“These are the times that try men's souls.” | I run mostly black angus, herford cross cows and run black angus and a few red angus bulls on them. Then I run a second herd of red angus, gehvieh cross cows with black and red angus bulls on them. It took a three way cross to finally put the weight on the calves. The first herd runs in desert country, we calve in first of March to the first of May, wean them in the end of Sept., sell first of Nov. Steers weighing at 630lbs. to 480lbs. , and heifers 550lbs. to 480 lbs. It is tough country to run, lot of trailing cattle to water and feed.
The second herd calves the same time, but summer in high mountain pastures, no trailing easy access to water, feed. I sell off the cow in end of Sept. steers weighing in at 700lbs. to 550lbs., and heifers, 630lbs. to 525 lbs. This herd of cows I never got over 600lbs. ave. on calves till I put a three way cross on them.
I get tired of this black angus thing, people saying if they ain't black they won't sell and grade, that is pure hog wash! The most tried and true cattle to feed and make grade is a Hol. steer. But guys don't want to tell the truth about that one. You just need to look at your cow herd and see what bulls you can use to cross them up, you just can't run right out and cull all your cows, you have to work them them out over time.
And also a little Hol. in your black angus cows, doesn't hurt you either, I laugh all the way to the bank, when I get a pen of hol. x black angus cross steers or heifers, the buyers pay top black prices for them. That goes to tell me they don't no what the hell calves are crossed with, only thing is they are black!
I run a comercial hol. dairy as well, so I've been able put a little Hol. into our beef herd as well over the years to bring milk up in cows.
I've even put a little Shorthorn(very little) into my Hol. herd to help hardiness of the cows, it throws just a nuff beef breed back into them. To keep them for being those Hol. that just want to tip over and die for any reason type of cows.
As far a rat tail cattle, those that I've had, were easy keepers, always brought home a calve, easy to work with. But you can't sell the calves to buyers. They always sort them off a load, so you just a well figure on eating those calves yourself, till the cows are culled. And remind yourself to never buy any cows like that. I think it pure hogwash about them as well.
I eat them all, from Hol. to black & red angus. I can't tell the difference! When you get that white butcher paper on them, if they have been fed right. I have to say the best meat I ever ate was a red angus steer that wouldn't eat grain, you had to starve him to get him to eat grain, would only eat good alf. hay when at home in feedlot. He was damm flightly too, he would run right over top of you! It was the most tender peice of meat I ever ate in my life, so go fiqure on that one! I just kept and had him butchered just to see what he would do!
As far as attitude's in cattle they all can get one, it's in they way a person handles them. I've seen herds of milk cows that could go nuts, if strange people came around them! It doesn't matter if you 4-wheeler them to cowboy up a horseback, you can make them all wild!
If you could ever fiqure the perfect cattle breed out you would be "RICH" LOL! I just had to get that one in! When you fiqure it out, please let me know what the answer is.
Edited by Russ In Idaho 12/19/2007 04:56
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limousin calves??
