New BEEF Daily Summer Sweepstakes
It’s time to kick off another BEEF Daily Summer Sweepstakes, and two winners will be randomly selected to win one of two books, Brands of the West and Barns of the Great American West by well-known agriculture photographer David R. Stoecklein. The sweepstakes will run until noon on Tuesday, July 14, 2009, and it’s really simple to enter. Don’t miss your chance to enter and be a part of an ongoing dialogue about beef industry issues!
To enter, participants should provide an opinion on the following:
“What is the best cattle breed for today’s economic conditions?”
Leave your answers, along with your name and state, in the comments section, so entries can be shared with the BEEF community. I can’t wait to hear your responses!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A purchase does not improve your chances of winning. Contest open to legal residents of 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are 18 or older. To enter, answer the question in the comments section, along with your name and state. All entries must be received by noon Monday, July 13, 2009. Void outside of the 50 United States and District of Columbia and where prohibited by law. For the Full Rules, link here.
BEEF Daily Quick Fact: The hamburger made its international debut at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. Café owner Fletcher “Old Dave” Davis of Athens, Texas, described his early burger as a classic, greasy burger served on just-out-of-the-oven slices of bread and garnished with mayonnaise, sliced onion and cucumber pickles.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:59 am
i beleive the saler breed is the best breed in the beef industry cause the are an agressive breed that ultilize feed and have a good feed ratio. i worked on the Lickdab ranch in colorado for Lynn and Iris fisher. now that rancher be a good story check him out. i would not leave out the good old longhorn they do have a great taste but dont feed as good. i think they may be healther close to the buffalo breed .
thanks
Gary Atkinson
Il.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Smaller, early maturity breeds that require less feed or range may be more desirable in the future. A breed like Ajax or even pure Angus might be more desirable than some of the larger breeds. Choose a breed that keeps inputs down so as to turn a profit.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:22 am
As much as I hate to admit it, I still think it is Angus. They are very popular in so many ways. They consistantly bring more money in my area regardless of the economic trends.
June 30th, 2009 at 8:03 am
I’d have to go with Limousin.
Wendell Davis
Overland Park, KS
June 30th, 2009 at 8:17 am
The best breed is not a single breed, but a composite using several breeds to gain better adaptability to the area, improved carcass value, reproduction, and longevity. The overall health and vigor of the calves will make them more valuable from birth to slaughter. A composite herd can be managed much the same as a pure breed with the added value of heterosis and without the complications of a rotational crossbreeding program.
June 30th, 2009 at 8:45 am
Boy is this one a double-edged sword! I dont know how you could narrow it down to one breed. Composite breeds seem to really work the best and you choose your composite according to your climate, your needs, availability of food, ect. In our part of the world, Angus seems to drive the bottom line of marketability. Thank goodness SOME of the choices are left to the cattle producer!
June 30th, 2009 at 9:06 am
What is the best cattle breed for today’s economic conditions?
Whatever kind of cattle breed you want, pick for efficiency. They should be low maintenance, fast gainers on low inputs, good temperaments and high breeding & calving rates. The least in and the most out. For myself I picked Texas Longhorns for the last 12 years. They tend to be the most disease resistant, hardy cattle I’ve come across.
I graze in Ohio grass country and winters. Occasionally we have 3 mo. dry spells with short grass. In those years, to save my winter hay that would later be hard to find, I’ve brought in hand cut sweet corn stalks after the ears had been harvested. I’ve also cut down trees of no commercial value, just to get through the dry spell. The longhorn make use of almost as much browse forage as an Angora goat does. Itch weed, poison ivy, wild grape etc.
They are smart cattle and easy to move, when you think like they do.
No buildings to house them in the winter.
I work with Mother Nature & breed for March 20 and later calves.
Longhorn bulls can be put in a cowherd of 60 to 100 have a high rate of pregnancies. Longhorn calves have small heads and narrow shoulder at birth. My birth weight extremes have been 45 to 80 lb. first time mothers and an early grass season will affect this. I have a high rate of on-ground-live-births due to their sizes. Easy births, lead to less stress and longer lives, equaling less replacement costs.
