# Brahma cattle



## smoothmule (Sep 26, 2009)

Does anyone here have personal experience with any of the Brahman breeds?  We're in SW Missouri and there aren't many here.   I understand they don't tolerate really cold winters so that may be pert of it.  I really love their look and would like buy a bred cow or two, registered stock.   I can provide them shelter in the winter but I'd like to know if there are any big problems with them.


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## john in wa (Sep 27, 2009)

i think they would do fine. we have lots of brahma cattle up her in washington. its been known to reach 20 below here. i am going to try to post a link that might help you.   
http://www.ionet.net/~brahman/adapt.html

hope this helps


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## smoothmule (Sep 27, 2009)

Thanks, everywhere else I've read said they needed protection from harsh winters.  Now to find some in my area.  I don't mind if it's a couple heifers.  I can have them AI'd since there is a huge number of good bulls in service.  I just can't find a breeder in my area yet.
We just have 40 acres and have horses and mules but we also have 40 acres rented and I'd like to get a couple now, just can't locate any.


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## jhm47 (Sep 27, 2009)

Good luck on your brahmans.  It would be my opinion that SW Missouri seldom has really "harsh" winters.  I would consider a harsh winter to be -20 to -30 with 30 mph winds for up to three to four weeks, like we sometimes have here in SD.  While I'm not very familiar with the climate of SW Mo, I doubt that you would ever have anything like that.

When we get a stretch of weather like this, we have to use a lot of straw for the cows to lie down on, and it also takes about 50% more feed each day.  Not a profitable scenario.  

Some may question why we don't put the cows inside.  The reason is that they emit a tremendous amount of water vapor in their normal breathing, and the air quickly becomes saturated, which causes the cows to get pneumonia.   An open shed is OK, but it soon becomes full of manure, and it's impossible to clean frozen manure and haul it out to our fields.  Therefore it's best to have the cows outside, out of the prevailing winds, and well bedded.


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## smoothmule (Sep 27, 2009)

Thank you for your wise words of wisdom


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## rittert3 (Nov 18, 2009)

I have some personal experience with them fairly close to you I'm near Topeka Ks and a feedlot I worked for last winter bought all southern cattle with alot of brahman influence, between the shipping stress, quick change in climate, crowded conditions, and their thin hides we lost alot (5-8%) they also didn't respond to meds as well. So my suggestion would be to buy localy, don't over crowd and give them that shelter.


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## smoothmule (Dec 28, 2009)

I found a Brahman heifer and bought her on Christmas Eve.  She's being delivered here today.  I just wanted to thank everyone for the information.  I'll post photo's of her later.  She's 11 months old, grey, purebred but not registered.  I plan to breed her the first time to a bull, likely angus, that has low birth weights.  After that, I'd like to find a fairly meaty Gir/Gyr type bull that is spotted and ships semen.


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## smoothmule (Dec 28, 2009)

Ritter3,
She will have an open shed for windbreak but I hope to find another cow or heifer so they will have each other for warmth too.  It's hanging in the single digits to teens at night here now.


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## smoothmule (Dec 28, 2009)

Eve (Bought her Christmas Eve, plus she's my first Brahman) arrived this afternoon.   She came out of the trailer like a wild thang but she quieted quickly and I put my foxtrotter pony filly in with her for company.  She seems very inquisitive.  I have read they are similar to mules vs horses as far as intelligence so we should get along well since I've raised mules for over 12 years. 

She hasn't run the fence at all and ate her sweet feed but wasn't eating the hay till I gave her a buddy.

I have more and better pictures to share but my batteries went out just before I downloaded to the computer.  I'm re-charging now and will post more pics later.


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## smoothmule (Sep 10, 2011)

Geez, it's been a while from the dates on my first posts.   I thought I'd update here.  The heifer I named Eve was a "wild thang".  She arrived in a small stock trailer and had obviously had a rough ride but she seemed to settle in fine.   Over a short period of time, it was obvious she didn't like people.  I was determined she would be my "pet cow" though.  She was beautiful and I started out like I have with horses to gentle them that had been roughly handled.  I read that the Brahman breed does not take well to abuse and can be dangerous if raised with abuse.  She was about a year old when I got her and it took almost 2 years for her to actually "trust me".  Now, I never set out to make her a real pet, I just wanted a nice, quiet mamma cow out in the pasture with some of my horses.  I don't have the time here to tell the entire story but in a nutshell, she came to be calm in my presence and look to me when she was stressed whether in the pens or pasture.  The other thing that was clear was that she did Not like men and that is putting it mildly.   

