Beltie pix **More pix added 1-1-12

Some folks have asked, so here are a few pix of some of our Belties.

Hope you enjoy!

More pix

Just curious if you ever get white marks outside of the belt? Also what is the relationship between Belties and the solid black Galloway?

Some folks do get a bit of white on a foot or some other odd place.  This occurs in about 5% of calves and disqualifies them from registry as a purebred.  They can be registered as appendix though(as can broken belts)

Belties came down from Galloways and have been selected for the belt characteristic.   Dutch Belted cattle may have been used long ago to introduce the belt.

Belts tend to breed through on solid colored cattle.    Halfbloods can be registered and shown as appendix(heifers)  although all steers show together.

Nice looking cattle! I like martha heifer

I have always loved these cattle. I also like the butte scotch colored ones. Great looking calves. Farmer near us had quite a few of them. I tried to buy a bred heifer and he got out it seemed like just as he got in.

Who ever is doing the trimming tell them to blend the shoulders into the neck and it will clean them up 10x's better. Nice group of calves. You have clean fronts but the way they are clipped doesn't make them the smoothest in their front 1/3rd.

I'm the guilty party on the clip job.  Just wanted to rough them out that day. 
Had to get about 4" of hair off their necks and heads.

Most of the hair has grown back in 3 months, so I'll have my work cut out next spring.

Thanks for putting pics up! They look good! I hear ya on the hair part! I don't think people realize how much hair these cattle carry. Not a fun a process lol.

They are so pretty! I love belted cattle. I tried to buy one once but the guy refused to sell any of his cattle.

Excellent cattle!  (thumbsup)

Pm me, I can hook you up with cattle in IL, Iowa or Mo

The Belties are getting more popular. Have you seen the pictures in the new show Circuit from the NAILE?

Haven't seen those pix yet.  The good females can compete well against most other pure breeds. 
Steers are often too small when finished ( around 1100 pounds) to compete for Grand.    Bulls tend to mature more slowly and may not have the mass of some other breeds. 

I chose Belties because the folks who raise them tend to be more laid back and proud of the breed's origin and history.  Birthdates and pedigrees are accurate.    With most of them, it's not all about winning, it is about giving others an opportunity.  It is common for breeders in many states to lease or loan out heifers to kids to expose them to cattle and showing.  One breeder from Maine sent 8 kids from their 4-H club and heifers to Louisville(I believe these numbers to be accurate). 

Beltie breeders also have a free semen program to kids who wish to upgrade their herds.  (one of many nice things for juniors).      I am developing a May 12 bull calf now that I will offer as part of the program.  With this one, however, kids can get as much as they want to use on Belties OR other females.  No semen certificates either.    This is the bull calf shown above.  He is growthy and correctly designed with good bone.    The pix above were taken within a week of weaning so he was real green.      Gonna try him on a couple of cows in June.      He should be old enough to collect next fall so semen will be available for kids then.

I know a number of folks have thought about buying some Belties.  Now is a good time as I know of a number of cows and breds for sale right now here in IL-MO.

LLBUX said:

Some folks do get a bit of white on a foot or some other odd place.  This occurs in about 5% of calves and disqualifies them from registry as a purebred.  They can be registered as appendix though(as can broken belts)

Belties came down from Galloways and have been selected for the belt characteristic.   Dutch Belted cattle may have been used long ago to introduce the belt.

Belts tend to breed through on solid colored cattle.    Halfbloods can be registered and shown as appendix(heifers)  although all steers show together.

Click to expand...

LLBUX

Are any of your cattle elligible to be registered in the Belted Herdbook of the American Galloway Breeder's Association?

Don' know.  Didn't know I could.  Our small herd of cattle are registered with the Belted Galloway Association.

I'll look into it.

Thanks-

This bull calf was the first calf born on our farm in over 50 years.    He is an August 5th baby.

Love to keep him, but have to sell or trade him away.

Is he hairy enough boys?  He is even shaggier now.

Above calf in Sept and October

That is just SO cute!  ;D

Looks like a nice bull

Very nice! It's making me want to go back to them more and more!  (lol)