Picking a breed

[MrsCedarstone]

I have begun doing all the research to begin raising our own beef but still can't decide on a breed. Growing up we always raised Jersey steers for meat but now that I am on my own I am considering other breeds. Angus seems to be the most popular and easiest to find but I'd also like some input on Herefords or Charolais. I am also considering the Low-line or Miniature breeds and was wondering how much less meat they yield than a larger sized Angus or Hereford? Also good temperament is a plus. Thoughts?

 

[WildRoseBeef]

It all depends on how much you are willing to spend on the animal, how much you're willing to spend on feed (usually the larger the animal the more feed you have to buy), how much land you have available to hold and raise a cow or two in addition to other livestock you have (from your avatar I assume you already have a herd of goats to care for), whether you want a mature cow to produce calves so that you can have beef in the freezer every year or whether you want to just purchase a steer to raise and slaughter for the freezer instead (the former takes less time, less money and less feed to get fattened up for slaughter; a mature cow will always need feed year round, and it takes often at least a year for a calf from her to get to the desired size and weight to be turned into freezer beef), how much beef you need or want to feed yourself and your family (depending on your family size), and your level of experience working with bovines.

I can give you the run-down on some pros and cons for each breed. Jerseys are fine, just need lots of grain to get up to slaughter weight. Angus usually finishes better on more grass than grain, but be careful of bloodlines because some can be a little more high-strung than others and grow larger than others. Herefords don't finish with the high level of marbling that Angus are well-known for due to the Certified Angus Beef labelling in North America, but they are very hardy on just pasture (little to no grain) and the usual necessary mineral block, but still finish up like any good beefer will, just not as well as Angus or Charolais. Charolais should be a no-go for you if you don't have the experience handling high-strung, "excitable" cattle. Though some breeding herds have very nice and calm char cows, that's only because of strict culling for temperament. They also are large animals, late maturing, and usually--but not always--need some level of grain to finish them up. They're high-yielding, which means you may get more meat than you expected due to the breed's high dressing percentage (amount of meat on the carcass after slaughtering and butchering). Low-line/Miniature cattle are EXPENSIVE right off the get-go. They may save on feed because of their size (though some argue that feed efficiency varies despite the size, which means they may or may not reduce feed costs despite their smaller sizes), but if you're going to invest in a small bovine that is expensive to buy, you might as well start a breeding herd instead of purchase one just to slaughter it for meat.

If I were you, I would also consider cross-bred animals instead of these certain breeds or purebred/straightbred animals. Cross-bred beefers are often deemed better or more efficient at feed efficiency (converting feed/forage into beef), and are less expensive, due to them being sold as commercial (not registered) cattle, up-front. You can go many ways with a cross-bred, and often are just as good, if not better, as a purebred/straightbred animal for being raised for the freezer. I could bore you to death with the combinations that come about with crossbreeding and different crossbreds. For example, the cow in my avatar, the one with the white brockle face, is a Hereford-Angus cross cow, and herf-angus crosses are quite well-known for their meat quality at slaughter. This is all due to hybrid vigor, or heterosis, which is a genetic term for an offspring's ability to express both purebred parents' qualities in one making it a superior animal: The hardiness of the Hereford and the easy fleshing of the Angus, for instance.

Other crossbreds include Simmental-Angus cross (jhm is the guy to talk to about these handsome crossbreds), Charolais-Angus cross, Charolais-Angus-Hereford cross (those beautiful yellow-white-faces that I personally happen to be a fan of, despite the Charolais influence ), Red Angus-Hereford cross (like the black brockle-face cow above, except they come in red instead of black), Hereford-Charolais cross, Hereford-Shorthorn cross, Angus-Shorthorn cross (you won't get the level of heterosis with this cross like you will with them black baldies of the Hereford-Angus cross), Gelbvieh-Angus cross, the list goes on.

