Hardiest cattle breed

JTM said:

Ummm, Black Angus?

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I raise Lowline Black Angus (full & crosses) & I really like them, but the answer, IMHO, is... "NO" & they "aint" even close to being the hardiest.

Again, my vote is Longhorn or Scotch Highland, and it all depends upon the location as to which one.  IMHO, Tuli, Tarentaise & Galloways would rank fairly high too.    

Dvrom said:

JTM said:

Ummm, Black Angus?

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yeah i think i agree with you we used to raise angus and we had a bunch calving into the early to mid 20's

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Our Galloways blow our Angus out of the water, when it comes to hardiness, both summer and winter.  Our Angus cattle originated in N.D. also, but have been culling themselves regularly.  Our 1/2 blood Galloways run right with the fullblood Galloways, I think due to the hybrid vigor.  Treating Galloway calves for any illness is uncommon.  I am sure Highlanders are similar, I just don't like horns, and want more performance.

HAB 

Composites based on British hair breeds tend to be the hardiest cattle in colder climates.  Breeds like the Luing (Shorthorn/Highland) and the U of A Synthetic (Angus/Charolais/ Galloway) have been shown to be at least as hardy as Herfords, Highlands, or Galloways.  These composite lines also benefit from hybrid vigor and more objective systematic selection than in the hair breeds.
In the UK the hair breeds are being crossed with Fleckvieh to produce commercial cows that are very popular f0rr crossing to a terminal sire.
This brings up a question for HAB: Why can't Galloway breeders produce their own composite like the U of A synthetic to get the advantages of the Galloway and the other breed like the Simmental?

Mark H said:

Composites based on British hair breeds tend to be the hardiest cattle in colder climates.  Breeds like the Luing (Shorthorn/Highland) and the U of A Synthetic (Angus/Charolais/ Galloway) have been shown to be at least as hardy as Herfords, Highlands, or Galloways.  These composite lines also benefit from hybrid vigor and more objective systematic selection than in the hair breeds.
In the UK the hair breeds are being crossed with Fleckvieh to produce commercial cows that are very popular f0rr crossing to a terminal sire.
This brings up a question for HAB: Why can't Galloway breeders produce their own composite like the U of A synthetic to get the advantages of the Galloway and the other breed like the Simmental?

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Mark H - We Galloway breeders missed the boat to an extent.  We saw what was happening to the other breeds, with the loss of many of their original characteristics, and got gun shy.  We have had some temporary breeders try to change how we registered Galloway cattle.  They wanted breed up programs and percentage purebreds.  We wanted to maintain our fullblood cattle, due to the limited bloodlines available.  We are a stubborn bunch, small in number, and didn't want to lose control of  "our breed".  In the US, we have started having percentage (50%)  females and steers show in conjunction with our association sanctioned shows.  We do not maintain a registry of those at this time.  As a result, I know the associations have suffered financially, but just like our THRIFTY cattle, we have survived the tough times, and are seeing a resurgence in interest, because we are a true outcross.

HAB       

There are herds of Santa Gertrudis in Canada, New York state, Ohio, and Indiana so to say they won't work in cold climates is a false statement. Many people discount American cattle but I post much higher weaning weights than many commercial crossbreed producers in my area.