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Post by Albertabuck on Dec 22, 2020 11:39:58 GMT -6
Come across a link to this on twitter this morning about the history of the breed, thought others might be interested in reading it. www.canadiancattlemen.ca/features/new-book-details-speckle-park-breeds-beginnings/Been thinking of getting a SP bull for heifers, I breed them as two year olds and I don't need the issues of big calves. I won't deny I like colorful cows, grew up with Shorthorn roans, guess it just adds to their character and personality. Currently mine are Angus Simmental cross, older cows heavier on the angus than the younger ones, bred to either angus or polled simm bulls. Most are also large frame cows, yea they eat more, I find they do better in the long haul, but there are a few smaller ones too and gotta give them credit, they can surprise you a lot. Proof is in the pudding as one would say, ship thru VJV in Westlock and do the live online thing and am always in top ten percent of appropriate weight classes so nothing wrong there. Never much diff between red or black colored as I end up with both. But one thing I have noticed is the Speckle steers don't seem to do very well during those large regular sales, which surprises me. Does seem to be good demand for the cows and bulls in their respective markets though. Think I'm still gonna go ahead and get one as I need a new heifer bull, might lose a few bucks on some steers, but be nice to add some color. Ended up with some rather high end Simm genetic bull calves more by fluke that anything, had one of my main bulls go down with a bad foot, and after rounding up the local men in black stray cows one more time before they got into my place, they offered me use of a bull they were already done with for the season. I took them up on it, had no idea at the time the one I had picked was worth a lot more than I had realized, thank God nothing happened to him lol. Had him for a month, polled purebred Simm, he did his thing cleaned the last about nine cows. Turned out about five of them were older half purebred angus cows with no blood relation to anyone else, and each of them had a bull calf, so I never nutted any of them and def gonna keep the best three or so for bulls. I already asked if there was any propitiatory issues or such, nothing at all, can do with them as I wish, thinking I might even see if any interest in the extras and sell them as commercials. They tie into this Beef Maker line of cows and their grandfather is this Kop Crosby. Done some looking into things and seems that bull has quite the following. All I'll say, about four of them bull calves are some rather impressive looking buggers. |
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Post by meskie on Dec 22, 2020 21:22:15 GMT -6
I’m not a fan of the speckles but I think they would work good to put some color on the herd.
We are mostly simmental herd but use angus on our heifers.
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Post by snapper22 on Dec 28, 2020 18:49:01 GMT -6
Nice little breed. This area is where the breed originated. There’s great ones and average ones that should’ve never been kept but that’s like any breed. The history of the breed is very interesting and the respective families of the originator and improvers very much still raise some crackerjack linebacks. There’s even speckle park influence calf sales at the local auction mart. There’s some feedlots who seek them out. If you want to use a spek on heifers you’d better do your research and find a decent breeder. Enough wrecks of guys throwing any old one on the heifers. Otherwise, they are what they are, a hardy easy fleshing breed.
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Post by Albertabuck on Dec 29, 2020 18:34:58 GMT -6
Nice little breed. This area is where the breed originated. There’s great ones and average ones that should’ve never been kept but that’s like any breed. The history of the breed is very interesting and the respective families of the originator and improvers very much still raise some crackerjack linebacks. There’s even speckle park influence calf sales at the local auction mart. There’s some feedlots who seek them out. If you want to use a spek on heifers you’d better do your research and find a decent breeder. Enough wrecks of guys throwing any old one on the heifers. Otherwise, they are what they are, a hardy easy fleshing breed. I realize many have wrecks with heifers due to using the wrong bull, but there be no difference than same things I would look for in an angus is there? Intersting you got lots around there, here almost more a novelty, lots of hobby farmers who are selling purebred bulls, run ten head type of thing, but with that said there are a few larger herds around. Rather than at the sales, I prefer to buy my bulls privately, but def it matters who and where they coming from. The other thing is I don't run 20K valued bulls either. Like that one my neighbors loaned me that fall, had I known that bastard was south of 15K, I would never have had him here lol. The ones that blow me away are the guys who buy them heinz 57 bulls at the auction marts lol, bloody mart is the last place I would buy anything. I do often buy purbred Angus, a few angus and simm have been purebred but not papered for various reasons, over the years a couple were ones that got pulled from a breeders sale as well, but have bought some really great commercials too. Like you said, you need to know what you are getting and knowing where they come from helps a lot too. And I will even pay a premium if he's halter broke to boot! Not that my bulls need to be tame, but I like them quiet and easy to handle. |
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Post by cptusa on Dec 29, 2020 21:39:26 GMT -6
I sell my calves as feeders and would get absolutely slaughtered with the speckle coloring though I've always been partial to them, shorthorn, Maine Anjou. A little white doesn't bother me but it bothers my customers right or wrong. Local pack is a black hide plant only so that tweaks things a bit.
