Who is buying cows?

[grassfarmer]

If you read my post I indicated that I doubted that 'niche ' cattle would outsell conventional breeds.

I cannot see where making that comment is being derogatory to anyone raising the special breeds such as Belted Galloway, Luing etc.

[PureCountry]

grassfarmer, I can't tell you where the red came into the Galloways, but they've been in the herd book for a long time. maybe rkaiser can explain that one a bit better.

As for the spotted fellows and the riggot in that sale catalogue, they are straight Galloway. The riggot patterns come out when whites and blacks are crossed up. Or whites with duns and silvers, too.

[farmers_son]

Purecountry: For a history of Galloway cattle including color see:

http://www.galloway-world.org/intconf/sponen.htm

[grassfarmer]

Thanks for that f_s it was a very thorough and enlightening explanation.

[cowman]

You can probably make money with just about any type of cattle, if you market them right?
Now if you are raising "commodity calves" you need to pretty well provide what the market wants, if you intend to ring the bell? The so-called "niche type" market is a whole other ballgame and requires a different set of skills?
I have no doubt these type of cattle can make money? Just like a purebred herd can make a lot of money...or lose your shirt if you don't get it right? I guess it all comes down to how much effort you want to put into it?

[cowman]

emerald:You said "serious producers" are expanding? But wait a minute sean and kpb said you have to be crazy to expand at this time? They say $1300 cows don't pencil out...and I guess that might apply to heifers being bred this spring?....and here I sit with 25 heifers!
So am I a "serious producer" or a flipping idiot? Sort of damned if you do, damned if you don't!

[cowman]

In my area there are several larger operations and they are buying cows, have retained heifers etc., so from that I have assumed that they are serious about staying in the cow business.

I would some how doubt that you are a 'flipping idiot' cowman, but then, if we calve in the winter, there are those that think we are !!! LOL

[cowman]

Well I don't calve in the winter anymore...although that wasn't my decision...I actually kind of liked winter calving! Always felt really alive!
Anyway now we have this great big barn, with all the bells and whistles sitting empty! Maybe I'll get some goats or something? Might make me more acceptable to the back to nature crowd?
Why I could even stop spraying the buck brush and oil leases? I would have a goat vegetation control program! Too bad those darned old oil field operators wouldn't consider going organic and keeping the goat herd busy?

[cowman]

sheep cowman, then you could get a border collie and you would be in business !!! No point in letting that barn go to waste, use it for lambing. Get a donkey to protect the sheep from coyotes and you would be set !!!

[cowman]

Well somehow I don't see myself as a shepherd or a goat herd! To hard on the old self image!
Actually I never followed "trends" or the smart money too often! Just plod along keeping my good heifers every year, selling off the old girls? Don't usually expand or contract with the market. It seemed at times I was about the only one on here breeding heifers every year...come drought or BSE!
Maybe not smart but you know you get into a system that seems to work? I think I would find it very tough to sell off my best heifers every year and we have a great debate every fall and spring about which ones stay!
Now let me explain why we are keeping extra breeding heifers this year. We bought 320 acres of pasture in a sweetheart deal that no one but an idiot would pass up. We bought 40 cows that we thought were good enough to fit in, but still have extra grass. My cousin has rented 200 acres of grain land from us for about 15 years, lately he is making noises about quitting...I would not rent to anyone else. I have one hundred acres in hay for the horse trade. Without rotating that out with the 200 acres grain, it doesn't work for me? And finally we are just too darned busy in the summer to put much effort into farming of any kind! Cows don't require much attention in the summer but fit in nicely when winter slows/ends our other business.
In addition after three years of not selling any cows(well one open) we need to skid a few of these old girls. And last but not least I like cows...

[redhen]

To breeders of Galloways... The Belted Galloway is listed by Rare Breeds Canada as "Critical" with fewer than 25 registered breeding females in Canada. So is the Kerry, the Lynch Lineback and the White Park. www.rarebreedscanada.ca

To Cowman... a great big empty fully-tweaked barn sounds like heaven to me! You really should consider sheep or goats. We have just experienced our first lambing, with an experienced Jacob ewe who gave birth to beautiful spotted black and white twins on Easter Sunday. I had my lambing kit at the ready, but didn't need a single thing out of it.

There are 14 sheep breeds listed as "Critical" so you and your wonderful barn could (potentially) help sustain some endangered livestock breeds. The Newfoundland sheep is in critical need of support. We like the Jacobs because they are a smaller breed and they come with two or four horn "handles" that make them easy to catch and work with, for those of us who are aging and arthritic!

Alberta has 4 of the best woolen mills in the country. The fibre from endangered sheep is a valuable commodity for hand-spinners. Uniquely marked hides have a high value as well.

If you're stuck on cattle, then Highlands ("At Risk" RBC status) come in a beautiful range of colours and their fibre can be sheared and used to make rugs. [Did anyone else know that Olds College is teaching bison fibre courses? Their fibre would be similar to Highland.] Highland hides, in shades ranging from cream to deep sienna, make outstanding robes (similar to buffalo), throws or rugs, or seats on rustic furniture. Their meat is naturally lean and marbled and they don't require finishing on grain. We had one yearling processed for a banquet and the meat graded as "Sterling". One "Ponderosa Hip" was slow roasted for the dinner, and there were 3 x 40-lb boxes (120 pounds) of meat valued at an average of $7 a pound left over. Could be the breed or the great butcher, but we were pleased.

[redhen]

and so you should be redhen. Obviously you must be doing something right as well, do don't give all the credit to the animal or the butcher !!
I agree that cowman should get busy and raise sheep, why when he gets old he could make rugs or something instead of sitting in coffee row !!!

My neighbour has two belted Galloway cows, I don't know if they were registered ones when he bought them or not but I'll have to ask him.