I changed her name to Babe, well that was what always came out of my mouth when I called her so it stuck.  She's matured into a beautiful heifer and has been bred to an Angus bull for her first calf in March 2012.  She was with 2 black bulls here for 6 months after she turned 2 and she didn't even come into heat which was another thing I read about Brahman cattle, they don't mature as young as other breeds.   She was plenty big, over 750 pounds at 2 yrs old but still not ready.  When she was ready, the boys had moved the bulls back out with there cows at the rent place so Babe was on her own and you know how a heifer in heat can be.  She got out twice, the first time she was up the road (gravel/rural) and I walked up with a bucket and she trotted along behind me all the way home, even stepping over the hotwire when I held it down with a stick for her to come through the gate on the hill.    She got out the next heat cycle and ended up in the pasture with the neighbors cattle and found the bull of her dreams.   They were great and let her stay there a couple weeks till they moved the herd and they penned her with the bull then loaded them both up later and dropped her off here then took the bull back to the herd.   Gotta be thankful for great neighbors.  

My son bought a couple of bred cows and put them in the pasture with Babe so they could gentle them to come up for grain before taking them to the rent place.  I've discovered she isn't just a "crazy cow" and hates men, she is also a Diva.     She has been with these 2 cows for 3 weeks and she still stays as far from them as she can.  She loves the horses and mingles with them and stays close but not with these "ordinary" cows,   Silly heifer.

In the end, if she doesn't try to kill someone (and she seems to be better) then she gets to stay.   I really hope motherhood doesn't create a real monster or we will be eating her.   I think she is gorgeous.  I love this breed and would like to consider more like her if they aren't all like her.  Artificial insemination is out of the question with this girl so I have been looking for a nice Brahman bull calf.

I expect she will have a really nice black calf in March and I will post here when she does.  These photo's were taken this evening...

Here are some photo's taken today of my crezy cow, Babe.


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## jhm47 (Sep 10, 2011)

Good for you!  You did the responsible thing and dehorned her.  Looks like a very nice heifer.


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## smoothmule (Sep 11, 2011)

Thanks Jim but I can't take that credit, she was dehorned when I got her.  The bull she was bred to is polled so hopefully, her calf won't have horns.


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## Ms. Research (Sep 11, 2011)

Definitely has the "Diva" look in Photo #2.  

Good Luck to Babe in March!   for a healthy calf and a healthy CALM Mom.


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## Royd Wood (Sep 11, 2011)

Looks great and good luck with her - (there's some meat on that rear end pic 4)


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Sep 12, 2011)

She is beautiful!  Thanks for sharing the pictures.  Can't wait to see some of the calf when the time comes.  Best wishes!


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## smoothmule (Mar 31, 2012)

Babe calved this morning, I thought she was going to wait and give me an April Fool's calf 
She had a gorgeous bull calf, black.  He's up and nursing and running around.  Calved early this morning.   Babe is never going to be comfortable with men or strangers but I went out, cautiously because you can never be too careful with a new mother, and the calf was laying next to the fence and Babe wasn't the least bit anxious with me there.  I rubbed her cheeks and neck and gave her some feed/minerals and gave the calf a good rub while it was still laying down.  He was still a little wet from being so newly born.   He got up and she showed a little concern if I was closer to him than she was so I just stepped back and she was fine.  She's a bit scraggly looking from shedding, it's amazing how her color changes from winter coat, dark steel grey with darker grey on her head and neck in the winter to nearly white in summer.   

I don't see anything about this calf that looks like he may be grey.  The bull was a black Angus.   His ears are longer than the average calf but not as long as the Gir type Brahman's.  I think he will have a little bit of a hump on his shoulder and his hip makes me think Brahman.  This one will not be cut anytime soon.  We decided to wait till he's around 600 pounds and he may be used on my son Matt's herd of mixed cows when he's old enough if he turns out good enough.   If not, he can be banded then and sold when Matt's calves sell.   They're all being born now too so they will all be weaned together.

These were taken a few hours after he was born.  I've named him Ace.













Look how dark she is in the winter, compared to her summer photo's taken last year. (posted at the beginning of this thread)  This photo isn't the best, the sun was just at the wrong angle.


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## redtailgal (Mar 31, 2012)

She is a pretty girl.  Congrats on the baby, and thanks for the update!


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## WildRoseBeef (Mar 31, 2012)

You're always going to still get a bit of ear when crossing brahman over a european/british breed, and the hump and extra navel as well. And I know for certain that that calf will remain black into adulthood, or at least until you decide to put him in the freezer.

Anyway, congratulations on the new addition!