The meat goes retail to local people. Special orders of 100% Texas Longhorn 1 oz. beef sticks. Texas Longhorns weigh 30% less than other beef because they have that much less weight in lack of back fat (fat is worth less than a penny a pound today). Yet they have inter-muscular marble like other cattle. This comes out to 95% lean muscle/meat for younger steers and any cow. Bulls tend to be leaner at about 97% muscle/meat. (Ohio Dept of Agriculture fat content test on burger sample).
Weight gains may be somewhat lower due to ‘just a grass diet’ but input costs are lower.
According to my own processor “Texas Longhorns are ‘processor friendly’. There is no ‘trim’ fat for them to contend with.
I have a finished skull & horn market. A colorful hide market. A roper market. Some of the longer horned steers are sold as Exposition steers. All, unlike other cattle. And naturally, I have a breeders & meat market like other cattle.
I believe, no matter what you have. Selling retail as much as you can is necessary during good times or bad times
June 30th, 2009 at 9:13 am
I believe it is Angus. Many ranchers are producing this breed because they are finding not only do they produce lean meat but they have also become the breed of choice by consumers. I’m sure advertising has contributed to this in many ways, however, we raise Anugus, Brangus and angus/Hereford cross cattle. They produce good offspring as well as fine beef.
Bobbie Orphey
Animas, New Mexico
June 30th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Todays breed should be the Tarentaise. It is an animal that is very calm, easy to handle, very good lean beef, matures early, with great muscling, and nice marbling. It will also improve any other breed out there, giving them these great attributes. lama
June 30th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Limousin! They have the best feed efficiency.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
The best breed for today’s economic climate and circumstances, I believe is the Red Poll. They do equally efficient on straight grass or as corn fed. They marble very nicely and cut quite nicely too. They are a moderate framed animal, so they aren’t too big or too small. They also have great dispositions and are easy to handle. They calve out really well, with surprising ease and the calves have great vigor. They will add milk to any other breed crossed with as they were an old English/Austrailian Dairy breed (they were also milked in the USA and milk production records were kept into the 1950’s). We haven’t hardly had an issue with them–more people should check them out.
Hope Mammele
Dawson, MN
June 30th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
I have to say that the best breed is still Black Angus. Their meat is of great quality and is still preferred by consumers. We raise Registered Black Angus for our own meat consumption and private sale, and have found that their meat is by far the best in regards to lean, less fat, and tenderness. We have not had problems with their temperment and their offspring are of nice healthy birthweight.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Angus or an angus/limo cross continue to excel in beef quality and feed conversion to address todays higher production costs.
Gabby Moore, DVM Missouri
June 30th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Gabby Moore, DVM Missouri
Angus continues to be the best breed in todays economic climate. Good feed efficiency and good beef quality to please consumers.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
The BEST cattle breed for TODAY?
This should vary depending on location, size, type, and condition (econimic & enviomental) of your operation. For our operation we have found that Red Angus works very well. Moderate cow size, (keep the imput low) easy calving, (more live calves with less work) great WW growth, (more beef to sell)superior feedlot performance,(MORE beef) and don’t forget the added value of having that Certified Red Angus tag. (MORE money)
All of this you get with Black angus as well, with the add avantage of with the black you have a larger slection of great Bulls.
But when it gets really hot in the summer the reds don’t bunch up, they are much more likely to be spread out taking full advantage of the grass.
