Favorite Breeds?

[justintime]

There are excellent cattle in every breed and it is easy to like the good ones, no matter what color they are. I grew up with Shorthorns and they are the breed I know the most about. I would be the first to say that the Shorthorn breed is not perfect, but I think it does have a lot to offer. Like most other breeds, there are Shorthorns that will work in many different types of environments and management systems. There are Shorthorns that can work in rugged commercial programs, and others that are second to none if showing is your passion. There are also some that will work in both areas.Shorthorns have been considered mainly a maternal breed for decades, so it is much easier to find great females than great bulls, but I personally feel that there are more outstanding herd sires available now than anytime in my lifetime.  Maybe it is because I have been around this breed all of my life, but I have often thought that there is nothing quite as beautiful on lush green grass than a good set of red, white and roan cattle. I often feel very close to God, when I'm doing my pasture checks.
Good cattle of any breed are a delight to view. I will always remember a herd of Braford cows I saw in Texas. They were beautiful creatures, and I do not think I have ever seen a more uniform set of cattle in one place. It looked like one cow had been cloned! I also remember a wonderful set of Horned Hereford cows on pasture that were simply awesome.
I have always felt that it is fine to have a favorite breed, and you should enjoy the cattle you raise, but you should also be able to appreciate a good animal regardless of its pedigree or it's color.

 

[vanridge]

My heart will always have a soft spot for the traditional simmental cow, doesn't matter what color or if the hair is curly or straight, they are just a nice breed. However, as of right now I have to go with shorthorn because I believe in what we are breeding here at home. When we started to look for a herd sire the bulls that really got our attention were Muridale Buster, Muridale Buster 2nd, and Saskvalley Bonanza. When we looked at the websites from these farms we knew shorthorns were what we were looking for. Since than I have met some very smart shorthorn breeders here on SP as well as have gone to a few places here in Manitoba that have some good stock. Hatfield Shorthorns, Foxwillow Farms, and Uphill just to name a few, and I have been told of other places to go visit. I've also seen a lot of good bulls in the shorthorn breed since than. (Check out the thread about favourite shorthorn bulls )  Now we do like to cross ours with a black angus, but I think that combination has a lot of potential.

 

[wyatt]

Santa Gertrudis, My favorite part is our junior association and how much they do for all of the junior members. Each class winner at our national show gets a heifer from a ranch that sponsered the class, I think its a very unique and awesome award. Not mention the not having to worry all the time about having to pull calves and genetic deffects. They are just easy keeping good eared cattle! Some of the bulls that i think of would be Hatchet, A100, Don Dan, 023/91, Geronimo just to name  few. I'm sure i'll be one of the only ones to pick this breed lol.

if your profile pic is a santa gertrudis thats the cleanist necked one ive ever seen

 

[TXSimmy]

Santa Gertrudis, My favorite part is our junior association and how much they do for all of the junior members. Each class winner at our national show gets a heifer from a ranch that sponsered the class, I think its a very unique and awesome award. Not mention the not having to worry all the time about having to pull calves and genetic deffects. They are just easy keeping good eared cattle! Some of the bulls that i think of would be Hatchet, A100, Don Dan, 023/91, Geronimo just to name  few. I'm sure i'll be one of the only ones to pick this breed lol.

if your profile pic is a santa gertrudis thats the cleanist necked one ive ever seen

yes sir she is! thank you ;D

 

[JTM]

Shorthorns and then Maine Anjou.
I prefer Shorthorns for their docility, maternal instincts towards their calves, milking ability and udder structure, moderate frame, good fertility, and last but not least, the beef is really good because of the tenderness and marbling.

 

[flacowman]

I'll throw another continental breed out there to compete with the simmis, Charolais.  They are massive growing, low input (I weaned first calves out of heifers, no creep, averaged 750# at 200 days) and just as good a milker as anything else.  I would also like to add that smoky black hided calves are beating solid black calves in the sale rings around here by about 5 cents a pound and doing darn good in the showrings as well.  Bulls that jumo out in my mind are M6 Grid Maker, Wyoming Wind, Firewater for  the showy calves, Ec No Doubt, Bluegrass, Easy Pro, and Big Top.

 

[RankeCattleCo]

If I had to choose a showing breed, I would definitly go with a Char X- The cross either being to a maine or shorty.  I think that char X have all the color in the world and there really eye catching.  the maine and shorty influences throw in some clubby looks.  If I had to choose a second, I would choose a high% simmi, a blaze or brockle face.  Im not much for the solid black/red cattle, and I also like the white shortys.

 

[Mill Iron A]

The great thing I have noticed in the above posts is that people recognize the different markets and potential each breed or bloodlines within a breed really speak to.  That being said, I love Charolais.  Arguably the best feeding cattle from consistency and growth standpoints, the charolais of today have plenty or rib and body and a ton of base width.  Along with them I like red angus for their ability to survive in some pretty harsh environments and coincidentally they cross really well with charolais.  On the show side of things I don't think it really matters as much to me because it all depends on the cattle you like and sad to say what trend is in the ring.

 

[RSL Cattle Co.]

Shorthorns- they have always worked for us (Bell M Farms). Bulls- Alta Cedar Trademark, Saskvalley Vision, Bell M Appollo, Bell M Limited Edition, JT Umpire, Gar Lind Lad, Ar Su Lu Massive 3140, TM Gus

Speckle Park- trying a couple (speckle Park x) : easy keeping and hard workers. Bulls- River Hill Traffic Jam, River Hill Walker

Simmental- produce awesome cross calves. Bulls- Mr.William

 

[nate53]

Thanks For Posting,  very informative! (clapping)

So far we have:  Simmental, Maine Anjou, Shorthorns, Galloways, Black Angus, Braford, Santa Gertrudis, Charloais, and one self promoting shorthorn breeder who likes CharAnerf!  I will have to say there are a few breeds here that I do not know very much about and liked reading about them and their postive qualities, which was the main reason for the thread.  Surely their are a few more breeds out there?

 

[rarebirdz]

I love my angus base cow herd they r prolific and easy keepin.  I am looking into adding 1 exotic possibly simmie as maternal isn't compromised and shorties for docility and as they r for the most part very similar in production it just makes sense