Red Angus

[dms4x4]

I want to buy some foundation type stock cows, or bred heifers in the next couple months, probably start with 22 or 23. One of the neighbors around home is into the red angus breed and is encouraging me in that direction. He claims he's weining spring calves in October (dropped in Feb or March) weighing nearly 700 pounds. Any thoughts?

 

[NVW]

It's possible, the Angus cattle today (red or black) have been bred up in size.

What weight are their mothers? I would bet 1500 lbs.

 

[BudTX]

Are we talking a 200 day wean weight? Average is 450-500#, but some ranchers with bigger cows are producing calves bigger than that.

Mostly black Angus around here, and 700 lbs for a spring calf 7-8 months later is not uncommon, depending on the line.

 

[bison]

i used to have black angus that weaned a 900 pounder once,more common is 500 to 650 for a febr born calf from a 12-1300 lbs cow.

BTW ,did you investigated buffalo as an option? (more money,less work)

 

[BudTX]

i used to have black angus that weaned a 900 pounder once,more common is 500 to 650 for a febr born calf from a 12-1300 lbs cow.

BTW ,did you investigated buffalo as an option? (more money,less work)

My back fence neighbor raises bison, and he spent a pile of money on the seven strand fence that he tries to keep them contained with. He also ended up having to gate up all of the cattle guard gates that he had, because the bison would simply jump over them.

And his loading pens look like they can corral elephants...

 

[dms4x4]

i used to have black angus that weaned a 900 pounder once,more common is 500 to 650 for a febr born calf from a 12-1300 lbs cow.

BTW ,did you investigated buffalo as an option? (more money,less work)

We had a neighbor who had some buffalo years ago (late 70's) when they first became fashionable. They lived about 6 miles away. The buffalo got out one time and ended up not far from us. Tore up every fence that got in their way!!

I rented one of my pastures to the guy with the red angus stock last summer. He put in 18 of the prettiest bred heifers you can imagine. They were AI bred to some high powered, low birthweight bull. He wanted to sell them to me, and I wanted to buy them, but my fences were just not ready to trust yet. I made good progress on one of them last week, and if the winter months are half way open, should be able to have all of it ready by pasture season 2011.

By the way, how are buffalo less work?

 

[btfarm]

Alot of discussion about them here.
http://www.thetruckstop.us/forum/showthread.php?22480-New-babies-on-the-ground&highlight=babies*

 

[dms4x4]

Alot of discussion about them here.
http://www.thetruckstop.us/forum/showthread.php?22480-New-babies-on-the-ground&highlight=babies*

That was a good discussion. Bison laid out the economic advantages about half way through. Hard to argue with his points.

 

[btfarm]

That was a good discussion. Bison laid out the economic advantages about half way through. Hard to argue with his points.

No question though that the capital outlay in fencing up front is tough to get a payback any time soon. Gotta run alot of head through to get that back.

 

[NVW]

If you take a good 4 wire fence and put two strands of high tensile wire on it, one on top and one midway. Juice them up with about 10,000 volts, that will keep them in.

 

[bison]

We had a neighbor who had some buffalo years ago (late 70's) when they first became fashionable. They lived about 6 miles away. The buffalo got out one time and ended up not far from us. Tore up every fence that got in their way!!

I rented one of my pastures to the guy with the red angus stock last summer. He put in 18 of the prettiest bred heifers you can imagine. They were AI bred to some high powered, low birthweight bull. He wanted to sell them to me, and I wanted to buy them, but my fences were just not ready to trust yet. I made good progress on one of them last week, and if the winter months are half way open, should be able to have all of it ready by pasture season 2011.

By the way, how are buffalo less work?[/QUOTE]

example,
Physical work this last year.
January,wean last yrs calves ,about 5 hrs.
June,sort bulls from hfrs to sell yrl bulls,2 or 3 hrs. Load bulls out,1 hr(gave eartag's to the trucker for new owner to put in).
June,medicated a yrl hfr with the dartgun.
Sept,sold and loaded out the yrl hfrs(kept 10 for replacement),another hr or so.(i didn't tag them either][may not work for every one)
I do it all without additional help by my lonesome.

Add to above feeding hay 2-3 hrs twice a week to 200 cows and calves for the 6 winter month's and that sums it up.
you do the math.

BTW,i dont know why people have so much trouble getting escaped bison back home,i had a bunch out twice in the 16 yrs i have them,both times my fault cause i left the gate open to get more hay.Both times they came back by them selves without problems.
And once cause they busted a crappy wire gate rope overnight and i had to get them back from a mile away. A couple honks on the horn at the right time and place and they bee lined right back home.Its when people start chasing and hollering when trouble arises,that's how the indians chased them over the cliffs.