Rep Your Breed

[RiveredgeFarms]

After sitting in a meeting discussing my university's beef herd and what breeds we will be using in the future of the program, (Angus and Hereford) I wanted to ask all of you what breed you are using and why? I also think it would be interesting to hear a negative that you have about your breed that you think should be the focus of improvement moving into the future. Thanks for your input. <beer>

 

[JTM]

We have a commercial cow-calf herd and a Shorthorn seedstock herd. Shorthorns are our main ingredient because of many reasons. They give you so many things while maintaining the end carcass value. Calving ease, low bw, good growth especially when crossed, moderate sized cows, superior maternal instinct, superior docility, good udders, fertility, longevity, and good feed conversion to name a few.
One of the issues with Shorthorns is that we have so many different types. There are few that can do all of the things I mentioned above in one package but they are out there. Our experience with crossing these Shorthorns with Angus and Simmental has been really good.
A negative that I think the breed should be working on is the high birth weights. Sure you can have high birth weights and still have good calving ease but ranchers want smaller calves because they are much more likely to be vigorous at birth and not have to be assisted during or after birth.

 

[simba]

This is a good question, I look forward to seeing more replies.

I have a small herd of Polled Hereford cattle and I love them. To me the docility is one of their best traits. They're good for kids to be around and they give young showmen a real sense of confidence. I don't know if it's a proven fact or not but I really think that their temperament is one of the reasons that they are so easy keeping. When you put out feed they get right in there and eat until it's gone and they aren't easily spooked on pasture. Their thick hair coats make them hardy in tough winter conditions and their red & white pattern makes them easily identified which I believe is very important. I choose to breed Polled Herefords rather than Horned simply because I don't like dealing with horns and I'm finding that more and more commercial guys don't want to mess with them either. Another good trait is that they will cross with pretty much anything and they have those huge Hereford hips that make pulling calves a lot less frequent than some other breeds.

As for downsides, their quiet and carefree attitude makes them impossible to chase anywhere. Anyone who doesn't raise Herefords will think I'm joking but it is a serious pain!!!! On a more serious note udder suspension could be improved to better compete against those pretty Angus udders in the show ring. From a commercial standpoint I don't actually think that we have a problem, but there is certainly room for improvement.

 

[ploughshare]

I used to raise club calves last century and gave up because of hard calving and disposition problem.  Started up again with Angus due to popularity, ease of marketing, and epd products.  Recently we have ventured into polled Herefords for family nostalgia reasons and disposition.

Angus still need to work on disposition, which has improved, but needs more work when compared to Herefords.  I love the work in genomics, genetic testing, and CAB lead by the AAA.  I am not a fan of all the rules required by the AAA, but after dealing with some breeders I understand why they exist. 

Herefords could use more calving ease, milk, and carcass relative to Angus.

Either way, both breeds create a desirable end product which should be strongly considered with the production traits.

 

[HAB]

I have raised Galloway cattle (the original solid black) for 33 years.  Galloways  just do a lot of **** right.  Easy calving, good mothers, feed efficient, structurally sound, longevity, and great carcasses.  Being a true full blood they cross well with everything, due to not being an Angus derivative.

A negative would be the stereotype that the hair coat prevents them from being used in the south. 

Galloway are very adaptable.  The younger you take them into warm climates the better.

Another negative would be the variations within the breed.

 

[librarian]

I am building my next herd right now. I'm going Galloway for all the reasons HAB mentioned. My Galloway crosses have consistently been my best breeders and feeders, whether crossed to Shorthorn or Angus.
A very personal reason to go this way is that I find it difficult to kill my Shorthorns, so I'm wimping out on setting myself up as their executioner. The Galloways are so uniform that it's much easier to deal with them as a group rather than as individuals.
The increasing variation within the Galloway breed is another reason I'm focusing on conserving the old fashioned type against the days when some breeders have gone to far towards increasing growth, milk, BW and all the other well trodden roads to losing the original type.
I still plan to use a Shorthorn bull to to achieve those production goals thru the Y chromosome rather than selecting away from the deep Galloway genetic characteristics in my cows. We live in an age with access to line bred commercially oriented Shorthorn bulls that will be appreciated in retrospect.  These bulls concentrate proven genetics from real world Shorthorn programs that transmit great functionality and heterosis in a crossbreeding program.
Galloway, as a relatively unimproved breed, retains more natural programming for natural management situations in less than ideal soil types and challenging climates.

