Commercial Shorthorns

Help Support Steer Planet:

jaimiediamond

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
1,019
Location
Okotoks
I have been having the opportunity to work at Gordon Turner Farms Ltd where he runs a large operation of commercial females.  In the last 2 days (or my total of 14 hours) I have tobogganed a total of 32 calves in to be processed.  All of these calves are unassisted births. What is very interesting for me is that almost every female on the place has Shorthorn influence in fact Mr. Turner is so proud of his females he orders Shorthorn tags (not Angus) moreover when buying Shorthorn bulls he prefers roan which is evident in his bull pens. 

Attached are some pictures:
First picture is a Blue Roan female sired by a Shorthorn and out of a Shorthorn x Angus, her calf is again sired by a Shorthorn
Second Picture is a 3/4 Shorthorn 1/4 Simmental
Third Picture is a Shorthorn Simmental Cross cow
Fourth Picture is her 2 year old daughter of the 3rd by a Shorthorn and her steer calf
Fifth Picture a couple of cute blues one is out of an Angus Sim and by a Shorty and the other is out of a Shorty x Angus by a Shorthorn

 

Attachments

  • Shorthorn x Angus three quarter Shorthorn  shorty with Shorty sired calf.jpg
    Shorthorn x Angus three quarter Shorthorn shorty with Shorty sired calf.jpg
    204.6 KB · Views: 681
  • Shorthorn x Simmental.jpg
    Shorthorn x Simmental.jpg
    130.6 KB · Views: 555
  • March 2nd Shorty cross.jpg
    March 2nd Shorty cross.jpg
    173.8 KB · Views: 1,873
  • March 2nd Shorthorn cross.jpg
    March 2nd Shorthorn cross.jpg
    119.5 KB · Views: 434
  • March 2nd Blues.jpg
    March 2nd Blues.jpg
    183 KB · Views: 487

jaimiediamond

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
1,019
Location
Okotoks
Blue steer calf (just because he is cute) out of a Shorty x Simmental
 

Attachments

  • blue steer.jpg
    blue steer.jpg
    158 KB · Views: 475

vanridge

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2011
Messages
468
Location
Manitoba, Canada
I am a sucker for baby calves! Too cute!! We used a white shorthorn bull on 1/2 of our commercial cows this year. We had two black cows that gave us blue roan heifers but other black cows gave us red roans. Some of these cows have never given us a red calf. The other 1/2 of our cows were bred by a red roan bull and they are coming as red roans or almost solid red mostly. We did get one black calf off of him but he has a red tinge to him so he almost looks dark brown (like chocolate) It is a lot of fun going to the cows right now to see all the new borns and to see what the newest one will look like! 
 

Warrior10

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 9, 2010
Messages
1,653
Location
Mason City, Ne
Thanks for sharing! Don't see many shorthorn x simmental mixes... pretty neat look blue roans with the almost blazed (more of a glazed) face!
 

vcsf

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Messages
294
Location
Saskatchewan, Canada
Jaimie, I was just curious if they are still using many or any simmental bulls.  I remember several years ago when they were buying a lot of top quality simmentals off of the front end of sales for very good money but can not recall seeing where they have bought any for a while.
 

jdmccattle

Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Messages
8
Great post... I think it is great that they are using roan bulls on there commercial cows.  I also think that is is crucial for shorthorn to survive ( Or began to be somebody) in the commercial industry that we get more shorthorn characterized bulls out there.  It will do us much more good in the long run to have big sets of calves going through feedyards that are blue roan or at least show some characteristics of shorthorn genetics.  I am afraid that if we just continue to sell red bulls to the commercial industry the calves will be hidden or sold as something else and the breed will never get recognized as the reference breed for the group. 

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in a feedyard office in southern Minnesota and was talking to a cattle buyer for Tyson (Don Johnson).  He had just broght back the closeouts for a load of shorthorn sired steers and that was the most profitable load of cattle delivered ever from that feedyard.  Don told me that he believes it is crucial as well to get more white and roan bulls sold into the commercal industry and he could find many feedyards that would love to feed these kinds of cattle (and they will pay for them!) He also emphasized however that is is absolutely necesarry to get into some larger operations because non of these yards want to buy a group of 15 calves.  They like to fill pens...80+ hd would be very benificial.

 

jaimiediamond

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
1,019
Location
Okotoks
vcsf said:
Jaimie, I was just curious if they are still using many or any simmental bulls.  I remember several years ago when they were buying a lot of top quality simmentals off of the front end of sales for very good money but can not recall seeing where they have bought any for a while.

He is using Simmental bulls, approximately 1/3 of his bull battery would be Simmental (1/3 Shorthorn and 1/3 Angus).  I believe he is heading to a Simmental Bull Sale on the 10th.  His 3 way cross cows are absolutely outstanding females! When I have more time I will walk through the bull pens and take some pictures :)
 

jaimiediamond

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
1,019
Location
Okotoks
few more pictures :)

These Shorthorn influence cattle are by bulls from Eionmor, Muridale, Saskvalley, Diamond, Horseshoe Creek, Highland Stock Farms and more.

