Shorthorn feed out tests and Durham red cattle at State fairs?

[aj]

What is the latest on the feed out tests......and does anyone have Durham Red cattle going to state fairs?

 

[Okotoks]

What is the latest on the feed out tests......and does anyone have Durham Red cattle going to state fairs?[/color

I think that whole Durham Red deal at shows did a downward spiral when one of the original supporters started taking TH Carrier bulls to the Denver Pen Shows. Too bad really as that is a great place to get exposure to the commercial cattle sector.

 

[shortyjock89]

I much prefer gerts. I wonder if they'd work this far north.

 

[JTM]

I believe the information for the steer futurity deal that the ASA organized for data collection will be out in the October edition of the Show Country. I would be happy to discuss my thoughts on our results. We sent 19 total steers that were sired by A&T Renegade, TG/RRA Complete 421U, CF Star Bucks, and GS&J Captain Rob 3x. To say we were happy with the results would be an understatement. Our calves had the youngest average age of all breeders (395 days) and were 74% choice and 68% YG 1's and 2's. We had a respectable 3.23 ADG in a very tough Iowa winter. I believe that these results prove that there are Shorthorn genetics that can do what the commercial industry needs and demands. 

 

[Okotoks]

I believe the information for the steer futurity deal that the ASA organized for data collection will be out in the October edition of the Show Country. I would be happy to discuss my thoughts on our results. We sent 19 total steers that were sired by A&T Renegade, TG/RRA Complete 421U, CF Star Bucks, and GS&J Captain Rob 3x. To say we were happy with the results would be an understatement. Our calves had the youngest average age of all breeders (395 days) and were 74% choice and 68% YG 1's and 2's. We had a respectable 3.23 ADG in a very tough Iowa winter. I believe that these results prove that there are Shorthorn genetics that can do what the commercial industry needs and demands.

<beer> For 13 months of age those are great results! (thumbsup)

 

[aj]

I don't think Durham Reds can be thc according to rules. The Supreme commander is taking 3 bull calves to state fair. All tested th,pha,ds and marble bone free. Shorthorn plus's at least two generation Red Angus-Shortie composites.  Rougly when will the futurity calves go feed at the test's?

 

[Will]

We have a Durham red heifer selling in the Shorthorn 500 sale the end of October.  She will end up being a pretty nice calf.  The red angus influenced cattle mature a little slower. At least that has been my experience.

 

[Lucky_P]

Commercial producer here, have been dabbling with some Shorthorn sires over ANxSimAngus(Fleckvieh influenced) cows for the past 6 years or so.  I feel very fortunate to have been recruited by Toby Jordan to do a progeny-test breeding trial for them, and have the resulting steers entered into the same feedout trial that JTM had steers in, and I appreciate Josh helping me by sorting out the performance data on our calves.
It was nice to finally get some idea of what sort of endproduct we're producing.  Results are convincing to me that commercial cattlemen are missing the boat, bigtime,  by not considering Shorthorns as a viable resource in a crossbreeding program... or even as a 'terminal' sire breed for production of feeder calves.

We had 8 steers in the Waukaru group...4 each sired by Waukaru Orion 20147 and Waukaru Coppertop 464; out of cows that were 3/4-7/8 AN breeding... daughters of the walking AN sire(15138281) or N Bar Prime Time D806(12557724).  Most carry the red gene, so I'm getting quite a few red calves.

Average across the group of 8 steers(again, thanks to JTM for sorting this out for me): On-test wt 878#, Final wt 1367#, feed-to-gain 6.78, ADG 3.83, ADG ratio 110, WPDA 3.23, WPDA ratio 110, HCW 839, Dress % 61.4, REA 13.7, REA/cwt 1.63, YG 2.9, % Ret.Prod. 63.99.  3/8 graded Choice-, 3/8 Select+, 2/8 Select-
One of our steers, an Orion son, out of a 3/4AN-1/4SM cow, topped the trial: On-test wt. 1022, Final wt 1499, on test ADG 4.01/ratio 116, WPDA 3.59/ratio 122, HCW 977, Dress % 65.2, REA 15.5, REA/cwt 1.59, YG 2, Choice-, Ret.Prod 64.28%, was ranked #1 for Retail Value per DOA and DOF. 

It was gratifying to see how well our steers performed alongside those from breeders whom I've admired for some time... and affirmed in my mind that the performance of those Shorthorn-sired calves after they leave here is just as good as their appearance here on the farm - we'd not necessarily expected the Shorthorn cross calves to blow the doors off the Angus and Simmental sired calves here - but they have!

 

[aj]

Thanks Lucky P

 

[Doc]

This is our Durham Red in our herd. She is 3/4 Shorthorn, 1/4 Red Angus. She just had a calf by our SULL Looker bull. I would take a field full of them like her.

 

[Medium Rare]

I thought the Durham Red deal pretty well died. I don't paper any of them, but I guess I should start collecting some kill data. It's pretty easy to see the cross, black or red, just works.

Pulling a few coughs from the pens today, hope I'm just paranoid.