WHAT BREED

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Anonymous

I an new to this business and want to buy a few head. I am strongly considering Brangus but am open to suggestions. For what its worth it gets very wet here in western Oregon. Im big on CE.

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Why Brangus? Is there a breeder close by willing to help you get started? Straight Brangus won't calve any easier than straight Angus, straight Longhorns, etc. They will get docked at a sale in Oregon.

I of course would reccomend Angus, but look for a breeder of good cattle close by and buy some of his/her stock with the understanding that they will be a resource to help you learn.

Just for the record, angus is the original calving ease beef breed.

Jason Trowbridge Southern Angus Farms Alberta Canada

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Because pure Brangus carry the immune characteristics of Brahman and the calving ease and good maternal characteristics of Angus. I know nothing about cattle in Oregon, but I know that pure Brangus is a good choice as well. I agree you should speak with a breeder in your area.

Kevin

Saddle Creak Ranch

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Brangus are a breed that is low maintenance, easy keeping, generally easy calving, gentle and fertile. I have no idea why anyone would tell you to buy longhorns, they will get docked more at the sale barn than about anything else with the exception of dairy cattle, but they are good doing cattle. Brangus would be a good choice for your area I know of several breeders in your area which raise purebred brahman, so i think brangus would have no trouble adapting.
 
Brangus was developed for heat and insect tolerance. In your area with a more temperate climate this advantage is not as important. You would be better off staying with british x continental crosses that will be more desirable to the feedlots in your area. My suggestion would be to run fullblood saler cows and crossbreed them to purebred angus bulls. Yes, the cows will be a little bigger but you will be able to virtually eliminate calving problems. An added bonus is that the cross will target most grade/yield programs perfectly. Good luck.

Scott

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The best advice I could give you is to talk to people around you and find out what works. I don't know what is best in that part of the country but people around you will. Also try a trip to the salebarn, it will be clear what the buyers want in a calf. Their buying your product, give them what they want. We raise angus cross cows with a charolais bull and have had good success. Whatever you decide look for quality cows and put them with a good bull and you will be happy. Good luck .

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> I live in SW Wahington and it rains as much here as in Oregon. Brangus are probably not the best suited breed for this part of the world. If you are not planning on going purebred I would consider a angus/simm composite. They seem to sell the best at all of the sale barns that I have gone to in SW Washington and NW Oregon. Holsteins sell better here than Longhorns. Black hided cattle especially if they have a little bit of white on there face sell the best. Part of that is they are well suited to the climate. Good Luck Dave
 
What does the amount of rain have to do with brangus cattle, do they melt when they get wet or something?
 
> Brahman influence cattle appear to be thinner skinned and certainly don't grow the hair that english breeds do. November through February in this area it is 36 - 40 degrees and raining. The winter of 99 I in 120 days it rained on 90 of them for a total of 60 inches and there wasn't a handful of days when the temperature got into the 50's. I believe that weather like that is as hard on cattle as the cold they get in the mountain states. The brangus don't melt but if they are not inside they don't do very well. Brahman bred cattle get really cheap around here during the fall and winter.
 
> I an new to this business and want
> to buy a few head. I am strongly
> considering Brangus but am open to
> suggestions. For what its worth it
> gets very wet here in western
> Oregon. Im big on CE.

Well, Greenhorn, my response may surprise you but here goes. I was raised in central and western Washington so I am familiar with the weather patterns you have in Oregon. I raise commercial Brangus cattle and I am very happy with them. Having said that, I would say that you had some good responses and that you would be well served to stay with British or European x British crosses. As you said, the Brahman blood does provide a degree of desease, insect and heat resistance and it is helpful here in Texas where my herd is. If I were raising cattle in Washington or Oregon, I would have Black hided cows(Angus) with a touch of hereford for the white face. Black baldies are hard to beat in about any sale barn. About 30% of my cows are Brangus X Hereford cross and I use Brangus bulls. The Black Baldy calves do great at the sale barn.

