lowline angus and AI

[jvicars]

I have a mixed bag of hiefers. angus, brama, beef master and angus x. i am thinking about having them AI'd with lowline angus. From what I have read the lowline are productive for the amount of feed to meat ratio.

Anyone done this? Is it worth it to go with lowline crosses? Suggestions on best place to get lowline angus straws? Thanks.
Jamie in FL

[Up North]

Originally Posted by jvicars

I have a mixed bag of hiefers. angus, brama, beef master and angus x. i am thinking about having them AI'd with lowline angus. From what I have read the lowline are productive for the amount of feed to meat ratio.

Anyone done this? Is it worth it to go with lowline crosses? Suggestions on best place to get lowline angus straws? Thanks.
Jamie in FL

If you feel strongly that you will produce cattle with better feed efficiency, you could go that route. However, I think breeding to lowline will restrict your options as far as selling your stock. The only buyers will be someone who wants lowline or lowline crosses. These buyers will not be in the majority of cattle owners.
Perhaps breeding for a moderate size animal that is acceptable to many buyers would be safer strategy than going to something extreme as the lowline? Just some points for you to consider. Nothing wrong with your plan if that's what you really want to do.
I don't know the best place to get lowline straws - but here is "a" place:
www.pharocattle.com Click on Angus, then click on Machine.
....if that's what you decide.

[montysky]

Originally Posted by jvicars

I have a mixed bag of hiefers. angus, brama, beef master and angus x. i am thinking about having them AI'd with lowline angus. From what I have read the lowline are productive for the amount of feed to meat ratio.

Anyone done this? Is it worth it to go with lowline crosses? Suggestions on best place to get lowline angus straws? Thanks.
Jamie in FL

I would not use one, but not saying you should not. My idea AI'd them to a good Hereford bull. get a couple Black or red Baldies< don't know if the angus plus is Red or Black> Tigerstripe from the Brama Beef Master from the Beef Master. Don't know the market for Beef Master but you should get a good price for them.

[agmantoo]

jvicars,
Just a little insight from a commercial feeder calf producer.
We all think we are marketing animals but actually we are marketing grass or hay and possibly some grain. Commercial buyers already know what they want and they know what they will pay. Commercial buyers will not pay for pasture ornaments. The animal they buy must meet their specifications. Too small (cuts do not meet what the shopper wants) or too large (cuts do not meet the packaging that the smaller family wants) and live animal buyers discount what they pay. The seller is the loser as the seller did not get top price for his grass, hay and grain. A given tract of land will only produce a certain amount of feed. You can, using your animals, convert that certain amount of feed into pounds of marketable animals. For me, the most efficient converter of feed is a cow that weights in around 1050 to 1100 lbs at 4 years old. I want a heifer that will have a calf on her 2nd birthday also. Where I sell, animals that are black in color bring a nickel a lb premium ($2750/year). I would prefer to raise red cattle but my preference doesn't enter into the production as I am in the business for the income. If your weather permits calve yeararound or stagger your purchases to avoid the seasonal price dips and highs in order to get an average. To survive the meat business you need to concentrate on being the low cost producer.

[Debbie at Bount]

Curious as to why you wait until their full grown? I have commerical beef that I sell at the stock yard when they are about 500-600 pounds and still young calves. I guess I though I was getting more money by getting them off my land. I raise Angus X Limo crosses. Actually, thinking of buying a few Black Beef Master heifers to cross with my registered llimo bull. My thinking is that the Beef Master gets to market weight quicker than the Angus crosses.

Just curious as to why you wait until they are 1000 plus pounds before selling.
Debbie at Bountiful

[agmantoo]

Debbie, I was not clear with my statement above. The weights I referenced are for my brood cows. I sell the calves at around 550 lbs. I do not want the larger breeds. They require more feed for the brood stocks maintenance and you will have less calves to sell from a particular size area of forage production or a fixed amount of hay/grain.. Exotic breeds will not bring the same price per lb. at sale time either. It is difficult to explain the subtle reasons in feeder calf production that are not apparent on the surface in a few sentences here on this site. I will attempt to answer any question you may have.

[dlwelch]

Originally Posted by jvicars

I have a mixed bag of hiefers. angus, brama, beef master and angus x. i am thinking about having them AI'd with lowline angus. From what I have read the lowline are productive for the amount of feed to meat ratio.

Anyone done this? Is it worth it to go with lowline crosses? Suggestions on best place to get lowline angus straws? Thanks.
Jamie in FL

http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content...ntentid=125218

One can start to think of how these calves will fit into the ever-changing world of beef feeding. Energy sources are getting more competitive, which ultimately may change some principles as to what works. There are many boxes of picture puzzles, so don't be afraid to pick one, even if it is just a little outside the norm.

Edited to add Link:

http://www.usa-lowline.org/links.htm