Red Angus, anyone used them?

blue5000 · 14-07-2023 12:27pm #1

With the way the black Aberdeen Angus bulls have gone more ratlike with every generation to suit dairy farmer demand I'm finding it impossible to find a decent AA bull. Has anyone here used Red AA bulls instead and what were the cattle like as sucklers? I'm thinking of going red this time.

My breeding program has mainly been criss cross Angus and Aubrac for a good few years now. So cows are either 2/3 Aubrac 1/3 AA or the other way round. Usually when buying an AA bull I'd lean more towards stronger maternal traits like milk kg. When choosing an Aubrac bull I'd usually go more on the terminal side, especially conformation to try compensate for the weakness in the AA side.

Having said all that I've basically culled all the daughters of the last AA bull, his ebi dropped like a stone, or should I say imploded like a small sub exploring the Titanic. I think I had one U grade carcass after him.

charolais0153 · 14-07-2023 1:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058305059/red-angus-anyone-used-them

I wouldn’t like a red bull for the fact that the gene pool is smaller. Harder get a good one like.

you probably need a Scottish bred bull. Lot of the ones bred here are to small

maybe breed your own ?

https://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/pedigree-red-carrier-angus-heifers/33979863

Sugarbowl · 14-07-2023 3:14pm

I have used red angus AI straws the last few years on suckler heifers. Given me nice calves and sold well as weanlings. Never kept one for breeding yet!

14-07-2023 3:50pm

Have red Angus stock bull here with fr dairy herd. Some of our finest calves in years. As a result I have kept about 75% of what was born, usually would sell over most at 6 to 8 weeks.

Gudstock · 14-07-2023 4:18pm

3 x AA7308 this spring off of 2 yr old Sim maidens. Popped out no bother, but other than that not impressed. Too butty, no power, ugly head imo. Go with a good black angus, maybe talk to a big breeder or society to see what outcrosses would suit suckling system.

whelan2 · 14-07-2023 4:41pm

My eldest lad is into all things Angus. He wouldn't dare even look at a red Angus. Check out his page priestown Angus on Facebook. If you're looking for a bull he could look over the back breeding for you.

White Clover · 14-07-2023 5:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120851654#Comment_120851654

Had one red Angus heifer by ZLT about 3 years ago. She killed 337kg O+4= at 27 months. She was off of a 80%Ho 20%fr cow with a very low EBI. I wouldn’t say no to a few of them heifers each year.

Majority of Angus out there at the moment are rubbish and are mated with handy light little cows. The resultant offspring is more rubbish.

blue5000 · 14-07-2023 7:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120851850#Comment_120851850

Would that be due to grandad's influence? Just finding it impossible to get a decent Angus bull for a suckler herd.

blue5000 · 14-07-2023 7:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120851770#Comment_120851770

1 star for carcass conf wouldn't do much for me either, although he is +10kg for milk. Stars dropping like a stone would be nothing new either.

whelan2 · 14-07-2023 8:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852535#Comment_120852535

Send him a message, he has a lot of contacts and he could source something if you want.

IMG-20230712-WA0003.jpg

That's our stock bull born November 2021

Hard Knocks · 14-07-2023 8:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120851850#Comment_120851850

He’s breeding good stuff, some great cows. Suppose you’re helping him by letting one of his bulls run with your cows … to make sure they’re breeding right

whelan2 · 14-07-2023 8:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852824#Comment_120852824

Have a Hereford with the cows atm. Have one of his Angus with the heifers. Ye nice herd there atm. It's a good interest . He's heading off to England with an Angus group for farm visits soon. I'll be left in charge

Hard Knocks · 14-07-2023 8:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852535#Comment_120852535

I know a lad breeding AA, he’s got €4,000+ for bulls this year at home from repeat Dairy farmers. He’s great quality but have very little stars as older lines. No matter the breed it appears hard to get something to fit all

whelan2 · 14-07-2023 8:58pm

Ye. Great market for Angus bulls atm.