Then there's the consideration of a cow versus a steer. Personally I'd go with the steer because you're buying it when it's already weaned (usually at around 6 months of age), and all you need to worry about is feeding it right so that it gains well and reaches the desired slaughter weight you want for your freezer. No need to have to finish the steer to 18 or 24 months, though if you're going grass-fed you will need to consider moving the slaughter age to at least 24 months due to the greater time it takes to fatten up an animal on grass versus grain, you can still finish a steer at 10 to 14 months of age no problem, you'll just need to up the grain ration the last few weeks before slaughter. With a cow, you need to find a means to get her bred, worry about her having her calf, the morbidity and mortality of the calf, vaccinations plus dehorning (if applicable), castration (if applicable--50% chance of getting a bull versus a heifer), and tagging (also if applicable), then there's the weaning process, then finding the space and feed to feed up the calf to slaughter plus keep mom fit, full and happy to her next calf in a year or two. All in all with a cow, it will take you at least a year or two, depending on whether you're opting for grass-fed or grain-fed, to get some beef in your freezer from the moment the calf hits the ground.

So, lots of things to think about.

 

[M.L. McKnight]

WildRoseBeef summed everything up pretty nicely.

I learned about cattle on my Uncle's ranch in Saskatchewan, they raise Purebred Simmental and have a fair number of mainly commercial cattle in their other herd. As far as Simmental's go, as green as I was- I had no problem moving them or anything. I found his Hereford's to be a bit hardheaded, especially the cows! They kept trying to stray when we'd drive them from the community pasture back to the ranch but after a few miles they got their act together.
I'm not the biggest fan of Angus cattle personally, this has nothing to do with the breed- it has more to do with some people proclaiming that THE ONLY cattle to have are Angus! (There are umpteen such folks around here that I see on a weekly basis.) Angus cattle are bred for calving ease, are generally pretty healthy, are efficient foragers and easily get you an additional $0.20/per lb at even the smallest of auctions or sale barns.
I was warned about Charolais cattle when I decided to start building up my herd. I was told that a Charolais cow could either be the sweetest most docile critter in the pasture or the biggest pain in the butt you ever tried to deal with, and that you didn't want anything to do with a Charolais bull from the time he weighed 1000lbs up until he was ready for breeding service. Maybe I got some bad advice, maybe it was very good- I don't have any Charolais cattle yet. I'll buy some more heifers before too long and I might pick up a few, they look really good and seem to dress out nice.

At some point I would like to have a little herd of Highlands, they are the goat of the bovine world and even though they are a bit slow growing they'd be a fun addition. Dexter and Devon cattle are profitable if you find the right market, both breeds are said to be docile. The biggest puppy dog of a cow I have ever been around is a full blooded Brahman. They might look mean but I have never met one that would so much as snort.
I have a Jersey milk cow, SHE is far more rambunctious than any of my other cattle. She will kick her heels, jump and twist in the air, beat the snot out of stumps and root balls and will come running at you full speed- then stop at your feet, lick you like a dog and darn near purr when you scratch her chin. I am a firm believer that with any breed and any species, its all in how you raise them.

Have fun and keep in mind that if you are just after beef, crossbreds are the was to go; they are cheaper to buy and generally finish faster than purebreds.

 

[greybeard]

I know a bit about Chars. I've never had any that were high strung unless they had a new calf and only rarely even then..
And no, I haven't bought into Black Hide Fever either.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

You got some good animals, greybeard. The chars I had experience with where your typical steer culls, and it was rare to have some charolais steers that weren't jumpy or flighty. There might have been one or two that were calmer than the rest, but all I remember is that most of them loved to kick up their heels or head for the hills if they got an inkling you were going to do something with them they wouldn't agree with.

 

[MrsCedarstone]

It all depends on how much you are willing to spend on the animal, how much you're willing to spend on feed (usually the larger the animal the more feed you have to buy), how much land you have available to hold and raise a cow or two in addition to other livestock you have (from your avatar I assume you already have a herd of goats to care for), whether you want a mature cow to produce calves so that you can have beef in the freezer every year or whether you want to just purchase a steer to raise and slaughter for the freezer instead (the former takes less time, less money and less feed to get fattened up for slaughter; a mature cow will always need feed year round, and it takes often at least a year for a calf from her to get to the desired size and weight to be turned into freezer beef), how much beef you need or want to feed yourself and your family (depending on your family size), and your level of experience working with bovines.

