Black Angus beef ( opinions please)

nobull1 · Feb 18, 2006

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( From a commercial standpoint from field to sale barn the angus/hereford is a great cross. Good prices and nice gains on the hoof with low calving weights. )</font>

They seem to work best for our situation which is low grain finishing. We like to have a 500+ dressed weight and the Hereford/Angus seem to finish better at that ligther weight. The Angus IMO seems to give some increase in quality over pure Hereford. With 15,000 cars driving past our farm daily we don't need any animals with the name Spook or Jumpy and the Hereford usually handles that. Although Hereford's have their own baggage "Prolapses" /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Bird · Feb 19, 2006

Having seen The Rare Breed with Jimmy Stewart more than a few times, I know those Herefords have to be good. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

RidgeRunnerWVa · Feb 19, 2006

Doc,
I was just kidding /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif ( you gotta know me /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif). They do make nice crosses ( black baldies) There has been several farmers with a Black Angus bull and Hereford cows around here,some guys even have a 3 way cross,Hereford/Angus/Charolais,better heterosis. I am partial to the Angus cattle though.
I have not seen any red baldies around here because Red Angus are rare in these parts

RidgeRunnerWVa · Feb 19, 2006

You say the Herefords give you better calving ease then the Angus ?
Those Herefords are docile,I had a Hereford bull that was so tame, I could sit on his back,I could set my kids on his back. I could walk up to him with a big stick and scratch his belly and back and he just stood there like a big old dog and loved it.
I had a Red Angus bull you had to keep one eye on him all the time,when you pulled into the drive way he wanted to run and buck and chase the car down the driveway,he was ornery. There is more than one time I jumped the electric fence because I did not have my club with me.
I wish I had some cattle now,when I did have them back in the 1990's I only had about 10 head and I was buying my hay and going in the hole. But the prices now on some of these registered Black Angus I think I could afford to buy a little hay if I was getting the prices they command now. I would like to get some Angus steers and raise them for beef I know I could sell the beef and keep the fields and hills cleaned up.

nobull1 · Feb 19, 2006

You say the Herefords give you better calving ease then the Angus ?

That might be a little step over the line. The Angus are not a hard calver and I believe the Hereford "might" be in a couple points better but not many. But I don't need a rope to tie the leg off when you have a first time heifer that won't let it's offspring drink /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif.

I also buy all my hay and don't find a lot of money in the cattle. As you said it keeps the fields in good shape, and is a labour of love.

I had a Registered Black Angus bull that had loose legs for a year or so . After I finally got that out of him it was don't go past his shoulder or it's head to the face/body /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

To use a movie as Bird has. The best title might have been "Have Gun Will Travel" /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

RidgeRunnerWVa · Feb 19, 2006

I had some Hereford/Charolais cross heifers that I bred to a Hereford bull. These heifers were 2 years old when they were bred and I had really fed them well and they had good size to them and I had calving problems. I switched to the Red Angus and I NEVER pulled a calve,those cows were dropping those calve on the ground in an open field 10 degrees farenheit and those little calves were up nursing and walking around in no time.
For a small herd I will let my buddy down the road bale hay and go get it from him when I need it. I sold my cattle in 1999 and I am really itching to get back in the program.

RidgeRunnerWVa · Feb 19, 2006

More Red Angus info.

bebster · Feb 19, 2006

After reading this post, took my wife out for dinner and saw Angus Tenderloin on the menu. Had to order it! And it was the best steak I've had in a long time!