The blue roan F1 female may be a big player in helping the Shorthorn breed gain more acceptance in the beef industry. Here is Canada, blue roan females are becoming extremely sought after, and it is more than just a passing craze, as they are superb producing females. Three years ago, I sold a white bull to a commercial man who has one of the best Angus based cow herds you will ever find. When I delivered the bull to him, I saw his Angus herd sires and I told him that most of them could work in most purebred herds in the country. He said he has always bought the best Angus bulls he could afford and he had paid over $10,000 for some of the bulls in the pen. He phoned me a few days ago, and he said he needs to find another herd sire and it is going to be another Shorthorn ( preferably white). He said he cannot believe how good the blue Shorthorn X Angus females are, and that the two year old females that are starting to calve now, are some of the best replacements he has ever put into his herd. I really think this may be one of the keys to addressing the black color dominance in the industry in both Canada and the US. A leading cattle buyer told me yesterday that we are entering the decade where the Hereford and Shorthorn breeds are going to become major players. He said that he felt that the Angus breed was shooting itself in the foot with some of the cattle they were producing, and that he was hearing more and more feedlots complaining that they weren't able to find Angus feeders as good as they were a few years ago. Of course, this is just one man's opinion, but he may well be on to something. Personally, I used to absolutely drool when I went into the Angus pens in the Denver yards, but I don't find myself doing this any more.
