Best beef breed

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I’m not talking about for the stockyards, but for home beef needs. A smaller breed that finnishes out at a smaller, more easily handled weight. Dexter maybe .
Everyone is going to have a different opinion on this subject. I've heard good things about the Dexter breed. Scottish highlands are another good choice. They do good on marigional pasture and are good foregers. I raise black and red Angus here, but only butcher the reds. It's the best meat I've ever eaten in my opinion.
When choosing a beef breed there are many questions that you need to ask yourself. Such as, how much pasture you have, are you going to finish the beef on grain, are you going to have a bull for breeding, or go with AI. Or do you plan on buying a steer or two locally. There are pros and cons for whatever direction you go.
In my area it takes about 20 acres of grazing land per head. When I pick out a steer for butcher I put him in the feed lot for 3 months and finish him on corn, oats, barley, molasses and hay.
 
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Interesting conversation guys. I have to admit I had never heard of Dexters and my only small experience has been w/ black Angus in my youth. It will take me at least 5 years to get my place set up, but If I am still around, I'd like to run cattle up there. Y'all caused me to look up Dexters and I am kinda impressed so far.
 
Interesting conversation guys. I have to admit I had never heard of Dexters and my only small experience has been w/ black Angus in my youth. It will take me at least 5 years to get my place set up, but If I am still around, I'd like to run cattle up there. Y'all caused me to look up Dexters and I am kinda impressed so far.
5 years? All you need is a fence and water. I have miles of fencing just on my premiter fence. It was in bad shape when we first moved here, but working on it every day for 6 months and putting in 700 new posts, I got it in decent shape. Every year I spend 3-4 months working on my fencing, plus put in 300-500 new posts every year. Don't wait too long, time has a way of getting away from us. Besides with the low cattle prices now is the time to buy. I had to sell some bred heifers after my surgery just to get by. It hurt letting them go so cheap.
 
LOL This is my retreat place, 2.75 hours away, 66 acres... got way more to do before I take on 7500 ft of fencing... too old to do it myself and other things have to be done before that . but the good thing is I have 2 ponds totalling 1.75 acres surface of water, so it is building the pasture and fencing after I build the housing and develop the garden area.

I wish I was in as good of shape as you obviously are but nature and time have caught up with me :) I am building this for my kids and grandkids primarily. If I ran 6 or 7 head of cattle, I would just have a local check in on it from time to time... just tossing a few deas around now.
 
Everyone is going to have a different opinion on this subject. I've heard good things about the Dexter breed. Scottish highlands are another good choice. They do good on marigional pasture and are good foregers. I raise black and red Angus here, but only butcher the reds. It's the best meat I've ever eaten in my opinion.
When choosing a beef breed there are many questions that you need to ask yourself. Such as, how much pasture you have, are you going to finish the beef on grain, are you going to have a bull for breeding, or go with AI. Or do you plan on buying a steer or two locally. There are pros and cons for whatever direction you go.
In my area it takes about 20 acres of grazing land per head. When I pick out a steer for butcher I put him in the feed lot for 3 months and finish him on corn, oats, barley, molasses and hay.

Wow! 20 acres per head. Not exactly how much here, but I don’t think nearly that much land. If I can ever convince my hubby I would like a couple of miniature Belted Galloways or Dexter cows.
 
Wow! 20 acres per head. Not exactly how much here, but I don’t think nearly that much land. If I can ever convince my hubby I would like a couple of miniature Belted Galloways or Dexter cows.
Yeah summers are pretty dry here. Our last rain/snow was on June 29. Sometimes we might get a little rain or snow in late September but usually not until October. We get about 26" of total precipitation per year and 98% of that perception falls as snow. I'm planing on irrigating a few acres next year, maybe 40 acres or so, if I can get the water rights.
 
We have black Angus and they are pretty docile but they do have their moments. They do eat a lot and we have to supplement with grain and hay on our small acreage. Had a couple get out once and I have been chased by that bull. He is no longer here. We also do have a Holstein bull. I would not recommend ever having one of those. He is a troublemaker and an escape artist. He is the reason we had to run an electric fence and sometimes that won't keep him where he is supposed to be.

when we sold one of the donkeys, we delivered to an older mans pastures. He had Lowlines. I was very impressed with that breed and now that hunny is almost 70, I really wish we could change over, but I also know he wont. The Lowlines are very gentle. This is a good link talking about them.d

https://www.thecattlesite.com/breeds/beef/103/lowline/
 
We have black Angus and they are pretty docile but they do have their moments. They do eat a lot and we have to supplement with grain and hay on our small acreage. Had a couple get out once and I have been chased by that bull. He is no longer here. We also do have a Holstein bull. I would not recommend ever having one of those. He is a troublemaker and an escape artist. He is the reason we had to run an electric fence and sometimes that won't keep him where he is supposed to be.
I read somewhere recently that the dairy bulls are much more dangerous than the beef bulls. I don't think I ever heard that before
 
I read somewhere recently that the dairy bulls are much more dangerous than the beef bulls. I don't think I ever heard that before
They are and Holsteins are the worst. Thank goodness Charlie has settled down in his older age. I would recommend A1ing dairy cows. Having this dairy bull has cost us so much extra money on fencing, gates and even two neighbors vehicules, but hunny loves his darn bull.
 
They are and Holsteins are the worst. Thank goodness Charlie has settled down in his older age. I would recommend A1ing dairy cows. Having this dairy bull has cost us so much extra money on fencing, gates and even two neighbors vehicules, but hunny loves his darn bull.

I think the neighbors and I would have been eating bull burgers a long time ago, LOL.
 
My fav - best eating too;

Murray Grey cattle are of a moderate size, possess sound structure, and have good walking ability. Murray Grey bulls usually weigh 817 to 1,135 kg (1,801 to 2,502 lb); cows normally weigh 500–700 kg (1,100–1,500 lb).

Murray Grey File Image.jpg
 
I will never have cattle,they are a lot of work for far to little profit,if I want one for butcher I will either buy it locally or drive the 40 miles to the auction and pick up one there,,,,I have seen Jersey's that will go 1100 to 1500 lbs sell for as little as $400.00 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,they don't yield as much meat but they are excellent eating and at that kind of money they are a good buy
 
We picked up our beef yesterday from the meat cutter. We ended up with about 650 pounds of meat from our steer. Tomorrow morning we'll pick up our son and daughters beef. We gave them Johnny (our injured bull). We got about 750 pounds of meat out of him. Unfortunately he lost a lot of weight due to his injuries. Both beef were Red Angus, and the best tasting beef that I've ever had.
 

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