So Red or Black Angus is the Breed that works.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Having grown up with Hereford’s and having graduated from Hereford High School, “Home of the Bulls” (I’m not kidding), I’m a bit biased, but with the question specifying “today’s economic times”, I’m going to give a bit of a vague answer. The same question could be asked a number of ways- what tractor is best for today’s economic times?, what source of labor is best for today’s economic times?, etc., etc. I think it’s up to each farmer/rancher to find the management system and related inputs (cattle, equipment, labor, etc.) that efficiently and effectively meet his/her goals. One of the things I love most about agriculture is that we are all trying to produce food, but there is an infinite number of ways to do this, so there’s a place for everyone, and every breed, in our industry.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Without a doubt - this is a riddle wrapped in an enigma. There is no best breed simply due to the mass amount of variability within breeds. There may be a best individual but how best do you duplicate it? Forcing a single breed to answer this question is not only difficult but wrong. The answer is a compilation of the best traits from the best individuals within the strongest breed pools. Angus, Simmental, Red Angus, possibly Hereford and Charolais. There are many good traits from smaller breed groups as well but the gene pool is much smaller and less reliable. Focus on the basics and crossbreed or you force breeds to become something they are not. Angus should not be super high growth, high yielding cattle the same as the continental breeds don’t need to be 5.5 frame cattle that grade Choice 95% of the time. The solution is being smart enough to match the positives and delete the negatives.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
As far as genetics…….. Black Angus cannot be compared. More time, work, research and effort has gone into this beef breed than all the other meat breeds put together.
Breed any other type of beef animal with them and you will have top of the market, top growth traits, top carcass traits and the best economical animals you can find.
Angus is to beef what Holstein is to dairy. Hands down the best we have are those “black gold” cattle.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
There is no question my passion in life is waking up every morning in Eastern Oregon to see the beautiful white faces of Hereford cattle dotting the pastures and the range. I also know that Hereford cattle may not be right for every operation.
With today’s economy it costs more to do anything, and producing high quality cattle is no exception. When it comes to dollars and cents, the red or black baldy cow will time and time bring home the heavier calf that has made it through the weather conditions that vary across the country. When tested in the feedlots they again will impress most everyone with the higher rate of gains and less time on feed. After the hide is gone its anyone’s guess what the genetic background of a carcass maybe, but the white face genetics cross with angus based cow will tend to yield and quality grade better.
Currently there is a vast majority of the cattle market that has a LARGE influence of English bred cattle. Why not cross them up and uses a quality composite or continental bred animal to put more pounds of product on the carcass, while the carcass still has the genetic potential to quality grade well.
Maddee Moore
Cove, Oregon
June 30th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
I say ANGUS
July 1st, 2009 at 7:49 am
I have been in the cattle business 35 years. I have seen many breed come and go but day in and day out the herford/angus just can’t be beat for soundness growth and marbling.I always butcher one every year for myself and this is my choice of quality beef
July 1st, 2009 at 9:40 am
Beef — Angus. The sale value is greater and the handling ability is much easier. Breeding cattle with a gentle flight zone is utmost important to us at Little Creek Farm. Having many other breeds over my lifetime We have learned that life is too short to put up with problem cattle. Overall the Angus seem to handle much easier and the return on the dollar is there.
Dairy– Jersey or jersey-holstein cross. Easier on your place,easier on your pocket book when it comes to feed intake and health issues. We call the jersey-holstein cross our lighterknot cattle because of their durability. No vet bills!
July 1st, 2009 at 10:03 am
In today’s world, as well as in the future, I think crossbred cattle are the way to go for large beef producing operations. They can use the genetics of different breeds to fit the enviornment and management of a specific ranch and can also use a terminal breed to fit the market that ranch has. Crossbred cattle are also more productive and efficient than purebred cattle. However, in today’s economy it is very difficult for large operations to remain profitable and for new operations to begin. So more people are turning to small hobby herds of cattle. Productivity and efficiency are just as important to these breeders, but it is hard to make a living by selling 10 calves at the sale barn. So the best breed of cattle for these herds is whatever they have a market for, or whatever breed they enjoy the most. Hobby herds might be more profitable if they can market purebred cattle to other operations or supply a certain type of animal to a niche market. If making money is not a big concern then the breeder will be most happy with whatever breed they personally like the best.
John Madison, South Dakota
July 1st, 2009 at 10:49 am
Red Angus! The founders of the Red Angus Association of America required total herd reporting since the beginning, providing the ground work for accurate performance prediction long before EPD’s became the norm.
Since introducing Red Angus genetics in our herd we have improved our calving ease, carcass traits and maternal characteristics.