Good luck from a Washingtonian, transplanted to Texas.

MACK XP Acres

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> I an new to this business and want
> to buy a few head. I am strongly
> considering Brangus but am open to
> suggestions. For what its worth it
> gets very wet here in western
> Oregon. Im big on CE. Greenhorn: In response to your question, I live in Roseburg/Myrtle Creek area of Oregon...I have lived in the west of Eugene area and also LaGrande area with my small herd of commercial cow/calf. I have found that Oregon (which probably other states are probably alike in this respect) has demands that are based on the area in which you live in...when I lived in Eastern Oregon I helped and learned a lot with a friend who ran 300 plus head of commercial cow/calves..she also worked for the sale yard so I was able to learn and observe a lot on what cattle buyers want..over there it's totally different than over on the west side...if you drive through Oregon you will see commercial ranches with different types and all types of cattle...brown, white, black...what seems to be more important is the type of bull you use than it really is the type of cow. The cow you want to have good milking, calving ease, gentle, good maternal instincts...the bull you want him to provide good fleshy calves and yes, black and baldy do sell better. Before you start buying cows you really need to know how you are going to market your calves first...over in LaGrande I used the sale barn...over here now it seems I have more of a private sale with one on one with the consumer...all the calves I sold this year and even had to sell some first time heifers and an older cow because I couldn't afford to feed them al this year because of the drought..I had small operations wanting to buy them...I never ended up using the sale yard except to sell a bull that we bought that had to be replaced. You don't say how many head you want to run..that makes a difference too...I usually run only thirteen head with a bull but this year had to sell and lease out the majority of mine because of cost of hay and having to feed them all year round because my pasture dried up early...my herd is a mixture of Hereford, Beefmaster and red South Devon...I like them to be gentle as I work them myself and I like them to be "pets" as I can move them and work them better that way. No matter how many I would have. I use a black bull...whether it's ai'ing or actual bull to cow breeding... In other parts of Oregon I have observed and studied that there are plenty of registered cow operations..but they take a lot of time and money keeping track of them, I tried it and decided I didn't personally want to take the time to do that and I found I wasn't making any more money per calf than if I stayed with the mixed breed. It depends on what you want to do...sell club calves...show your stock at the county fairs...or just sell them to feedlots or personally to others. There are some breeds that aren't conducive to Oregon or have a very small market niche that you have to have available...these are especially the longhorns or any with horns...there are mixtures that don't go over too well or are not well known and so people shy away from them...or that the market shys away from...Simmental in Oregon don't go over too well unless it's the smaller breed that's available now...the Pinzgauer is soso...my red south devon doesn't go over too well unless people see them in person..when my mixed breed is bred to a full south devon bull, red or black they are awesome calves but people aren't familiar with the south devon breed so unless they see them in person they wouldn't buy them. I tried to sell a bull calf that was awesome but advertising the breed in the paper didn't go over...but when people come out to see the calves after they are on the ground I have orders for them before they are a month old...a lot of raising livestock is how you do it...and what your operation fits best for you...we all think our breeds are the best...because we feel comfortable with what we are raising...it's a lot of personal preference..but the idea of going to the sale barn and watching cows, calves and bulls come through is the best indicator; talking to vets in your area is also; also your extension agent and then just driving around your area and seeing what everyone is raising. If you do have someone who can take you under their wing that works great too...mostly to learn how to give shots; what wormers work for your area; where they buy hay; what minerals they feed, etc......my first cow we bought had twin heifers...I was told I was crazy to buy them..well, my seed cow was Herford and Beefmaster and her daughters were Limo...I still have the cow and one of the daughters, my cow herd is all daughters of both of them...and I have had awesome calves with them...but a lot had to do with the bull I used....so just find something you like to start...it's an ever changing world also...there is a lot to learn that is challenging, frustrating but rewarding when you see those calves hit the ground running...and just remember, we all stay "greenhorn" there is something to learn everyday and you will never know everything!! Good luck...

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