Maine Anjou------What's up?

[Sammy]

WOW - 1500+ pound holstein steers -

 

[rtmcc]

WOW - 1500+ pound holstein steers -

Remember, with a 1500 lbs. Holstein steer the carcass yield is slightly less than a native beef breed steer.  Most Holsteins will yield 58% to 61%.  The average colored cattle make 62% to 64%.  So the 1500 Holstein steer at 60% only has a 900 lbs hot carcass weight.  Most carcass weight discounts don't start until 950 or 1000 lbs.  That same 1500 lbs. animal in a typical native steer at 63.5% yield would have a 952 lbs carcass. just getting into the discount range.
I know some of you may hate to admit it, but Holstein steers fed on a high energy ration have a much higher propensity to grade choice and prime than typical native colored cattle. 

Ron
<cowboy>

 

[hamburgman]

Very true, but remember filling in a 9.5-10'' eye is much easier than a 15'' eye.  To the holsteins credit tho it really shows what intense AI and Proofs can do for a breed (I guess there is some close breeding also in the breed).

 

[Sammy]

I was just thinking of how much white meat there would have to be on a 1500 holstein, but then they would perhaps not be as wasteful as a little pud angus - back to the original post I think that the Maines will make a run in the next few years if they do their homework and produce commercially acceptable cattle and work to get past the bad-rep issues that haunt them - Simmentals have their issues too with structure, birth weights and are not necessarily the most muscular cattle - also in my experience fertility, structure and udder issues shorten the life of the females - the right Maines will milk just as well, or better, and they sure as heck are a lot easier to look at -

 

[Freddy]

IN using some of these Main and Key sires for show calves scrotal is one of the biggest concerns and I have noticed at the Classic a lot of those young Maines have quite a struggle getting a passing semen test.. I think at the Classic this year there were only 12 head of Maines there, I think they sold well but mostly clubby ...

Over in this country most people are raising  those fat steers as big as they can get them with all this distillers ,an with these Angus getting as big as they are it isn't a problem gettting them that big ...  A comment was made the other day that a lot of the Angus steers are considered terminal cattle ....The only thing that tells me is you proably shouldn't be keeping there heifer mates for cows ...I can't see where these great big cows are that economical where there are ways to use a smaller cow that are a lot more cost effective ...

Speaking of your Maine an Key bulls I used a Friction X Charolais  bull on reg. black Angus cows an was really impressed with the quality calves I got,may not be clubby enough to sell any that way but are market toppers for feeding...These calf end up about half smokes and half black  but in the sale barn back here that is no problem as long as the calves are black nosed ....

 

[cattlemanr]

I see that Mike Hartman is dispersing his entire Maine herd.  He seems to be moving in the Simmental direction.  Is this a Maine Anjou issue or something else?

Maybe he will do for the Simmys what he has done for the Maines?

 

[mutt]

Just got our bulls in from Bushy Park. One I bought out of the sale the other over the phone. Cory Thomsen did a great job picking the other bull out for me. Bulls look great for having a 2 day trip on the trailer.

 

[farwest]

What i've been told there not docking these heavy carcasses like they used to.  Probably short supply of beef , they'll take what they can get.  Also, we have 1100 pound yearling steers coming off grass frequently in our are.  How can there not be heavy carcasses in those after there on feed for 120 days.  But you never hear of it.

 

[Joe Boy]

For the last 3 years we have been told that they do not want calves over 1320 lbs.  I did not make the number up.  I do not know if it is regional or not, but have sold them calves for 25 years.  At the same time they do not want a 1200 lb calf that is not finished.  We got a $1.08 for the calves two weeks ago.  The average weight was 1300.

They buy all the cows and calves that they can get right now because there is a shortage due to so much meat being shipped and because of the droughts of recent years and people selling large amounts of cows and keep few heifer replacements.  They are in Hereford, TX.  Thanks for the correction in spelling too…

They do not want the little pudds either that are done at 1000 and then become very waste in fat.

I bought 4 large briskets lately and had them cooked for a church luncheon for two families who lost loved ones.  The meat was less than half it’s weight after all the fat was trimmed and sliced.  Most people really do not treasure throwing away half of their purchases.

I butchered a ¾ Maine-¼ Shorthorn  calf last year that weighed 1290 and it dressed out 67%.  The butcher was extremely complimentary of our breeding.  I had guessed it would be 62% and told that to the people to whom I sold him.  They were really surprized.