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## smoothmule (Mar 31, 2012)

Thanks, I'm so pleased with how well Babe has done as a first time mother too.  There were some concerns here from the guys.  She has done everything just right.  She took her baby down to the back corner where there's shade and it's furthest from where the horses hang out.  She bedded him down and came up to the barn for a drink then bee-lined it straight back to her corner where she rested and grazed with him staying close by.   She had no issues with calving and now she's showing what good mothering instincts she has.  She's definitely a keeper.  I've found a Gyr cow I may be buying next.  She's local so I'll go take a look at her tomorrow.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Apr 2, 2012)

How wonderful!  He is handsome and she is really a nice looking heifer.  I like her all summer coat, but her winter coat is really interesting.


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## smoothmule (Apr 2, 2012)

Update: I bought a Gir cow yesterday and should be picking her up tomorrow.  I'll post photo's when I have her home.  I may have located a yearling Gir bull calf.  It will be at least another year before he would be ready to breed but I'm excited to find these two.  I've been looking for a while.


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## smoothmule (Apr 5, 2012)

Here she is, not settled in yet but she is a quiet cow and would come of to be petted by her previous owner so she'll just have to have some time to figure what's what.   She's definitely a Big girl.


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## smoothmule (Apr 5, 2012)

Here she is with a pretty good sized 3 yr old black bull, my son's friends bull.


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## WildRoseBeef (Apr 5, 2012)

Before JHM says something about the horns (  ), I gotta say, those are some neat-looking horns.  Those brahmans are so neat, too bad they won't last long up here. And she is certainly a nice looking girl, so glad she's working out great for you!


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Apr 6, 2012)

Wow!  She is beautiful!  So unique (to me) looking.  Congrats and I hope all goes well!


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## jarvisqh (Apr 10, 2012)

Hi im kinda late at it lol but there is a person not far from where i live who raises the brahmas .. ?  they are gorgeous .. i dont know anything about who owns them or what they do with them ..  but they all act gentle .. see the ppl in the field calling them up for dinner all the time .. and they put them up in a barn (looks like a stall barn )    ive always been tempted to stop by their and ask them about them because brahmas are my favorite breed .. if i was going to have cows itd be them ..     ( im in sw missouri as well is why i brought  this up ..)      brahmas are the only breed they have in the field and have some gorgeous calves every year ..   pm me if you like .. ill see what i can find out for you .. ?


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## smoothmule (Apr 10, 2012)

Jarvisqh,
I've been through Potosi a couple of times, thanks for the offer.  I would love to find a colorful bull but neither of my cows are registered so there isn't much point in a bull that is registered or super bred.   Babe is like the typical American Brahman type but a grade.  She will make some nice calves bred to any good bull for selling at the sale barn but Rose, the new cow, is a flashier unregistered and probably impure Indo-Brazilian type.  I wouldn't mind a colorful bull of her general type for both of my cows but since I do only have 2 cows, keeping a bull for them isn't really practical so I'll probably look for a couple more exotic looking cows and then a bull when I have at least 6 cows.   I can breed my 2 cows for calves to sell to help buy the next cows or heifers.

Babe's bull calf is growing fast and looking better everyday.   My son is planning for us to raise Babe's bull calf here to use on his cows later, they're just mixed cows.   They generally keep a couple of bulls for the herd all the time so I'll eventually breed this bull calf to Rose and hope for a nice Brahman "type" heifer to keep, maybe even a couple since they keep the bulls around for a few years.  That would leave only a couple more heifers to find.  I'll find a good Gir or Indo-Brazilian bull for them when I feel I have enough cows that keeping a bull would make sense.

Here is Babe's calf at a week old.  It amazes me how they can grow so fast.


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## jarvisqh (Apr 11, 2012)

thought id offer   but since you know where potosi is ..   they are on 8 highway between here and stjames ..  i think they are still in potosi... but .. may be in berrymen ..     its all boondocks out here lol    but .. its after the 2 saw mills ..    on the right if your coming from potosi .. 

eta   i dont know anything about their stock except the only cows ever in their feild are brahmas..  not sure of what variety or anything never stopped to ask   always just stared as i went by .. lol


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Apr 12, 2012)

Your calf is really growing quite nicely!


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## Cow Owner Wannabe (Apr 13, 2012)

What is a Gir cow?


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## WildRoseBeef (Apr 13, 2012)

Cow Owner Wannabe said:
			
		

> What is a Gir cow?


It's an Indian breed of cow, one of the breeds that was used to create the American Brahman breed. Gir is also spelled Gyr.

See this link: http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/gir/


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## Cow Owner Wannabe (Apr 13, 2012)

Thank you WildRoseBeef


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## WildRoseBeef (Apr 13, 2012)

Your welcome.


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## Cow Owner Wannabe (May 4, 2012)

Well we went to the river(Alabama) last weekend and we saw this HUGE Brahma bull.I mean HUGE.But didn't have a camera.