I can give you the run-down on some pros and cons for each breed. Jerseys are fine, just need lots of grain to get up to slaughter weight. Angus usually finishes better on more grass than grain, but be careful of bloodlines because some can be a little more high-strung than others and grow larger than others. Herefords don't finish with the high level of marbling that Angus are well-known for due to the Certified Angus Beef labelling in North America, but they are very hardy on just pasture (little to no grain) and the usual necessary mineral block, but still finish up like any good beefer will, just not as well as Angus or Charolais. Charolais should be a no-go for you if you don't have the experience handling high-strung, "excitable" cattle. Though some breeding herds have very nice and calm char cows, that's only because of strict culling for temperament. They also are large animals, late maturing, and usually--but not always--need some level of grain to finish them up. They're high-yielding, which means you may get more meat than you expected due to the breed's high dressing percentage (amount of meat on the carcass after slaughtering and butchering). Low-line/Miniature cattle are EXPENSIVE right off the get-go. They may save on feed because of their size (though some argue that feed efficiency varies despite the size, which means they may or may not reduce feed costs despite their smaller sizes), but if you're going to invest in a small bovine that is expensive to buy, you might as well start a breeding herd instead of purchase one just to slaughter it for meat.

If I were you, I would also consider cross-bred animals instead of these certain breeds or purebred/straightbred animals. Cross-bred beefers are often deemed better or more efficient at feed efficiency (converting feed/forage into beef), and are less expensive, due to them being sold as commercial (not registered) cattle, up-front. You can go many ways with a cross-bred, and often are just as good, if not better, as a purebred/straightbred animal for being raised for the freezer. I could bore you to death with the combinations that come about with crossbreeding and different crossbreds. For example, the cow in my avatar, the one with the white brockle face, is a Hereford-Angus cross cow, and herf-angus crosses are quite well-known for their meat quality at slaughter. This is all due to hybrid vigor, or heterosis, which is a genetic term for an offspring's ability to express both purebred parents' qualities in one making it a superior animal: The hardiness of the Hereford and the easy fleshing of the Angus, for instance.

Other crossbreds include Simmental-Angus cross (jhm is the guy to talk to about these handsome crossbreds), Charolais-Angus cross, Charolais-Angus-Hereford cross (those beautiful yellow-white-faces that I personally happen to be a fan of, despite the Charolais influence ), Red Angus-Hereford cross (like the black brockle-face cow above, except they come in red instead of black), Hereford-Charolais cross, Hereford-Shorthorn cross, Angus-Shorthorn cross (you won't get the level of heterosis with this cross like you will with them black baldies of the Hereford-Angus cross), Gelbvieh-Angus cross, the list goes on.

Then there's the consideration of a cow versus a steer. Personally I'd go with the steer because you're buying it when it's already weaned (usually at around 6 months of age), and all you need to worry about is feeding it right so that it gains well and reaches the desired slaughter weight you want for your freezer. No need to have to finish the steer to 18 or 24 months, though if you're going grass-fed you will need to consider moving the slaughter age to at least 24 months due to the greater time it takes to fatten up an animal on grass versus grain, you can still finish a steer at 10 to 14 months of age no problem, you'll just need to up the grain ration the last few weeks before slaughter. With a cow, you need to find a means to get her bred, worry about her having her calf, the morbidity and mortality of the calf, vaccinations plus dehorning (if applicable), castration (if applicable--50% chance of getting a bull versus a heifer), and tagging (also if applicable), then there's the weaning process, then finding the space and feed to feed up the calf to slaughter plus keep mom fit, full and happy to her next calf in a year or two. All in all with a cow, it will take you at least a year or two, depending on whether you're opting for grass-fed or grain-fed, to get some beef in your freezer from the moment the calf hits the ground.

