What to look for in black angus

[RD-Sam]

I am new and looking at purchasing a few black angus, so what do you look for in these cattle other than them being registered and the EPD info? Is there a standard for them somewhere like there is for the different breeds in dogs? :help:

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

RD Sam you're new to the cattle busniess so why do you want to go out and buy registered cattle right from the get go. Maybe you should just buy a couple of commercial cows first until you get the hang of things. And then move up to the reg. cattle, you will have some experince to draw from then. And will be more prepared to make buying decisons reg. cattle.

 

[RD-Sam]

I have looked at commercial cattle too. The registered cattle aren't much more and you get a whole lot better picture of what you are buying, as far as what is behind them, and the EPD's can be helpful. I tend to like to do things as good as I can, and I can learn with registered cattle just as easy as I can with commercial. I also think I stand a better chance of getting good cattle with the aid of the EPD info. But I am all ears, so don't be shy, tell me what you think.

 

[MikeC]

Phenotypical observation and judgement is a most difficult task, even for the experienced cattleman.
You may get 20 different opinions from 20 different breeders in these matters.

Knowing where you want to go in the cattle business is a must before "cattle buying" decision time.

Generally, you get what you pay for, but that is not always the best method either....

Learn the ropes for a few years first. You'll be glad you did.

 

[Nowland Farms]

RD,

Assumming you have a few calves to sell in a year or so, where you gonna sell them?

-If the answer is the salebarn, and you want black angus, buy commerical cattle without papers.
-If the answer is private treaty off the farm, you can go registered if you wish.
-If the answer is seedstock via private treaty off the farm, buy the best pedigrees and the most popular pedigrees in the marketplace today.

I have done all 3 above and am now trying to concentrate on the seedstock sales by AI'ing may cattle and Embryo Transfer next year.

 

[RD-Sam]

Well, I have found a few that have high profile cattle in the pedigrees, like Bando and Ambush to name a couple. They are reasonably priced in my opinion for what they are. All of the EDP numbers on the heifer and the bull are in the + or 0, except the fat content on the bull is in the -.

I know judging any animal can be subjective, but give me things you would look for, and anything specific to the black angus. :help:

 

[CattleHand]

4 legs, a head, a body, having tails are nice too. If i were you I'd begin by reading some of the old thread posted around these boards of when people rate and judge other peoples cattle. But I agree with what was stated before, get some nice commercial cattle and make sure you learn what you are doing for a couple years.

 

[6M Ranch]

If you want to go Angus, find some sales in your area, and observe. Talk to other people and get their opinions. In general, the nicer cattle will bring the most money. Look and see what traits they possess. Read, read, then read some more info on cattle. I disagree that you need to start off with a few commercial cattle. A registered cow costs the same as a commercial cow to feed and raise. Equal quality calves, registered will bring more money. Just don't go out and buy a $10k cow to start your operation. If the cows are similarly priced, I don't see the downside. You can always breed to other bulls later if xbred calves are what your market demands. Here is an interesting article concerning straightbred calves.

http://www.angusjournal.com/ArticlePDF/ ... isarea.pdf

 

[deenranch]

The #1 thing a cow needs is a good udder. If she has a bad udder you end up with a bad calf. Then look at her feet and legs. If she can't travel, she can't eat or drink. Next, look at the depth of rib. A cow needs to be deep sided. Look at muscling, she needs to have good muscling. A cow needs to have a strong top and a long neck. She needs to be feminane. The cow also needs to have a good tempermant. If she is high headed when you drive up, then you won't be able to pen her easily. The registered cattle are good. It gives you an idea of how the offspring should grow and how tender their meat will be if she has been ultrasounded. Good luck.

 

[bigbull338]

your right in your thinking an research comm cows cost as much as reg cows.so its a good idea to look into reg cows.just find a good honest breeder to buy from.you do not want his reg junk.you want cows that he would keep for his herd.

