Best first cow to get to raise to breed for beef and gentle disposition. What is best age to get them? I would like to get 2 and raise 2 calves

[K C Farm]

Best first cow to get to raise to breed for beef with gentle disposition. I dont need wild crazy cows around on my small farm. What is best age to get them? I would like to get 2 and raise 2 calves. One for me and one to sell to offset expenses. Is this reasonable to think and do?
I have horses. I do not know anything about cows.

 

[gman4691]

Most of my brangus are pretty tame. Of course, there's always the exception. Herefords are usually pretty docile. Charolais seem gentle for the most part although some can be a bit on the wild side. I would find something that has already calved at least once…but that's just me. Just about any cow can go wild if they aren't used to people. Have seen psycho cows of several breeds. But most that we've had over the years have been relatively tame…not pets mind you…the majority were easy to deal with. They were used to being around people as we were always down there doing something.

 

[Warren Allison]

Best first cow to get to raise to breed for beef with gentle disposition. I dont need wild crazy cows around on my small farm. What is best age to get them? I would like to get 2 and raise 2 calves. One for me and one to sell to offset expenses. Is this reasonable to think and do?
I have horses. I do not know anything about cows.

You'd be better off to buy 2 steer calves now,, let them graze til the grass is gone late fall, then sell one, and feed the other out to butcher. What kind of horses do you have?

 

[Ky hills]

It's a long program to buy cows and raise calves to finish out for beef. Then you've got to either have a bull or AI breed the cows.
@Warren Allison is right it might be better to start out with a couple steers.
If you are real concerned about disposition of the animals then my preference is to buy around 500 pound calves be it steers or heifers.
Those calves may not be too set in their ways yet and are young enough to tame down that way you kind of let them grow up around you. That's a common size to buy because it's fairly average weaning size range.
As far as breeds go there's calm and flighty in all breeds so just have to be careful and not get anything that seems real wild or aggressive.
I'd recommend Angus or Hereford, generally should be easy to find decent disposition ones. I'm also more confident in those breeds as far as calving and doing things right in that respect. There can be complications with any of them though.

 

[K C Farm]

Most of my brangus are pretty tame. Of course, there's always the exception. Herefords are usually pretty docile. Charolais seem gentle for the most part although some can be a bit on the wild side. I would find something that has already calved at least once…but that's just me. Just about any cow can go wild if they aren't used to people. Have seen psycho cows of several breeds. But most that we've had over the years have been relatively tame…not pets mind you…the majority were easy to deal with. They were used to being around people as we were always down there doing something.

Thank you for the information. A Brangus is a Brahma Angus cross?? What are your thoughts on Wagyu? A gentleman was selling Wagyu/Brahma/Hereford cross calves. The bull was a registered Wagyu. Would this be something to consider?

You'd be better off to buy 2 steer calves now,, let them graze til the grass is gone late fall, then sell one, and feed the other out to butcher. What kind of horses do you have?

Can you have one cow in pasture alone? Is butchering determined by weight or age?
I have AQHA and APHA reined cow horses.

 

[K C Farm]

It's a long program to buy cows and raise calves to finish out for beef. Then you've got to either have a bull or AI breed the cows.
@Warren Allison is right it might be better to start out with a couple steers.
If you are real concerned about disposition of the animals then my preference is to buy around 500 pound calves be it steers or heifers.
Those calves may not be too set in their ways yet and are young enough to tame down that way you kind of let them grow up around you. That's a common size to buy because it's fairly average weaning size range.
As far as breeds go there's calm and flighty in all breeds so just have to be careful and not get anything that seems real wild or aggressive.
I'd recommend Angus or Hereford, generally should be easy to find decent disposition ones. I'm also more confident in those breeds as far as calving and doing things right in that respect. There can be complications with any of them though.

Would southern middle Tennessee be too hot and humid for Herefords?