Hard Knocks · 14-07-2023 8:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852835#Comment_120852835

Brave man … he’s the right age and those trips are interesting and very good to do. There’s lots to be picked up from seeing other farms.

capslock88 · 15-07-2023 11:48am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852835#Comment_120852835

Just as a matter of interest Whelan, why have you gone with a Hereford on the cows?..as an AA breeder I thought you'd be all AA?!

whelan2 · 15-07-2023 11:57am

We had reduced our Angus numbers before eldest lad got back into them. I didn't have an older Angus bull to go with my dairy herd. We used to run a whitehead with the dairy herd years ago , just a bit of a change really. Still have an Angus bull with my Friesian heifers though.

TokenJogger · 16-07-2023 12:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120851654#Comment_120851654

Red Angus is a very dominant breed in Canada, a thoroughly harsher climate +30 during the summer and outwintered down to -15 in the winter

Produces a top quality carcass with superb flavour and tenderness

It's now a separate breed from the originally Irish / Scottish lines. Eventually someone more enterprising than me will bring straws and herds in to create a proper beef sector instead of the current half cast scutter frisian yokes

blue5000 · 01-08-2023 8:58am

Well he has arrived, and wasn’t long getting to work.

whelan2 · 01-08-2023 9:20am

Best of luck with him. Where did you buy him from

blue5000 · 01-08-2023 7:37pm

Not directly from Lisduff, but a pedigree breeder had him for 2 years and no longer needed him as he has yearling heifers by him.

whelan2 · 13-09-2023 8:32am

Young lad was in Prague at the world Angus convention. There was an American there and someone asked him his opinion on red Angus. He said I'd rather be dead than use red.

blue5000 · 13-09-2023 8:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121103823#Comment_121103823

Well I’m still alive so far anyway! What’s the story whelan2?

148multi · 14-09-2023 8:26am

Sorry blue, only saw thread now, I bought AA's off a dairy farmer with red bull, big boned calves. Lads were mad for red heifers, soo I got red bulls and black heifers. Have two calved this year, no shortage of milk anyway as they both reared two calves for 2 months. Bit taller than traditional as.

Gudstock · 14-09-2023 11:02pm

Have 2 heifers and 1 bull by Red Lamborghini AI bull off Sim 1st calvers, not impressed, calves are short and pointed rears, like a different species compared to Matteo AA calves off of compatriot heifers.

farmer2018 · 22-09-2023 9:03pm

I have a dairy herd as well as Angus. I think the Hereford progeny out of Friesan cows are superior to Angus, I don't see how the demand for Angus is way out in front. Hereford as a breed not going well.

I know dairy farmers that wouldn't touch an Angus bull again due to such poor prices for calves.

148multi · 23-09-2023 3:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121111591#Comment_121111591

Would agree they seem to be shorter.

blue5000 · 23-09-2023 3:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121111591#Comment_121111591

His figures seem to be dropping like a stone alright. https://webapp.icbf.com/v2/app/bull-search/view/1890850418

Not your fault if he appeared to be a half decent bull when you put the heifers in calf and now has 2 stars for replacement and 1 for terminal.

sonnybill · 24-09-2023 6:39pm

I’ve a bull calf off of him (red Lamborghini) too and middling yoke, disappointing as heifer was BBXLMX SA

ABitofsense · 24-09-2023 7:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121147233#Comment_121147233

Fairly annoying how fast the figures changed on him. I put him on a LMx heifer and he's a worst calf I have this year and eats more than any of them. Stuck in the creep. Not turning it into weight tho

tanko · 24-09-2023 7:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121152122#Comment_121152122

Put a good Saler bull on your heifers.

Sugarbowl · 24-09-2023 8:46pm

I use red Angus on heifers as their first calf. Gives good peace of mind that there will be a safe calving. The coloured calf sells well as a Weanling for me, think almost better than a black angus calf. Have used SA on heifers before but found you could have a big calf thrown in every so often. Suppose that can happen with any calf.

sonnybill · 24-09-2023 8:48pm

I’ve a good AA heifer calf out of ai sire Drumcarbin Prince Mambo , I think he not available anymore though

blue5000 · 26-09-2023 10:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121111591#Comment_121111591

Well the good news is that he is up 10 points for replacement! However most of that is from an extra star for docility. What ai station are the straws from?