 

[irked]

yes, of course:
commercial cows cost as much as registered cows
don't buy the breeder's junk
you only want the cows that he would keep for his own herd

and these cows will cost the same as commercial cows?
okeedokee

bigbull338, your posts are nothing short of inspirational in that they inspire me to scratch deeper into my head than i ever thought possible.
regards

 

[alabama]

Well, I have found a few that have high profile cattle in the pedigrees, like Bando and Ambush to name a couple. They are reasonably priced in my opinion for what they are. All of the EDP numbers on the heifer and the bull are in the + or 0, except the fat content on the bull is in the -.

I know judging any animal can be subjective, but give me things you would look for, and anything specific to the black angus. :help:

What part of the country are you in?

 

[bigbull338]

irked i to have to strain my brain to answer alot of the qs.not tobe bragging.but most of my knowlage is natural self learned.an some has come from what ive read over the years.as well as learned from experance.i depend on my memory alot.

 

[RD-Sam]

I am east of Atlanta, but will be starting a farm in Tennessee, between Chatanooga and Knoxville.

Keep the info coming, some good input from a couple of you so far.

 

[Frankie]

I am new and looking at purchasing a few black angus, so what do you look for in these cattle other than them being registered and the EPD info? Is there a standard for them somewhere like there is for the different breeds in dogs? :help:

There is no single standard for registered Angus cows. There are disqualifers, like white in certain places, but the Angus breed is genetically very deep and wide. You can find tall ones, short ones, fat ones, skinny ones, gentle ones, mean ones.....about anything you want within the breed. Before you can register an Angus calf, both parents must be registered and you must be a member of the American Angus Association.

As 6M said, get out to some sales this spring. Make notes in your catalog about what sold well and what didn't. Talk to breeders. I would expect that you could find an Angus breeder locally willing to talk to you about Angus cattle.

Don't spend more than you can afford. Those $100,000 cows and bulls are few and far between. At $1.25 a pound, it will take a long time for calves to pay for a $10,000 cow.

If you expect to be selling registered animals, you must have a good AI program. Notice at the sales you go to and see if pasture bred cows don't sell considerably cheaper than cattle AI-ed to an established, well known bull. They do in my area. Ambush and Bando, are well known in the breed. But not all animals carrying that name are valuable. Good luck....

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I can't give you much advice on reg. angus cows. But i would like a little more information about your venture into farming. Have you any farming skills? Have you got every thing in place to handle cattle it dosn't take as much room for a few . But you still need some basic equipment to handle cattle,corrals headgate or squeeze chute. Not trying to put a damper on you, but there is probaly alot of things you could be doing getting ready for cattle, while you checking out what you want in the cattle line. Superior Livestock acutions has angus sale on RFD TV right now. If you can watch afew of the vidieo actions online or TV.

 

[RD-Sam]

I am in the process of fencing in the land right now, and I know I have to build some things to handle the cattle. I will not be getting big, this is just a small scale venture for my personal use and a minor suppliment to my income, just enough to pay for itself and supply me with beef for personal use. I worked on a farm some when I was younger, and I have an uncle next door that has had cattle in the past, so I'm not going in totally blind.

 

[mnmtranching]

This is what I did about 10 years ago to get into some Angus cows.

I got purebred commercial cows. Bought them from a farm. Found ads in the paper and went and looked them over. Looked a several herds, it was obvious they were selling off the bottom. So don't go that route. Heard of a old rancher who had passed away, the heirs wanted to sell.[not someone else's culls] I walked among the cows, They didn't bother to get up on their own, had to be pressed to stand, none bothered to stop chewing.
So the [disposition] is important. Cows were on 2'nd to 6'th calf [young] Cows showed calf [closeup] The udders sound with small teats [udders are very important] Cows were bred to a good low birth weight Angus bull [calving ease]

This worked well for me, I got easy handling cows that all raised good calves for many years, always topping the market. If I were to do it again I would look for the same type of cattle.

Hope this helps you.