July 1st, 2009 at 11:06 am
From a commercial cattle person - we have seen that when we cross our commercial cows with a Braunvieh bull - we have seen an increase in the weight of our calves at sale time. The Braunvieh influence really packs the meat on!
Also our Braunvieh cross cows are wonderful Mommas - good utters / great milk producers. So I would have to say the Braunvieh is the way to go!
Jane Piercy, Oklahoma
July 1st, 2009 at 12:55 pm
What is the best cattle breed for today’s economic conditions?
This question is so very open ended. Everyone is going to have their opinion all accross the country. The best cattle breed for one area may not prove true for another under adverse conditions. Each individual has to evaluate which bred will be more economical for their dollar. Who is their market, when and who are they selling to, their feeding conditions(expense), etc. Our market is the finisher, we sell in the fall at the sale barns, not direct. We are not a hobby, and we do not depend on them as a full income either. However, we have to have them wean them with an exceptional weight gain and still keep the expense down. We have had the best luck with Angus cross cows and an Angus bull. We can choose our bull accordingly to birthing weight and expect the Angus to be a “solid weight” at sale time. We had a different bull in a previous year. His calves were too “lanky”. The money we spent finishing out the calves was practically wasted. They looked great against the others, but there was no weight gain, therefore no money at market. The buyers did not prefer them either because they can not put the weight on them in a feed lot. Simply put, not marketable.
So, for our area I’d have to say the Angus breed(AngusX) is the best marketable, economically in our area.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:49 pm
As Charles Dickens wrote: “Now what I want is, FACTS.”
When one analizes the economics of the entire beef production cycle [conception to carcass] there is one clear winner: HEREFORD!
No smoke and mirrors, no bull feathers; just the FACTS.
Fertility is still the number one production factor in determing profitability in the cattle business. [No calf; no opportunity for profit.] HEREFORDS win “hands down” in fertility.
Many research projects have documented the undisputed superiority of the HEREFORD based cow; showing a $25 - $75 per cow advantage. Just talk to any commercial breeder with a black baldy cow herd. They truely are “the queen of the range”.
HEREFORDS are also the leaders in efficency! The facts are available in the CSU Report “Impacts of Crossbreeding on Profitability…” [aka “The Harris Study”] by Daley and Early. This ongoing research project compares the progeny of HEREFORD and Angus bulls bred to mature Angus based cows in commercial conditions, using today’s genetics. The research clearly documents a $78 HEREFORD sired advantage! That’s a fact. [and that’s real economic stimulis!]
Oh, and did I mention the great HEREFORD disposition?
If you want real “Hope & Change” use HEREFORD bulls and buy white-faced feeders. The leaders in fertility and efficiency!
Art Madsen
July 1st, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I still think it is Angus. Angus is still the standard that all measure their breed success. The breed organization has superior organization and breeding.
July 1st, 2009 at 2:48 pm
I’m still convinced that a stock show judge was correct when he told the youth that the ideal breed was the one that met the needs of the producer. Therefore, it is going to vary, due to climate, available time of the producer, etc. I’ve been very happy with Brangus, Salers, and most of all, the cross-bred cattle utilizing those 2 breeds. In western Oklahoma, it gets hot in the summer, and cold in the winter. The wind usually blows, and conditions are often dry. With the last 40 years experience, the salers probably edge out the brangus in total pounds produced per cow, but it takes a toll on them to do it. The cross-breds have retained the desirable traits of both breeds, especially docility, forage hustlers, temperature tolerant, etc.
July 6th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
I feel that there is no single cattle breed that can be singled out as best for everyone. There are so many various husbandry practices as well as geographic differences in this country that there are breeds to fill all the “niches”, and the most important thing is that the cattle make money for the owner and the owner enjoy whatever breed that tickles their fancy. It would be extremely boring to have only one breed-variety is the spice of life. That said, my breed that has done the best for me (I have had some of the majority of all major beef breeds in the USA) would be the Belgian Blueand Belgian Blue-Jersey Cross. My crosses produce well over 60lbs milk per day and when bred back to Belgian Blue bulls, produce outstanding calves that appear as muscled as purebreds, and they are extremely easy to sell, as well as being very profitable. Although I would not recommend them for everyone, they are great for those of us who both milk and raise beef for a living, and are great for beef producers who raise beef with a more closely watched husbandry practices, compared to range type practices. One thing more about the breed-they hands down have the highest dressout percentage and largest ribeye area, as well as cholesterol levels below that of skinless chicken, so it is a great beef for those on a low cholesterol diet.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:28 am
“What is the best cattle breed for today’s economic conditions?”