 

[K C Farm]

It's a long program to buy cows and raise calves to finish out for beef. Then you've got to either have a bull or AI breed the cows.
@Warren Allison is right it might be better to start out with a couple steers.
If you are real concerned about disposition of the animals then my preference is to buy around 500 pound calves be it steers or heifers.
Those calves may not be too set in their ways yet and are young enough to tame down that way you kind of let them grow up around you. That's a common size to buy because it's fairly average weaning size range.
As far as breeds go there's calm and flighty in all breeds so just have to be careful and not get anything that seems real wild or aggressive.
I'd recommend Angus or Hereford, generally should be easy to find decent disposition ones. I'm also more confident in those breeds as far as calving and doing things right in that respect. There can be complications with any of them though.

Would southern middle Tennessee be too hot and humid for Herefords?

 

[Ky hills]

Would southern middle Tennessee be too hot and humid for Herefords?

No

 

[Warren Allison]

Thank you for the information. A Brangus is a Brahma Angus cross?? What are your thoughts on Wagyu? A gentleman was selling Wagyu/Brahma/Hereford cross calves. The bull was a registered Wagyu. Would this be something to consider?

Can you have one cow in pasture alone? Is butchering determined by weight or age?
I have AQHA and APHA reined cow horses.

@K C Farm , Brangus is a breed of cattle that was developed from Angus and Brahma stock. It is its own breed...with its own genetics and its own DNA. It is not a Brahma x Angus. Thoroughbreds were developed from crossing Arabians with European warm bloods, but an Arab x Hanoverian is not a TB. .

You said you had no experience with cows, so how do you train and condition your reined cow horses without cattle?

If you don't feel like you know enough about cattle to buy a couple of calves at a sale barn or from a neighbor, there are several, CT members on here from TN, north Ala, etc., that are weaning calves, and I would buy a calf from them with complete confidence.

You can keep just one cow...like you can just one horse...but like horses, they are herd animals, and do better with companions. Your idea of eating one and selling the other to help recoup the costs is a good one.

I don't know much at all about feeding out and butchering cattle My granddaddy raised Angus, and he never fed out a steer or raised a heifer. He sold the calves at weaning, He said he'd rather do that , take the money, and stop by Winn Dixie on the way home from the sale, and buy what T-bones he wanted to eat. Or take the calf money, and the money from selling an old cow, and just buy another young one. And that is what I always do. But there are a lot of people on here that do feed out cattle , and they can tell you better than I can about it.

 

[farmerjan]

The Wagyu crossed calves would be good prospects for feeding out for beef. You can eat a heifer as easily as a steer. They will often finish out at a slightly lighter weight than a steer.
Herefords do as good as any other breed in most climates...
If you don't have any experience with cattle, just a "short course" for you. Cattle carry 9 months to have a calf. Cattle are usually "finished" for butcher in 18-26 months...so if you started with a cow, breed her get a calf on the ground, then raise it to kill you are looking at 2 1/2 to 3 years, before you would have beef. All according to feeding, you can get one now and have beef in the freezer in a little over a year... If it is bigger when you get it, less time for you to finish it and sooner in the freezer.
Wagyu will make a more marbled beef which helps to give it more flavor but will often take a little longer to finish out, but a cross bred should do it within that time frame. If you get one at say 500 lbs in spring... at 6-8 months old approx age... you will want to have a kill date for it in approx a year.. or so... I would say an average would be get it in April/May, feed it for 12-16 months to kill the following Aug/Sept time frame... That would get it in your freezer before the winter... These are ROUND FIGURE ESTIMATES.... to give you an idea of time frames...
If you like some bone in cuts, it has to be killed before 30 months due to USDA rules... concerning the backbone, spinal cord etc that has to do with the BSE... "mad cow disease" being transmitted through the spinal cord and such... not a big deal but something to think about.

Yes, cattle can be raised alone but will be much more content with another one for company... As suggested, raise one for you, sell the other or "sell it" as beef on the hoof to someone else and have both butchered.

Kill dates at slaughter houses are sometimes hard to get... you need to plan a year in advance most times... just a heads up....