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

I have had Red Angus cattle since 1992, actually a couple of years before that but '92 was when we made the switch from commercially based cattle to a larger number of Registered Red Angus.
The positives: 1) All of the traits you would expect from Angus but with less disposition issues than our black brothers. 2) The breed as a whole never followed some of the trends that affected many of the other breeds. 3) The cattle are so good that the people haven't been able to screw them up (Lord knows they are trying). 4) For the most part, most breeders are interested in the future of the breed. (However, as the breed grows there is an influx of new people and with that comes more issues with breeder integrity.
  The negatives: 1) For the last 30+ years that I have been involved with the breed, they have always been known as a calving ease/maternal breed. The current administration has decided that we need to push the calving ease traits to the extremes. (A 58 pound calf struggles to survive in below zero temperatures) 2) There has also been a trend to moderate the size of the cows across the board. I'm seeing way too many 4.0 to 4.7 bulls being sold as moderate, calving ease bulls. I am afraid we are breeding the growth out of them. 3) Frankly, the association is divided in two segments, the people that breed their cows on a computer and then everyone else.
My two cents worth. RW

 

[beebe]

I have had Red Angus cattle since 1992, actually a couple of years before that but '92 was when we made the switch from commercially based cattle to a larger number of Registered Red Angus.
The positives: 1) All of the traits you would expect from Angus but with less disposition issues than our black brothers. 2) The breed as a whole never followed some of the trends that affected many of the other breeds. 3) The cattle are so good that the people haven't been able to screw them up (Lord knows they are trying). 4) For the most part, most breeders are interested in the future of the breed. (However, as the breed grows there is an influx of new people and with that comes more issues with breeder integrity.
  The negatives: 1) For the last 30+ years that I have been involved with the breed, they have always been known as a calving ease/maternal breed. The current administration has decided that we need to push the calving ease traits to the extremes. (A 58 pound calf struggles to survive in below zero temperatures) 2) There has also been a trend to moderate the size of the cows across the board. I'm seeing way too many 4.0 to 4.7 bulls being sold as moderate, calving ease bulls. I am afraid we are breeding the growth out of them. 3) Frankly, the association is divided in two segments, the people that breed their cows on a computer and then everyone else.
My two cents worth. RW
[/quote
No offense here but why would a calf be born in below zero tempratures?  That seems like a risk that could be avoided.

 

[shortybreeder]

I have had Red Angus cattle since 1992, actually a couple of years before that but '92 was when we made the switch from commercially based cattle to a larger number of Registered Red Angus.
The positives: 1) All of the traits you would expect from Angus but with less disposition issues than our black brothers. 2) The breed as a whole never followed some of the trends that affected many of the other breeds. 3) The cattle are so good that the people haven't been able to screw them up (Lord knows they are trying). 4) For the most part, most breeders are interested in the future of the breed. (However, as the breed grows there is an influx of new people and with that comes more issues with breeder integrity.
  The negatives: 1) For the last 30+ years that I have been involved with the breed, they have always been known as a calving ease/maternal breed. The current administration has decided that we need to push the calving ease traits to the extremes. (A 58 pound calf struggles to survive in below zero temperatures) 2) There has also been a trend to moderate the size of the cows across the board. I'm seeing way too many 4.0 to 4.7 bulls being sold as moderate, calving ease bulls. I am afraid we are breeding the growth out of them. 3) Frankly, the association is divided in two segments, the people that breed their cows on a computer and then everyone else.
My two cents worth. RW
[/quote
No offense here but why would a calf be born in below zero tempratures?  That seems like a risk that could be avoided.

