blacks vs whites (cows that is)

[rustynail]

how come them black cows always seem to bring more at the sale barn than any other breed???? i know that the angus association has really pushed the "angus" name into every household, and all of the consumers are hung up on "if it aint angus beef its not good beef".

also when i go into the meat department of the store and see a label saying "certified angus", what does that really mean? this meat came from regestiered black angus cattle, the hide was black, it was an angus cross??? :???: :???: :???: :???:

hard to tell what color that hide was after it is skinned out!

we use to raise beefalo and that was by far some of the best meat we ever ate.

am i just going against the system by raising charolais, or do i just give in and go with them old black cows?

just venting a little........thanks for listening.

G3

 

[PureCountry]

You go with whatever works for you. I grew up in a Purebred Angus herd, and showed them all over for years. However, I think the Certified Angus Beef BS is just a scam! It's of course a very clever marketing program, but a scam nonetheless. I have a commercial herd of Angus Cross cows, b/c they work in our environment. We cross them to Galloway bulls and have started a Purebred herd of Galloways, being in a beef-marketing network with a few other producers. It works for us in this environment, and that's why we stick to it.

If you can make a dollar raising your Charolais, by all means stick with what makes you happy.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

how come them black cows always seem to bring more at the sale barn than any other breed????

Up here and a few years back, them black cows were actually very well suited to our environment. They grew good, graded good, calved easy, etc etc etc. Better than many other breeds, on a herd average that is.

However much of today's popularity I feel is due to good Angus marketting. Don't get me wrong, I run a whack of AngusX animals around here, and they're good animals, every last one of them, but they don't have the leg up on other breeds like they used to. Actually, in my area, I'm watching the quality of Angus animals suffer as birthweights come up, frame sizes come up, and rib disappear. I think there are definitely some better breeds out there, and now the feedlots are starting to take notice. ShorthornX calves will now sell with Angus, and in some areas, will pull a premium as an example.

Rod

 

[Northern Rancher]

Geez you two I thought I was the only heretic around who realized Angus were good but not perfect-the breed is on it's way to not being all that good even. Sure like them baldie calves hitting the ground right now though.

 

[George]

I had commercial Angus for years ( always bred to Charolis bulls ) and then due to a traffic accident I had no cattle for a few years.

I decided to get back in the cattle business and had the oppertunity to aquire a registered Charolis herd. I did and am not sorry but I am going back to Angus ( will take me about 4 years to make the transition) as the Charolis are just to big and eat to much to suit me. I feel I can run about 40% more cows with the angus and still sell great smokie black nosed calves which still seem to bring a priemum to the local feeders.

Possibly your Charolis are not as big as mine - - - several over 2,000# and if you are farther south they will not need to eat as much in the winter to keep warm.

Are the Angus the perfect breed? I don't think there is a perfect breed but for my operation they fit better. If you want to see a discount around here go to the local sales and watch the Herfords - - - If I was going to start a breeding herd now I would probably buy Herford as they are so cheap and then breed them black as the blac baldies seem in good demand as well.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Geez you two I thought I was the only heretic around who realized Angus were good but not perfect-the breed is on it's way to not being all that good even.

:lol: :lol: Color me a heretic. :lol: :lol:

A few years ago I was thinking about switching away from commercial animals to purebreds. Since most of my experience lay with Simm, Maine, Angus, Shorthorns and Red Polls, and most of the commercial herd I had was either PB Angus or baldies, I thought Angus would be the way to go. So I started really digging into the new Angus genetics, and was dismayed by the backwards steps the breed had taken in recent years. Certainly, there were some fantastic animals, but they either weren't "in" or they were so high priced that I couldn't see them ever paying for themselves. At least an unknown, startup breeder certainly couldn't make them pay.

So I went with the "off" breeds, and found animals every bit as good, or better than you could find in the Angus lineup, and the costs were 1/10th. That good little Shorthorn bull I just bought from up your way was $1800. I watched an Angus bull move at a sale a couple years ago for $7000, and the Angus didn't have the numbers or the look of the Shorthorn.

Anyway, I'd better quit before someone tries to burn me at the stake as a witch. :lol: :lol:

Rod

 

[efb]

The Angus cow is hard to beat. Twenty years ago when you traveled through West TX the predominant cow was the horned herford. When you travel through there today probably 70 % + are angus or angus cross cows. I will agree there is a lot of hype in the angus business today, but you can bet your last dollar that hype had nothing to do with those ranchers from West TX turning there cow herd black. The angus cow works, ( and the herford breeders must have been asleep to not take some of the flaws out of their cattle) . You can put about any kind of bulls on her and get good calves. A lot of guys in this area are using Charloais bulls on angus cross cows. Obviously to add a few pounds to weaning wt. The thing I hate most about the registered angus business is all the money hype. I am sick to death of reading about how much they all sold for. Can anyone describe an animal anymore with out a dollar sign ?

 

[chilipepper10]

You want small birthweight and high wean weight put a touch of ear in your cattle. If your willing to work on your marketing skills and love GOOD cattle, I have found that this works.