Who is buying cows?

[PureCountry]

Most breeders do not mix the two. They are considered two breeds within the Galloway Herd Book. And most also consider the belties an inferior line, which is due largely in part to the fact that VERY few breeders have kaintained any numbers of them. Of course when that happens, quality goes down the tube with quantity.

They do always seem to be sort of pot-gutted. The only impressive ones I've seen have been in pics from herds in Ontario. Actually, the sale you mentioned coming up in Lacombe, those folks have a half dozen REAL good belted cows. I actually tried to buy a couple from him two years ago, but he wouldn't sell them.

As for heritability, the belt is actually very consistant. It is a breed characteristic, like the Herefords' white used to be.lol However, if you cross them to a pure Black Galloway, or red or dun, you can get a variety of colors. The first cross may still be a belted, or a partial belt, but after that you could get a solid, or just as easily a 'riggot' which are spotted and generally look like Speckled Parks.

Hope that helps.

[cswilson]

We've sold the pick of our cowherd a few times over the years-not many guys are sharp enough to pick your best cows-most guys can sort out the biggest-the prettiest etc but not many get the bill payers. To each his own but when I sell breeding cattle I want the buyer to be satisfied with what he's got so I give him his pick.

[grassfarmer]

Purecountry, speaking of Galloway sales I got a catalogue through for a bull sale in a couple of weeks in Lacombe. Some strange looking colours in there... reds, blacks, whites and speckle park colour ones. They describe the whites as being "white park pattern" - a similar pattern they may be but white park are horned cattle. They are more likely to be descended, or related to the other similarily patterned, polled, British White cattle. There is a bull in this catalogue that looks like a dark coloured speckle park animal which themselves, I understand, claim to be a throw back to a white park. I don't know what he is doing in a Galloway sale.
In Scotland, in Galloway, where i'm from there are many black Galloways, a few of Belties, a few less herds of duns, and two small herds of whites I know of. There are no red Galloways and there never has been any history of reds.
Belties have been quite popular in recent decades over there because of their distinct looks and as such have been kept on some very good land compared to the more commercial black cattle. As a result the belties in the UK are often far too big.

[cowman]

Personally the highest cows I saw sell last fall at auction were $1175 and they were young black cows with some "enhanced" Angus genetics!
Now I'm not sure about the quotes on $1300 cows as I don't go to the mart very much anymore and if I do just to see how the feeders are doing.
A few years ago the weekly sale was kind of a social thing but the crowd is getting mighty thin around here as so many guys are leaving cows! Just two days ago I was driving down the road and this old boy who's had cows like forever was out getting his mail, so I stopped to shoot the breeze. He told me he sold his cows last fall and the guy up the road did too! That is happening a lot around here.

[cowman]

I think the serious producers are expanding, so they are likely picking up good cows where they can.
I doubt if the niche market type of cattle are going to out sell the conventional beef animals in the future. Seems that most herds stick with the common breeds and likely keep to whatever pays the bills.

A fellow down the road bought a few belted Galloways several years ago. They needed to be bred to something with a bit of length and then turned out some pretty decent looking calves.
His daughters showed calves off those cows in 4-H numerous times, the ones that didn't exhibit the GUT did very well. I have to say that one particular steer was off one of my Limo bulls and won the champion ship on year.

[grassfarmer]

"I doubt if the niche market type of cattle are going to out sell the conventional beef animals in the future. Seems that most herds stick with the common breeds and likely keep to whatever pays the bills." HAHAHAHA!!! where is the logic in that? "Niche" market offspring are worth more money why wouldn't their parents be? Also the implication that only the "common" breeds pay the bills. Seems like lots of guys have gone broke with "common" breeds too. What a bunch on baloney!!

[cswilson]

I've A'I'ed quite a few cows Galloway for people over the years and one of the most interesting was a Belted Galloway yearling heifer-she wasn't very big and her cervix was about a half mile inside her-was wild as a snake-it was like trying to breed a Hampshire pig. The rest were nice cattle but that one gave me nightmares.

[cswilson]

grassfarmer you may feel the need to be overly critical of my comments but until pastures from one end of the province to the other are grazing a vast majority of niche breeds, then I stand by my position.

I have seen about five belted Galloway herds in my travels, but I have seen hundreds and hundreds of char cross. black, simi,limo RWF, BWF cattle so are you telling me that all those producers are idiots and don't know how to make money in the cattle business ????

[grassfarmer]

Emrald, Who is being overly critical? I never said, or implied, that producers with "common" breeds are idiots and don't know how to make money in the cattle business. Unlike you who implied the exactly that about breeders of "niche" market type cattle.

[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!