Your cross?

[J]

This has probably been done on here before but I just thought I would ask.. if breed and color was not a factor, what would your ideal herd makeup be? (cross bull on purebred cows, purebred bull on cross cows , cross for both, purebred for both etc.) Assuming that you were breeding to sell calves for freezer beef.

I know I'll get the typical "Angus" all the way and "Murray Gray" answers but I'm just wondering what some of you would do if you had the time and money to cross any breeds you wanted to to get the best producing cows and bull?

Or does this make any sense at all? Just stirring up some thought here.

 

[dun]

My ideal cow would be a moderate framed Gelbvieh Polled Hereford and bred to an Angus bull. Could substitute Simmenthal for Gelbvieh and get about the same thing, but I prefer Gelbviehs.

dun

 

[Caustic Burno']

The perfect herd would be the tigers, great momma and bull selection is to taste. Angus gives you black baldies Herefords red baldies and Chars high yellow.
You just have to be qualified to handle dynamite.

 

[J. T.]

I think you would definitely have to have Angus in the mix if you're producing freezer beef. To get some hybrid vigor in the calves to increase weaning weights and still have moderate sized, easy keeping, docile, fertile cows, I might try producing black baldies using an Angus bull on Hereford cows.

 

[whatabull]

What I am moving towards now, Angus plus. looking at 75% of herd and keeping 25 back in Angus.

 

[bubchub]

The ideal cross would for me would be:
Brahman cows X Hereford bulls

Second choice: Tigerstripe cows X Limousine bulls

 

[J]

Thanks for the responses so far, not as far out there answers as I was expecting I guess, but all make good sense. I like the tigers myself but Caustic was right about the Dyno. :lol: Keep 'em coming.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

This is my choice not for everyone. it would be bra/herf F1 cows with simm bull :hat:

 

[J]

Now after seeing a few opinions my next question is why would you use that combination?

 

[El_Putzo]

Hopefully will be trying mine in a few years, or as soon as I can raise a good Herf bull. I'd like to cross him onto my dad's soon to be black Sim-Angus cows. I know, I know, that's 3/4 english, but hey, that's what I have available, and those are what I like. One of the neighbors is experimenting with balancers. Maybe I can convince him to try a Herf on a few of those, I think that would be interesting too.

 

[BRG]

Mine would be Red Angus crossed with Herefored or just straight Red Angus. By using this combination you can sell high choice meat, sale topping steers and then have a demand for your heifers to make cows. Anytime you can sell your heifers for the same or more than your steers you are doing it right.

 

[cypressfarms]

Ok JT, here's a wild one for ya:

My dream calf would be:

The bull would be a angus beefmaster cross, with the beefmaster being the moma.

The dam would be an angus plus cow.


This would give you a calf with the following:

66% angus
22% brahman
6% shorthorn
6% hereford

Now that would be a cool looking black calf. Hey he'd be a angusmaster! Hybrid vigor out the wazoo!

Or a mutt.

 

[milesvb]

If I was starting from a clean slate I would go either of two ways: 1. a herd of brangus cows and a red angus bull for angus+ calves or 2. a herd of beefmaster cows (reddish or yellowish monocolor, no blacks or spotted) and a charolais bull (actually I could go red angus on these cows too).

As for why, either angus derivative calves or yellow well muscled calves sell very well around here.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

well my favorite cow of course is the braford along with the simmi bull produce a hell of a calf they are other great combo's like brangus cows herf bull or charolais.herf bull gert cows. and so on :hat:

 

[J]

After posting this I did a little, not much, research on some of the breeds on the Cattle Today, breeds site and one that really caught my eye was the red poll. Going by what is listed about them, thats the all around breed it seems to me. Do any of you have these or ever had them? What's the + & -?

Again judging by what is listed about them that is my pick for which breed will grow in popularity the fastest. OOPS that was another thread.

What might cross good with these?

 

[ALACOWMAN]

The last herd of red polls i seen was about 15 years ago but is long gone,they use to be popular in my area.they are dual purpous cattle. the man that had the last herd AI'D one to a red brahman bull and got a great heifer from it

 

[J]

What happened to them?

 

[ALACOWMAN]

well with all the newer breeds coming in they kinda be came less popular that last man that had them was from the old school :hat:

 

[badroute]

I personally like black so I would have to say straight black or crossed with a horned or polled hereford bull. Black and black baldie are in great demand right now. Pretty tough cross to beat if you want a little more kick without going continental.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I personally like black so I would have to say straight black or crossed with a horned or polled hereford bull. Black and black baldie are in great demand right now. Pretty tough cross to beat if you want a little more kick without going continental.

b won"t argue with there they are hard to beat