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Post by snapper22 on Dec 29, 2020 21:50:29 GMT -6
Nice little breed. This area is where the breed originated. There’s great ones and average ones that should’ve never been kept but that’s like any breed. The history of the breed is very interesting and the respective families of the originator and improvers very much still raise some crackerjack linebacks. There’s even speckle park influence calf sales at the local auction mart. There’s some feedlots who seek them out. If you want to use a spek on heifers you’d better do your research and find a decent breeder. Enough wrecks of guys throwing any old one on the heifers. Otherwise, they are what they are, a hardy easy fleshing breed. I realize many have wrecks with heifers due to using the wrong bull, but there be no difference than same things I would look for in an angus is there? Intersting you got lots around there, here almost more a novelty, lots of hobby farmers who are selling purebred bulls, run ten head type of thing, but with that said there are a few larger herds around. Rather than at the sales, I prefer to buy my bulls privately, but def it matters who and where they coming from. The other thing is I don't run 20K valued bulls either. Like that one my neighbors loaned me that fall, had I known that bastard was south of 15K, I would never have had him here lol. The ones that blow me away are the guys who buy them heinz 57 bulls at the auction marts lol, bloody mart is the last place I would buy anything. I do often buy purbred Angus, a few angus and simm have been purebred but not papered for various reasons, over the years a couple were ones that got pulled from a breeders sale as well, but have bought some really great commercials too. Like you said, you need to know what you are getting and knowing where they come from helps a lot too. And I will even pay a premium if he's halter broke to boot! Not that my bulls need to be tame, but I like them quiet and easy to handle. Same here too with hobby herds. Not to disparage anyone but stay away unless they’re using decent matings. I know a couple outfits who you’d call foundation herds with good genetics, and outfits with commercial lineback herds that have a shot of angus and simmental. |
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Post by meskie on Dec 29, 2020 22:08:39 GMT -6
Lots of people think that just cause it’s purebred it should be kept for a bull. Happens in every breed but some of the more rare breeds it seems to happen more.
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Post by Albertabuck on Dec 30, 2020 10:22:55 GMT -6
Lots of people think that just cause it’s purebred it should be kept for a bull. Happens in every breed but some of the more rare breeds it seems to happen more. The former owner of the mart I sell at in Westlock was Gary Jarvis, was called Triple J when he owned it before he retired and sold out. On the market listing page, he would always have a commentary at the bottom regarding what was going on with price trends ect., one thing I seen him write on there more than once was that some producers needed to get some better bulls...think that sums up a lot of operations and its so obvious when you watch things sell. I miss Gary's comments, more than once I know he pissed a few people off, but sometimes the truth just needs to be said lol. |
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Post by meskie on Dec 30, 2020 12:31:34 GMT -6
The people that buy the cheap bulls are the ones that complain about the price they get for their calves. I have few friends that raise purebreds Of different breeds but they all have those people that come and just want the cheapest bull there is. Those are the guys my friends don’t want to sell to.
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dave
New Member
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Post by dave on Mar 14, 2021 12:46:57 GMT -6
We got .20 less for group of speckle steers vs blacks same weight same bull at auction last fall, trying to get wife and daughters to sell our few as a package before the fad goes away.
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Post by Beerwiser on Mar 15, 2021 7:36:02 GMT -6
That is not surprising Dave, blacks almost always bring more.
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Post by meskie on Mar 15, 2021 7:54:11 GMT -6
Black and reds with a bit of white on the face bring the most for us.
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Post by snapper22 on Mar 15, 2021 22:26:21 GMT -6
Funny we say that of blacks now. I don’t think I’m that old but my kids may disagree but in my enchanted childhood if you didn’t have buckskins, reds, or good white chars and had blacks you’d be religiously docked 10 cents at sale time. This area it seemed that way until a dozen years ago. Funny how times change.
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Post by SWMan on Mar 15, 2021 22:30:58 GMT -6
So if a guy was starting a herd from scratch today, what would you choose for cows? Bull?
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Post by meskie on Mar 15, 2021 23:27:04 GMT -6
So if a guy was starting a herd from scratch today, what would you choose for cows? Bull? For you or your kids? Temperament comes into the equation if they are mostly for the kids. |
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