Butchering is dependent on more size and finish condition.... age is something to consider as some older beef can be tough. A 800 lb well fed, well finished animal can be 1 year or 2 years old... depending on breed and other things...Most feed them out to approx 1,000 lbs but it varies.... 800-1400 lbs on different ones.
Understand that you will get APPROXIMATELY 25-30% of the live weight back in actual edible beef... again ROUND FIGURES.... If it weighs 1000 lbs live, you will get between 250 and 350 lbs of beef actually back... there is live weight , then "hanging weight".. that is with the head, hide, guts, hooves etc all off... and that is a LARGE portion of the animal you see out in the field... then there is cutting and trim and such and will lose some more... Do not think that you will kill a 1000 lb animal and have to find room in the freezers for 800 lbs of meat...
Not trying to be a smart a$$... some people just don't "get it" and are appalled that they get "so little meat back"...
Hope this helps a little...

 

[SBMF 2015]

Can you have one cow in pasture alone? Is butchering determined by weight or age?

Cattle are herd animals. They need a companion and if given the opportunity will leave to find one.

Butchering size is a combination of; Age, Weight and FINISH. But ultimately it's the consumers personal preference.
Most of the cattle I sell are 18-22 months old. Will weigh 1,400 + pounds and grade high choice.
A lot depends on how you feed them and just how fat you want them when you butcher.
Corn = Fat and fat = flavor.

 

[gman4691]

Thank you for the information. A Brangus is a Brahma Angus cross?? What are your thoughts on Wagyu? A gentleman was selling Wagyu/Brahma/Hereford cross calves. The bull was a registered Wagyu. Would this be something to consider?

Can you have one cow in pasture alone? Is butchering determined by weight or age?
I have AQHA and APHA reined cow horses.

Don't know anything about Waygu cattle. And yes…Brangus is an angus-Brahma cross. I believe the registered ones are 5/8 angus and 3/8 Brahma.

 

[K C Farm]

No

 

[Warren Allison]

@K C Farm , I just tagged you on a post in another thread, @coachg has 3 or 4 calves he is going to take to the sale in 30 days. Might get a couple from him now. He is in NE Alabama, and raises some good Angus and Angus cross cattle.

 

[SDgrampa]

If the goal is to have cheap meat in your freezer, you may be better off to watch your grocery store for sales. Fill up when steaks are on sale. Next week roasts.

 

[sstterry]

Would southern middle Tennessee be too hot and humid for Herefords?

No, not at all.

 

[gcreekrch]

 

[Little Joe]

@K C Farm do you plan to grain feed them or grass only? Do you have quite a bit of pasture for them and good grass? If you have enough pasture and good grass, you might consider buying a cow/calf pair, let her raise the calf then sell the cow and buy another pair that way you always have a calf getting ready to be butchered and a cow to keep them company. Calves seem to do better when they have a cow in with them. Leave the larger weaned calf in with the new pair on grass until about the last 90 days and seperate into a good pen and grain it. Another option that was already mentioned is buy 2 steers and feed out and find some friends, relatives and neighbors to buy quarters from you to offset your costs.

 

[clovlanfarms]

Best first cow to get to raise to breed for beef with gentle disposition. I dont need wild crazy cows around on my small farm. What is best age to get them? I would like to get 2 and raise 2 calves. One for me and one to sell to offset expenses. Is this reasonable to think and do?
I have horses. I do not know anything about cows.

Boy O boy ther is as many ways to do this as ther is cows . Im a pure bred breeder we we do things different than alot of people ..we ween alot of our bulls at 8 and 9 hundred lbs. at 205 days . Butcher our steers that dont make bulls at about 12 months old. we feed real heavy all they will eat from the time there born until we butcher them. at 12 months around 1100 lbs meat is a lot tender at that age and size than 22 months thats grazy . cost too much .Right now is a good time to feed them out @4.00 corn . find a pure bred breeder around and buy his bulls at ween time a lot better calves any breed will work herefords are usaly the tamest .

 

[JJColvin]

You'd be better off to buy 2 steer calves now,, let them graze til the grass is gone late fall, then sell one, and feed the other out to butcher. What kind of horses do you have?

Yep, don't have to feed the bull that way.