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## smoothmule (Oct 7, 2012)

Here is an update of Babe's bull Brangus calf (Bart).   He's just turned 6 months old and he's a whopper.   We left him a bull for obvious reasons, man this calf looks like a bull already and he's still a baby!  Mother is my grey American Brahman (her first calf) and dad is Angus


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## Bossroo (Oct 7, 2012)

Hey... he sprung a leak !!!              Where  do you shut off the water main?


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## neener92 (Oct 8, 2012)

smoothmule said:
			
		

> Here is an update of Babe's bull Brangus calf (Bart).   He's just turned 6 months old and he's a whopper.   We left him a bull for obvious reasons, man this calf looks like a bull already and he's still a baby!  Mother is my grey American Brahman (her first calf) and dad is Angus
> 
> http://cdn.backyardchickens.com/f/ff/ff174873_Bart07Oct2012.jpeg
> 
> ...


Very nice looking bull!


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## BrownSheep (Oct 8, 2012)

He's turning in to a nice looking fella isn't he. I ve seen one other brahma angus cross and you guy puts her to shame....she was pretty dopey looking standing out with the other angus.


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## smoothmule (Oct 8, 2012)

Bossroo said:
			
		

> Hey... he sprung a leak !!!              Where  do you shut off the water main?


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## greybeard (Oct 8, 2012)

smoothmule said:
			
		

> Here is an update of Babe's bull Brangus calf (Bart).   He's just turned 6 months old and he's a whopper.   We left him a bull for obvious reasons, man this calf looks like a bull already and he's still a baby!  Mother is my grey American Brahman (her first calf) and dad is Angus
> 
> http://cdn.backyardchickens.com/f/ff/ff174873_Bart07Oct2012.jpeg
> 
> ...


Got a pic with the rear view? Looks like good muscling on the rear but hard to tell at that angle. Pretty good line across the top.
He could use a little more length, but he may well grow  that before time for him to go to work. 
His left front leg looks  odd in the middle pic--his hooves ok?. (again, it may just be the angle of the picture or how he happened to be standing at the time.)


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## smoothmule (Oct 9, 2012)

It was hard just getting any pictures so the angle may throw things off, as well as the lighting.  I did take a couple pictures from the rear but they weren't very good shots, one was pretty washed out with lighting and the other too dark


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## smoothmule (Nov 26, 2012)

Well, we left him a bull and he was sold to a neighbor who will raise him (Bart) and breed him to his Angus cows.   This calf had such fast gain!   He was nearly as tall as mamma when he left this weekend.   My cow Babe can be, well, not as easy to get along with and was extremely protective of Bart but I penned him up the morning he was to leave and he simply went the back of the pen and laid down.   My son was sure Babe would tear the place apart if separated from him but no, she walked away quietly and didn't even come back to the barn when they came with a trailer to haul him home.   Bart had never been loaded before but other than getting bit spooked by the strangers in his pen, he did great and trotted right on up into the trailer.   Jason told my husband that later that day, Bart came right up to him like no big deal.  He's definitely not been made a pet and momma Babe is not good with strangers but Bart has the calmest personality for a young bull.  I am so pleased he will grow up close enough to home to see him mature and see his offspring 


Now my son, who is NOT a fan of my cow Babe (and the feelings are mutual) is wanting a bull calf out of her with his bull.   He want's a red bull calf like Bart to keep for his red cows.     My son has wanted us to eat Babe since I brought her home.  He can't get in the pasture with her.  I've never seen such an immediate dislike between a person and a cow before but I have to keep them separated so they both stay safe.

When I can, I'll take photo's as Bart matures and share them here.  
Also!!  I am pretty sure that Rose is pregnant and figure her due date to be Jan or Feb.  Not the best time of year for Brahman type to be calving but I can pen her up so she'll have at least good wind break and some shelter.  She knows to come up to the loafing shed when it's raining.  I've had her since this summer and she has the best temperament and personality.  Extremely smart.  She will go up the hill and around where the horses are not, so I can giver her treats and feed without the competition.  She will go to her "spot" and stand patiently, waiting her turn.   She was bred to an Angus bull.


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## violetsky888 (Jan 7, 2014)

Babe is gorgeous!  She looks extremely powerful.  If she is dangerous to men, you probably should put her in the freezer, especially since she has the tendency to get loose. Neighbors often are wonderful but sometimes they trespass and could get hurt if your cow is crazy mean.   I would wean her calf young and send mama off in that case to avoid any kind of tragedy.  What I'm wondering if brahmas belong to the zebu family and very often you see zebu type cattle in India calmly tolerating people and all kinds of commotion, why do American brahmas have a reputation for being wild?  The tiny zebu's are often dog tame.  What gives? In any case super attractive heifer.  I bet her calf will be gorgeous too.  Keep us updated!


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