3/4 Mini Jersey 1/4 Dexter bull calf for Sale

francismilker · #41 07/10/12, 06:29 PM

To those who seem to take offense of my early (a long time ago) position on "registered" cattle, I wasn't trying to ruffle any feathers. I was simply stating my opinion.

Yes, it does seem that we are a little too opinionated sometimes and critical of others' critters but my post wasn't meant to take aim at one particular person. (especially the OP)

I will still state that in the world of today's livestock there's a registry for anything you want to register. It doesn't matter what it is or what it's breeding is you can find a niche' registry somewhere that will send you some papers on an animal.

IMHO, what these niche' registries do is prey upon the unlearned or novice livestock buyer. They listen to the seller telling them "this animal is registered" and believe they are buying some type of purebred, purple ribbon, pedigreed animal that will have worth as future breeding stock when in fact the animal is worth what it would bring if it was run through the sale barn on hoof.

While I don't want to detour anyone from participating in animal registries, I want to detour folks from taking a 1/4X, 1/8Y, 3/8Z, and 1/4Q animal registering it as a 100% XYZQ to be sold as something that has a market worth.

Take the successful crossbreeds of our time like the Sante Gertrudis, or the Beefmaster that went through certain times of market success. They are truly good breeds of cattle that serve up well on a dinner plate. However, when the market turns south and the craze goes with it, they're sold at the local sale barn on hoof for whatever they'll bring per pound. (keep in mind they don't sell as high "usually" as black cattle).

Now, if you go to any show ring in the country where kids are showing calves, you can find about any type of papers you want. If you started with a Maine Anjou five generations ago and kept breeding it to the guy down the road's bull (no matter what he was) you can today be showing a registered heifer that either called a "maintainer", "charmaine", or half a dozen other registered names when what you're actually showing is a crossbred animal with a set of papers that's been paid for and annual dues to an association paid. When you take the same animal to the sale barn and sell it per pound it sells for the same amount a non-registered animal sells for (provided it's black in color)

It seems as though too many cattle foks are trying to reinvent the wheel. Wouldn't it be just as easy to say to the prospective buyer something like, "hey, I've got this crossbred animal. She's 1/4 this and 1/2 that. I really like her because her mother had these excellent traits and her daddy had those traits. She's a really good cow. I will sell her to you for this, or you can go to the sale barn the day I take her and bid on her."

Just my two cents here............