 

[Freddy]

Concerning those  big carcass cattle its like all other business the more product you can put in front of your work crew with less cost is what most of those packing plants are concerned with and most of them got where they can handle those bigger carcass ... AT one time they did not have the facilities to handle them but we kept producing them so they did some upgrading ...There not concerned with quality as much as a profit, last time I looked there was very little price difference from select and choice ..............

 

[donorheaven]

I am not a fan of any current 3/4 and higher maine bulls right now. i think until a new powerful one comes along, maine sales will be weak.

 

[knabe]

I am not a fan of any current 3/4 and higher maine bulls right now. i think until a new powerful one comes along, maine sales will be weak.

so using your logic, won't only that bull sell instead of the other ones?  is the only way to make less than 3/4 bulls, ie 1/2 bloods is by breeding 1/2 bloods or should we just throw away all the old semen.  why do you have epinal or draft pick semen?

 

[justme]

I am not a fan of any current 3/4 and higher maine bulls right now. i think until a new powerful one comes along, maine sales will be weak.

Are you a clubby guy?  by your pic it sure looks like it.  Nothing wrong with that, I use to be a clubby gal once.  If you study some of GVC bulls in this years sale, they have the numbers to be great.  Some should produce those show cattle your looking at, but from a commercial man's point of view, there isn't a one in there (number wise) that shouldn't improve a typical commercial herd.  I think as a breed we've improved our cow preformance tremendously, now were working on the bulls.  Were getting there. I think you need to compare apples to apples.  Like it or not, the showring (clubby) and the commercial aspects are 2 different ballgames.  I think out of all the breeds, Maines are the one that can "switch hit" and play in both arenas.  Just my opinion, and yes, I'm now a "maine gal"

 

[knabe]

i'm not a fan of russian mail order bride's.  i prefer a lower percentage russian, something under 3/4%.  not sure those higher percentage russians have the best interests of america in mind.  we have enough marxists in this country.

 

[justme]

Oh Knabe....are they medicating you? lol  You've been a pill lately (clapping)

 

[TYD]

ok there are alot of diffrent oponions on here from both sides so my question is in everyones oponion what is the last maine bull that bridged the gap as being considered highly valuable in both a commercial herd and clubby herd

 

[justme]

I think 2 bulls that are proven in both arenas are Majors Money Man and Gigolo Joe.  Just from my personal experiences with both

I'm hoping GVC Maverick will do it too

 

[Sammy]

going back a bit - Maine Break, what was he like 5/8 or 3/4 - calving ease and great females - he would still work - to me calving ease must be paramount these days with cattle prices where they are - you can give up some performance to get more live calves - the commercial cattle need to do it on their own - the Maine breed can make an impact in the commercial world given their product but it will be an uphill route - seems that top breeders have been heading to the exits in recent years - the core issue remains what can the Maine breed add to the commercial cattle equation that you cannot find in various Angus bloodlines?  Plus they are everywhere and available in volume at whatever price point you are comfortable with.

 

[donorheaven]

I am not a fan of any current 3/4 and higher maine bulls right now. i think until a new powerful one comes along, maine sales will be weak.

so using your logic, won't only that bull sell instead of the other ones?  is the only way to make less than 3/4 bulls, ie 1/2 bloods is by breeding 1/2 bloods or should we just throw away all the old semen.  why do you have epinal or draft pick semen?

I said CURRENT 3/4 AND HIGHER MAINE BULLS.  You then say I should throw away all of my epinal and draftpick semen?  Since you apparently have never owned a high end maine bull personally as I have nor studied the maine breed and sales enough, I will educate you on Maines.  Draftpick was born in 1989 and Epinal was born in late 1960's. The other bulls I own semen on are Irish Whiskey and older.  You own a bunch of Nortex General semen.  I knew the family that owned him and saw the bull many times in Texas in person. 

Knabe, I have the right to have opinions on this site the same as you do.  Chasing me around on this site though to make a bunch of hateful comments is uncalled for.  I am not doing that to you.  this is an open forum for opinions about CATTLE.  not about some of your crazed personal ideas about people and their political values.  I expect you to act like an adult on this site.  insults if you want to launch them at me, do so personally to my face sometime.  I thihk that most of the men on here would like to see that and would agree with me.  but attacking me and worst my wife on this site is completely uncalled for. 

if you cannot raise cattle up to others standards on this site, does not give you the right to attack other breeders on this site personally.  if you can breed the good ones, then shutup and get after it.

 

[justme]

Don't let him bother you...he's been something else lately.