With the economy being so bad one would think cheaper would be better. So initially I would suggest a smaller breed size with low maintenence. However, one needs to take into consideration the new demands of our society. Obesity is huge so finding a leaner meat is always better. A new statistic finds that over 60% of Americans are either obese or overweight. Thus being the reason why I picked Beefalo to be a better pick.
Beefalo is a leaner meat with more to offer. It also offers more protein than beef and less calories and fat content. It has been shown to help lower cholesterol too. Why not pick this cross breed? It has everything our society needs. It is on its way to get a higher demand as people learn more about this breed and it is healthier too! Our society is always looking for a new and improved product to help with the crisis of obesity and this is it!
July 9th, 2009 at 10:31 am
I believe in any economic situation, from a commercial standpoint, producers must realize the benefits of crossbreeding. This provides a clearly proven economic advantage with no added cost. I am a firm believer that there is never a single breed that is better than another. ALL have their ADVANTAGES and ALL have their DISADVANTAGES. What the producer should do is single out 2 or 3 breeds with advantages that benefit his (or her) situation and implement them into their crossbreeding program so that they may get the best of all worlds.
July 9th, 2009 at 10:32 am
As with most of the other comments I believe that there is no one breed, but infact a cross breeding that will lead us into a prosporus future. When deciding on which breed or even which size of animal, now with all the “miniture” breeds, a responsible person looks at climate, feed sources and workability, as well as feed efficiency and overall end product/consumer. I know of many people who have switched to miniture cattle for beef for the simple fact that its easier to handle and their more effiecent, not to mention its easy as pie to find customers to buy a side of beef that small. But now those animals obviously would be the laughing stock if you were in montana or took a shipment into a meat packing facility. I mean forget the fact that they would get high centered in the snow drifts of wyoming if not burried alive in a matters of minutes in a good storm. But for a direct to consumer producer they are an awsome way to realize profit on a minimal sized piece of land.
So overall like any good buisness plan i believe it will be the mad scientists and crazy ol’ ranchers who are able to cross breed they animals that see will improve the future being the future. After all even nike started by selling shoes out of the trunk of a car!!! who’s to say that the cross breed of the future is being coaxed up in someones crazy mind right now.
July 9th, 2009 at 11:12 am
I don’t hate to say this at all but Angus is not the best breed. They have become like Holstein’s with lots of genetic problems. I think the cattle industry is competing against it’s self. All cattle breeds have a place at the table. We need to work together to make beef a positave not a negitive.BEEF IS GOOD FOR US. That said a beef cow that weighs in at about 1200 lbs. and can produce half her weight or more is great. A combination of marbling, dressing percent, feed effeciency and muscle needs to be part of the total equation. Doreen Gillespie.
July 10th, 2009 at 10:42 am
I assume that we are all beef producers in one way or another. We are are striving for the same thing, and that is putting a putting quality beef on America’s table at an affordable price. Now, we can sit here all day and argue about what breed of beef is better. As a stocker operator, I have found that each breed has positive and negative attributes. Some breeds have better immune systems, some convert better, other have a much higher marbling rate and others are just prettier to look at. Because we have the safest and most affordable food supply in the world I can say this: American beef is the best. That’s what we are having for dinner.
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BEEF Daily is your online news source for today’s beef industry updates, every Monday through Thursday morning. BEEF’s Web Editor, Amanda Nolz, captures the essence of life as a South Dakota cattle producer and college student, as well as top headlines of the day. YOU can also weigh in your thoughts. Don’t miss a minute of the action; subscribe to the BEEF Daily e-newsletter today!Article Proposal
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