Gordon Turner  has already purchased a half interest in Diamond Xplosion 23X privately (we have retained semen rights as well as walking rights until May 1 every year).  There are plans on attending more bull sales for Shorthorns (as well as Angus and Simmental bulls).  
 

Attachments

  • angus x shorthorn.jpg
    angus x shorthorn.jpg
    107.4 KB · Views: 468
  • angus x shorty with shorty sired calf.jpg
    angus x shorty with shorty sired calf.jpg
    268.8 KB · Views: 639
  • babies simmy x angus, angus x shorthorn.jpg
    babies simmy x angus, angus x shorthorn.jpg
    175.2 KB · Views: 634
  • xplosion.jpg
    xplosion.jpg
    38 KB · Views: 435
  • xplosion2.jpg
    xplosion2.jpg
    30.9 KB · Views: 477

RyanChandler

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 6, 2011
Messages
3,457
Location
Pottsboro, TX
jdmccattle said:
Great post... I think it is great that they are using roan bulls on there commercial cows.  I also think that is is crucial for shorthorn to survive ( Or began to be somebody) in the commercial industry that we get more shorthorn characterized bulls out there.  It will do us much more good in the long run to have big sets of calves going through feedyards that are blue roan or at least show some characteristics of shorthorn genetics.  I am afraid that if we just continue to sell red bulls to the commercial industry the calves will be hidden or sold as something else and the breed will never get recognized as the reference breed for the group. 

This is a quality point you make jdmc.  I think breed identity will continue to become more important.
 

jaimiediamond

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
1,019
Location
Okotoks
rarebirdz said:
Does he feed out his steers? Or are they sold in the fall?

The steers are fed out at Gordon Turner Farms Ltd.  Heifers are sold as replacements for other commercial producers or are retained as replacements.  With well over 100 calves being born in the last few days we haven't needed to assist one (aside from defrosting one yesterday that was born during the snow storm), they are born and up and sucking within minutes.
 

RedBulls

Well-known member
Joined
May 6, 2010
Messages
134
Location
Montana
Thanks for a great post Jaimie. It seems we've got one of the best kept "secrets" in the cattle industry. One of our bull customers runs about 250 head of straight bred Shorthorns and retains ownership through closeout. I had the opportunity to visit with the feedlot owner where they are fed. He has been very impressed with the feed conversion. He told me that the Shorthorn pens were the best money makers he had in 2010. He also shared that the packer was really excited about the carcass quality. These folks didn't even know what a Shorthorn was 3 years ago! JIT has commented about how his bull buyers often select the roans first, as the feeders like to visually ascertain the Shorthorn blood. I hope that catches on down here South of the 49th! 
 

mark tenenbaum

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 23, 2009
Messages
5,765
Location
Virginia Sometimes Iowa and Kansas
RedBulls said:
Thanks for a great post Jaimie. It seems we've got one of the best kept "secrets" in the cattle industry. One of our bull customers runs about 250 head of straight bred Shorthorns and retains ownership through closeout. I had the opportunity to visit with the feedlot owner where they are fed. He has been very impressed with the feed conversion. He told me that the Shorthorn pens were the best money makers he had in 2010. He also shared that the packer was really excited about the carcass quality. These folks didn't even know what a Shorthorn was 3 years ago! JIT has commented about how his bull buyers often select the roans first, as the feeders like to visually ascertain the Shorthorn blood. I hope that catches on down here South of the 49th! 
///// It has for years in the club calf deal-you missed yer calling-better start using double stuff LOL <beer> O0
 

braunranch

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
18
He just bought 3 or 4  horned hereford bulls in Calgary. Do you know where they fit into his breeding plans Jamie?  The hereford/ shortie cross is a hard cow to beat. Is he looking for anymore Herefords? I might know where he could find a few.
 

jaimiediamond

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
1,019
Location
Okotoks
braunranch said:
He just bought 3 or 4  horned hereford bulls in Calgary. Do you know where they fit into his breeding plans Jamie?  The hereford/ shortie cross is a hard cow to beat. Is he looking for anymore Herefords? I might know where he could find a few.

He got two horned hereford bulls at Calgary, and is looking for two more.  He plans on putting them with a group of blacks in hopes of getting black baldies.  He has a high demand in British Influence replacement heifers.  I might have mentioned a pretty awesome Horned Hereford herd in Simmie SK to him  ;D
 

thunderdownunder

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
893
Location
Australia
jaimiediamond said:
braunranch said:
He just bought 3 or 4  horned hereford bulls in Calgary. Do you know where they fit into his breeding plans Jamie?  The hereford/ shortie cross is a hard cow to beat. Is he looking for anymore Herefords? I might know where he could find a few.

He got two horned hereford bulls at Calgary, and is looking for two more.  He plans on putting them with a group of blacks in hopes of getting black baldies.  He has a high demand in British Influence replacement heifers.  I might have mentioned a pretty awesome Horned Hereford herd in Simmie SK to him  ;D

(thumbsup) I may have mentioned the same place to a few Hereford breeders heading over for the conference.
 
Top