So, lots of things to think about.

Wow, this is a lot to think about, I really appreciate all this detail, this will really help us make our decision.

We are going for a minimum of 10 acres, I currently have no other livestock at this time. Our main goal is beef in the freezer however our family is just starting out just me and my husband and our first baby is due in 4 months my 2 in laws will most likely be sharing some of the beef with us.

My level of working with bovines is rusty, it's been a while. I'd love to get into the calving again but was thinking of just starting out with a beef steer to get back into the swing of it.

The miniatures are definitely expensive I noticed very quickly. I actually prefer the cross breeds and really favor the Angus-Hereford cross but don't really know where to find them yet near me.

 

[M.L. McKnight]

That Angus-Hereford cross you're wanting will be a White Face or Baldy, do like everyone else and put a want ad on Craigslist or check out Bestfarmbuys.com .

How many cattle can you get per acre in Indiana when feeding only grass? Here we can get .78 per acre unless you grow something besides native grasses. (I have been reading about grass quite a bit and as odd as it may be to some, it interests me to know these things.)

Given the price of beef, you'd probably be better off staying away from the sale barns and auctions. I'm sure you would pay less if you bought from an individual.

 

[greybeard]

Everything is expensive right now, as far as beef cattle goes.
If you get Family Network TV station, watch Superior auction.
350 lb steers were bringing $4.22/lb.

Last week auction about 85 miles west of me did nearly as good.

WeightSteersHeifers
150 - 300 lbs.$3.00 - $4.15$2.80 - $3.90
300 - 400 lbs.$2.60 - $3.60$2.50 - $3.40
400 - 500 lbs.$2.25 - $2.95$2.20 - $2.85
As far as getting back into cow/calf, it won't be cheap either.

Stocker Cows:
Good Stocker Cow/Calf Pairs:$1950 - $2800
Medium Cow/Calf Pairs:$1650 - $1900
Good Stocker Cows & Heifers:$1400 - $1950
Medium Stocker Cows & Heifers:$1250 - $1300

I bought 4 beefmaster heifers a year ago and thought I did poorly at $650 each.

I couldn't touch the same type and age animals today for $800.

But, back to your question.

I too throw my hat in favor of crossbred steers.
And, the general public doesn't realize it but a very large portion of the restaurant steaks and other cuts they eat or buy at the store comes from Holstein steers. Just takes a Holstein a bit longer to get up to slaughter weight.

 

[M.L. McKnight]

I get a number of Holstein steers from my friends dairy to raise each year. I sell them in the 350-500lb range and even take the slow road getting them to market weight by feeding them mainly grass. I don't give them grain, just a bit of cottonseed meal in the evening to help them fill out. At $1.10 I make all of the money I want on them and I got giddy when I saw some selling for $1.50 a few months back at the sale, there were some thin rascals selling for $1.85 last week- for a HOLSTEIN! I know beef is up but that floored me.

I hope these price trends don't hurt the breeds too badly, I know that someone somewhere is looking at a batch of culls and is going to gamble and breed them at least once before selling them- that'll water down some of the good traits that have been bred into the stock in recent years. In my opinion, it is the time to go out and look for a few replacements and get some new genetics in your herd. I know the price is pretty high but most GOOD farmers and ranchers have sent their culls down the road and have their best stuff at home. You'd be purchasing some good genetic lines that could help your herd in a big way and you can't put a price on something that could potentially help your bottom line for years to come.

 

[MrsCedarstone]

Thanks for the info on the best farm buy site, there is a lot of great stuff on there! As far as the grass quality goes I go just go by past experience. When we had Jersey's before we had 5 steers and 2 horses on approx 7 acres and never had a problem.

We used to pick up our Jersey's from auction, I've never seen prices that high. Ouch. Holsteins and Jersey's are the most popular cattle types near me since its Amish country. I've never dealt with a Holstein before.

I will be checking out both options. I will go to a few auctions to see what the price is at the time in the area and will place ads to go take a look at some sales from individuals.