Heifers coming tomorrow.... help plz.

[TxCloverAngel]

Whoooo Hooooooo!!!
I am getting 2 young heifers and beef calf tomorrow!!

I decided to sell my welsh ponies, and it just so happens that the man who wants them raises what people in these parts say are wonderful Brayfords.

from what I understand they are 1/3 Brahma 1/3 Angus & 1/3 Hertford. right? (yes, I know thats only 90% lol I dont know what the rest is lol)

so we worked out a trade.
we have been wanting to get a nice heifer to use to get beef calves from, but I really don't know much about cattle at all.

Hubby does, but he is working 16hrs a day 7 days a week right now so he is little to no help lol.

the beef calf is an Angus, we'll use him for beef as the girls grow (they were born in July)

so, what do you think of Brayfords? good beef? what about milk? I know all cows make milk. duh! lol but, I would love to play w/ milk I have tried for a long time to find a good family milk cow to no avail (unless I have MAJOR $$ to spend)

I guess I just want to know what y'all think of the breed.

any info/tips wouldd be great!!
I know the man who we are getting them from will help.. but I'd like to hear from y'all too.

thanks!
sooo excited!!

[GREEN_ALIEN]

I can offer up a little math help...
1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 = 3/3 or 100%
or
33.333% + 33.333% + 33.333% = 99.999% or 100% rounded off close lol.

Good luck with the heifers.

Added:

The mix should make a good beef animal running towards the high end of mid sized.
It is true that any cow can be milked to some extent, there are a whole list of reasons why they are not all milked. Lactation length is much shorter in beef breeds as well as overall quantity. I am not so sure I would want to cowboy up and grab a teat on one of those young ladies for the first time.
If it were me I would keep them as the start of a small beef herd and keep looking for a suitable milking animal. If the cost of a family milk cow is too high then make your own, cost is amortized out over a couple of years and you know what you have when she is ready. Start by locating a dairy that has a breed you like and make a deal on a heifer calf. She won't be cheap but won't be all that bad either. They may say they don't sell their replacer calves but be polite and persistent it will work out. I got a nice little gurnsey for free years ago. I first befriended a local small dairy owner then started showing up to help milk and do chores. I figure he gave me the calf to get rid of me but all in all it worked. All it took was time.

Ted

[mtman]

if he just took them off the momma better keep them locked up a bitt they might wonder off to find her

[TxCloverAngel]

Thanks Ted. duh! 1/3 not 30% lol ummmm did I mention My Math stinks. Just waiting for them to put a math-check button on here. couldn't live w/o my spell check... gotta call Bill Gates lol

[TxCloverAngel]

well.. the girls are here!!! whoo hooo!
things are even better than I thought!
1 full- brayford.
1 50% Brayford 50% Holstein

now,..;... the one w/ holstein. whatcha think of milk from that one? better?

as you can see, I know very little HELP!

[65284]

[QUOTE=GREEN_ALIEN]I can offer up a little math help...
1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 = 3/3 or 100%
or
33.333% + 33.333% + 33.333% = 99.999% or 100% rounded off close lol.

Good luck with the heifers.

I'm fascinated by this. Please 'splain to me the breeding program that will lead to a 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 animal. I understand 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 or other divisible by 2 fractional animals, but just can't get my mind wrapped arount the idea of how you would arrive at 1/3rds.

[agmantoo]

You take a bunch of 1/4 th(s) or .25 and round them up to .3 and you do the math as above and you get 3/3 thirds.

[DaleK]

[QUOTE=65284]

Originally Posted by GREEN_ALIEN

I can offer up a little math help...
1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 = 3/3 or 100%
or
33.333% + 33.333% + 33.333% = 99.999% or 100% rounded off close lol.

Good luck with the heifers.

I'm fascinated by this. Please 'splain to me the breeding program that will lead to a 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 animal. I understand 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 or other divisible by 2 fractional animals, but just can't get my mind wrapped arount the idea of how you would arrive at 1/3rds.

You take a Hereford cow and put her in the field with a Brahma bull and an Angus bull and hope they're all VERY friendly

[KSALguy]

we had some Angus/ Holstine cows for a time, they had a nice big build and produced great calfs and had big udders, if you gentle her up and make her easy to work with i would say that the heffer that is 50% Holstine will make a decent home milk cow, Holstines can have such HUGE udders that some need supports to hold everything togather and produce so much milk that a Holstine will produce MORE than enough for a home setting, but mix that with the Beef breeds and you have a nice blend that should do just fine. giveing you nice big beefy calfs and some extra milk for your home use.

[james dilley]

A Brayford is A cross between Hereford and Brahma. NO angus in tit. otherwise with angus it would be A whiteface brangus.