What's wrong with Simmental cattle?

[FlyingLSimmentals]

What's wrong with Gelbvieh cattle? Balancers are selling like candy too. My guess is some of the same things as with the Simmental. Everyone is chasing a black hybrid. Commercial operators feel as though with a hybrid they're keeping more Angus blood for calving ease, and adding a smaller amount of a continental breed to help keep some growth to mash the scales and not have to large of calves. The breeds do compliment each other nicely so that is also a great positive. Many Simmental breeders are also using Angus bloodlines to help build other purebred sires. A lot of what I have seen are that the Simmentals are really getting short in height, and some of the simangus are a bit taller or just right in my opinion. I like trying to stick with purebred black simmentals here but I'm getting tired of looking at 4 or low 5 frame bulls. A low 6 to mid 6 frame is what I like. I'm even thinking on using some SimAngus bulls.

 

[Till-Hill]

Flying L made another great point. Us as Simmental breeders went way to moderate. That's another reason we have been going back angus to find some of them 6+ frame bulls.

If I was a commercial guy nothing more than I'd want is group of F1 baldies and run SimAngus bulls. Feedlots love that 25% continental blood

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

You simmi folks has got a guy trying to steer you right but you just won't listen!!

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Flying L made another great point. Us as Simmental breeders went way to moderate. That's another reason we have been going back angus to find some of them 6+ frame bulls.

If I was a commercial guy nothing more than I'd want is group of F1 baldies and run SimAngus bulls. Feedlots love that 25% continental blood

I agree here 100%, however have you heard all the griping about our cattle are getting too big and take too much input? So where is the balance? I think a lot of the size thing changes depending on where you live; better grass= bigger cows, poorer resources = smaller cows.
I like my girls around 1400 pounds. Most are frame 5.5 to 6. Upgrade was brought up; he framed 6.2 as a yearling. I have two cows in production by him, and both are my top cows. One is large framed (likely a 6) and the other is more like a 5.5, and both are SimmAngus. I have 4 calves (Sept) out in the group of fall calves sired by him, they are all by far the largest of the group and will wean off at least 600 pounds with no input (three are purebreds and one is a SimmAngus). Not what I would call a "crap sammich", and the Upgrade sired cows are proving they work in a purebred setting, since those cows are always bred to purebred sires and continue to wean off big calves that are 3/4 blood. And he has good EPD's.
Back to my point; every breeder has a goal on what they want their cattle to look like. Mine are just about the right size, but I look at frame size when I am matching my AI sires to my herd so they do not get too small or too big for my liking. Funny thing is, in the few "big" shows we compete at (Royal, Nationals and such) our cattle are always smaller than most in the class and I think to myself, am I breeding midgets? I bet some of those girls frame out at 6.5 or 7!

 

[Till-Hill]

I have heard the big, moderate, small talk for awhile. Our cows eat hay with mineral all winter and stalks for awhile. Then grass. Our cows stay in good shape. Last year we sold what I thought were our huge cows. They weighed 1395 and 1405. That's when I changed my mind. I knew why we were not getting where I wanted to be at weaning and yearling weights. I want them right at that 6 frame and 1400+ cows.