Murray Grey Cattle.....

[farmmaid]

Does anyone have any experience with this breed. There is a Herford/MG cow with a heifer calf sired by a MG for sale for $800. This is the cows 2nd calf. They have smaller heads, naturally polled, mild temperment. There is nothing about them I do not like. Am I missing something???

[agmantoo]

Here is my MG in his working clothes. He is very much The Man! This pic is about a month old and he has gone through Winter on stockpiled grass only and is with ~ 100 cows and he is the only bull. The cattle are permitted to bredd year around.

Here is an Angus/MG cross calf that is only a few days old. I like them.

[crowinghen]

I had a Hereford cow that I had ai'd to a MG bull- ended up with a heifer calf. She's a great cow- now 3 years old, just had her 2nd bull calf. She's a very easy keeper, an excellent mother, her calves have been so healthy and fast-growing. She's very docile and absollutely no trouble. Her dam was very big,too big, she ended up being smaller, but still good sized.
I really would recommend them.

susie

Nice cattle agmantoo!

[Razorback21]

You aren't missing a thing! Murray's are great cattle to have....very tolerant of the varying weather we get in Southern Illinois. Could handle the nasty winters and the hot summers. We really liked ours and would get another one in a heartbeat.

[Karin L]

Agman, I LOVE your bull!!!

As far as MG's, I haven't had any experience with them, but from what I have heard they are a cowman's dream. And I mean this literally.

[agmantoo]

farmmaid
Karin L
The bull has a lot of width to him, front and rear. This is the only registered MG that I have seen. He traveled 2660 miles to get here. I have read that the MG will marble on grass. The marbling and other desirable traits mentioned are what brought the breed to my attention. He exhibits a stronger libido than any bull I have ever owned. For his size he is entertaining as he seldom walks to check out a cow, he trots and on occasion he gallops. My previous bulls always walked. Hopefully I will not be disappointed when his calves arrive. I raised two Angus/MG bulls from a mixed cow that I got at a feeder sale and they were impressive with just a MG fractional influence. The MG bloodline have been the only bulls I have had that kept body condition on grass alone. Most, actually all to some degree, of the bulls I purchased "fell apart" when put on a grass only diet. Since you liked the bull here is another view. farmmaid, your animal that you are considering should exhibit some of the same traits and the ones I posted and at $800 you should make some money off the purchase. I suggest you "go for it". Can you get a pic of the cow/heifer?

[Karin L]

Oooh he's thick, and a picture of great conformation! However I can't go without saying he still has his faults...little bit on the sheath, a little more depth in the brisket area, and he kinda looks slightly open shouldered, (but that could be just me) but he's well balanced. You made an excellent choice with him agman, no matter if he came from quite a ways away. BTW, this is my kind of bull too, I don't really care for those other bulls you mention that melt when they are suddenly put into the type of management that requires roughing it with little supplementation. I've heard lots that those Murrays are one of the best breeds for a purely grass-fed operation, or an extended grazing operation that requires them to, like I said, rough it.

Anyway, good job with him!

[gone-a-milkin]

Agmantoo, J.R. sure is looking good.

When are his first calves on your place due? It seems like only yesterday that you got him. It was last fall sometime, right?

[postroad]

Originally Posted by Karin L

Oooh he's thick, and a picture of great conformation! However I can't go without saying he still has his faults...little bit on the sheath, a little more depth in the brisket area, and he kinda looks slightly open shouldered, (but that could be just me) but he's well balanced. You made an excellent choice with him agman, no matter if he came from quite a ways away. BTW, this is my kind of bull too, I don't really care for those other bulls you mention that melt when they are suddenly put into the type of management that requires roughing it with little supplementation. I've heard lots that those Murrays are one of the best breeds for a purely grass-fed operation, or an extended grazing operation that requires them to, like I said, rough it.

Anyway, good job with him!

Pick me next!

He is Dexter and the picture is from last year at a litle over two years old.

He was on grass all summer and only gets alfalfa and asalt mineral block for winter.

I know his toes are crossed in the one photo but it does not seem to be evedent when he is standing.

Any conformation problems?

[postroad]

Mine looks puny beside the Murray but the Dexter is considered a dual purpose.

Something weird with the last post. Can't edit it?
here is the second photo.

[Karin L]

Postroad, can't see much of conformation when he's sitting down. And in the first pic, is he on a uphill slope or is it the camera? And the angle of the pic also shows not too much, you've got him positioned so that you're on the angle of his hip, not his shoulder (in other words, you're too much behind his shoulder, instead of square-on.). And you standing over him also isn't to great to see his true conformation: see if you can get down on one knee while broadside to him with you positioned right at the point of the shoulder, not forward nor behind.

But okay, let me rip him up for ya:
Good shoulders, I'd like to see a littl more depth in the brisket, good loin area, he's nice and thick and looks pretty balanced; he seems a bit cow-hocked (too much angle in the back legs); his feet look good though the grass and the angle of the photo kinda hides some of it; great muscling and not too bad masculinity though his head and neck almost make him look feminine; and its just me as a northern Canadian, but I'd also like to see a little more gut on him.

But other than that, he looks good as a Dexter bull, from the way the pictures are. Not perfect, but a good herd bull. Got any calves from him yet?

(you can edit your first pic post by scrolling to the right and clicking "edit" on the bottom right corner. )

[postroad]

Thanks Karin!

I do not really know much about conformation but I liked the look of him.

And for 600 bucks delivered I thought he was cheap for a regesterable Dexter bull.

He is on the large size for the Dexter breed which is fine by me as I am interested in the beef as opposed to the novelty miniture market.

I do not want to offend anyone here but in your opinion has the conformation suffered in the miniture breeds by owners selecting for the absolute tiniest specimen.

I was looking at some miniture sites on the internet and I did not like what I saw.

Although I have a untrained eye.

I should be getting calves from him at the end of April although I purchased some of his steered offspring from the previos owners.

They had used him as a one year old to breed their Dexter heifers and then bought a low birthweight Angus bull to breed Dexter/Angus beef more acceptable to the comercial outlets.

[Valmai]

Farmmaid I think you would find this interesting. It's from a NZ website. Lots of pics of MG's and comment on their conformation.

http://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/vfor...tle+assessment