I didn't look to see where you're both from, but up here in MN it isn't always possible to avoid below 0 temps. A couple years ago we had a Blizzard in May that resulted in neatly a foot of snow, and A LOT of dead calves. My 2 cents

 

[librarian]

For the last 30+ years that I have been involved with the breed, they have always been known as a calving ease/maternal breed. The current administration has decided that we need to push the calving ease traits to the extremes

I think the first part of RW's statement is very true of the tendency, in many good breeds, to fix what isn't broke just to promote a number that is in the top percent of whatever trait in EPDs.
Extremes are never optimal. I think average is way underrated.
I'm talking about average many generations deep, not the illusion created by the union of opposites.

 

[beebe]

I have had Red Angus cattle since 1992, actually a couple of years before that but '92 was when we made the switch from commercially based cattle to a larger number of Registered Red Angus.
The positives: 1) All of the traits you would expect from Angus but with less disposition issues than our black brothers. 2) The breed as a whole never followed some of the trends that affected many of the other breeds. 3) The cattle are so good that the people haven't been able to screw them up (Lord knows they are trying). 4) For the most part, most breeders are interested in the future of the breed. (However, as the breed grows there is an influx of new people and with that comes more issues with breeder integrity.
  The negatives: 1) For the last 30+ years that I have been involved with the breed, they have always been known as a calving ease/maternal breed. The current administration has decided that we need to push the calving ease traits to the extremes. (A 58 pound calf struggles to survive in below zero temperatures) 2) There has also been a trend to moderate the size of the cows across the board. I'm seeing way too many 4.0 to 4.7 bulls being sold as moderate, calving ease bulls. I am afraid we are breeding the growth out of them. 3) Frankly, the association is divided in two segments, the people that breed their cows on a computer and then everyone else.
My two cents worth. RW
[/quote
No offense here but why would a calf be born in below zero tempratures?  That seems like a risk that could be avoided.

I didn't look to see where you're both from, but up here in MN it isn't always possible to avoid below 0 temps. A couple years ago we had a Blizzard in May that resulted in neatly a foot of snow, and A LOT of dead calves. My 2 cents

I am from north central South Dakota.  I understand about late storms, I used to calve in February and March. I got tired of frozen ears and tails.  I noticed that deer were born in warm weather and thought I could learn from that.  It is a free country and people get to calve when they want.  If I was a calf I would not want to be born in below zero weather.

 

[Show Dad]

Going back to the original post of RiveredgeFarms: I find it interesting that most, if not all, of these university herds use the most popular breeds. How does this add to the knowledge base of future ranchers and what can be studied that hasn't already been learned in the private sector?

I would think a better learning tool would be to use a herd of a less used breed or one that is endangered. Say like Braunvieh, British White, Pinzgauer or maybe just do a commercial herd.

Would seem that many university herds are used to satisfy some professor's ego. Which in reality, are just more of the same genetics.

JMHO
SD
<alien>

 

[RiveredgeFarms]

SD, We are in a transition period right now moving from a commercial herd to a seedstock operation with a 50/50 split of Herefords and Angus. Coming in as a freshman this year I do not yet know why that change is being made, because I have been wondering the same thing. Once I hear more I will be sure to let you know. 

 

[Show Dad]

FWIW: Wonder if there is a big donation from some alumni driving this decision?
SD
<alien>

 

[librarian]

I would be very interested to hear about the ups and downs of Braunvieh.
I have thought a lot about doing a Braunvieh/Galloway cross. They look like terrific cows.

 

[Lucky_P]

Base herd here is predominantly ANxSimAngus.  Just wasn't getting what we wanted from Angus sires...so we switched over to red polled Shorthorn sires... LOVING what we're getting from that cross of SH sires over 3/4AN 1/4SM cows.
Breeding a select group of cows back toward purebred Simmental status... and will probably try some SHxSM breedings to see how those work... and I'm betting they'll be good.

Braunvieh have been especially interesting to me for 20 years or more, and have plans to start using some Braunvieh sires over some of the high% Angus and ANxSH cows.
Saw quite a few Pinzgauer cattle back in my practice days, and had a few PZ-cross cattle.  Love the look, and they were good cows; would love to have some more, but they'd get creamed at the salebarn here, as 'Longhorn-crosses' just because of the color-sided trait or skunk-tail.