thinking about bringing some of their Missouri bulls into my breeding program, as well as bring good genetics into my herd with solid AI.

I have my land, about 150 acres of pretty good pasture. I have a guy taking hay off that now, and until I am ready to start out. I am trying to minimize my inputs in a way that helps my profit margin. I have done a lot of reading about mob or intensive rotational grazing.

The one recurring thing I hear hear, and I hate hearing it, "There's no money in cattle". I guess I will find out for myself.

Keep posting so I can learn from your experiences, and good luck...

 

[rnh1]

shorthorns or shorthorn cross are wasy keepers.

 

[3waycross]

shorthorns or shorthorn cross are wasy keepers.

Yes they are but there are two problems with Shorties. You almost cannot knock the color off them and the buyers screw you blind at the sale barn.

Now if you want to raise freezer beef ....good plan.

 

[Massey135]

shorthorns or shorthorn cross are wasy keepers.

Yes they are but there are two problems with Shorties. You almost cannot knock the color off them and the buyers screw you blind at the sale barn.

Now if you want to raise freezer beef ....good plan.

Thats why I went with the shorthorns. I prefer the R/W/M and the roans.

 

[3waycross]

shorthorns or shorthorn cross are wasy keepers.

Yes they are but there are two problems with Shorties. You almost cannot knock the color off them and the buyers screw you blind at the sale barn.

Now if you want to raise freezer beef ....good plan.

Thats why I went with the shorthorns. I prefer the R/W/M and the roans.

I love em crossed with Gelvbieh and them bred back to a high marbling Red Angus. Those are some real nice calves. My buddy topped the sale with a bunch of those this year :frowns: ......except for the ones he had to sell private treaty that had a few roan hairs on their butts. :frowns: