Bovine buddies…no bull!
I haven’t talked too much about cattle to y’all yet…
and that’s a bit crazy when Granite Glen is a cattle property.
Really, we live, eat (literally) and breathe cattle.
(Apologies to my vegetarian friends: I’m just telling it like it is! And seriously, what did you expect?)
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So in case you are remotely interested in our specialty, I thought I’d try and explain our “product” in reasonably simple terms.
So if you think you’d rather look at pretty pictures, try here.
Creepy creatures can be found here.
New puppies are here.
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But, as incentive for dipping your toe into a whole ‘other world, there is a reward at the end of this “lesson” below too…
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GRANITE GLEN BOVINE LESSON #1
We have beef cattle – the kind you eat (as opposed to the kind you get milk from and whose pictures you find on butter containers).
Our particular breed of beef cattle is Brangus.
Our particular breed of beef cattle is Brangus.
What the hey, you say?
OK, hang onto your hats… here we go!
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You have probably heard of Angus cattle?
And Brahmans?
Well, Brangus are derived from these two almost opposite breeds.
Firstly you have ANGUS…
They are, in technical terms, a Bos Taurus type of bovine: black, stocky and fairly hairy.
(I could make analogies to humans here, but shall leave that thought-provoking process to you!)
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Then you take BRAHMANS
They are Bos Indicus, and usually taller, sleek with humps above their shoulders and smooth-coated (shorter haired).
They have a rep for being wild and aloof (mostly ill-founded) and I think they are quite gorgeous and elegant and a bit like … what’s-his-name?
(yep, see you in the comments section for further discussion!)
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A long time ago, when pretty much all cattlemen around this area bred Hereford cattle (the hairy ones with red coats and white faces), my Dad decided to try something new. He was sick of the disease and the ticks which infested his animals and wanted something a bit more suited to our conditions. It gets hot and dry, hot and humid, and damned dry in both hot and cold weather here. Our cattle need to be tough.
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Dad’s father had passed away years before and he was just 18 years old at the time, running a property with his mother. He decided the new-fangled Brahmans (originally from India and tougher and more resistant to the problems engendered by our hotter climates) were appealing.
Dad’s father had passed away years before and he was just 18 years old at the time, running a property with his mother. He decided the new-fangled Brahmans (originally from India and tougher and more resistant to the problems engendered by our hotter climates) were appealing.
But he also liked Angus cattle – they are, he reckons, just terrific little beef makers.
So he combined the two.
And got the forerunner to this. Isn’t he gorgeous!
(Got your bovine goggles on yet? To me, he looks like the Will Smith of cattle!)
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Quick Aside
A ‘breed’ happens when genetics are consistent – so a “first-cross” (i.e. the first generation of offspring) are never considered part of that breed. It takes about five generations of consistent breeding before a Brangus is considered a “true type”.
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Anyhoo, he tried Brangus, this young upstart from the bush.
And more than fifty years later, Dad hasn’t changed his mind one little bit…
They are, as they say on “Idol”, The Bomb!
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I grew up with them. Black, sleek, beautiful cattle.
They come in red too (did I forget to mention this?).
Some folks are biased in cattle colour – so we give ’em a choice!
Me, I have a fondness for the blacks.
Just ’cause.
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One of the best jobs on the place (in my view) is handling the weaners.
These are the older calves who have just been taken from their mums, to let the cows recover and then get in calf again for next season.
They are a bit sad for a couple of days, then they decide eating is preferable to whinging.
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And I get to have some of them in our home yards to quieten.
It’s a time-consuming, non-glamourous task – far removed from one of my old jobs, where cream Cue suits, manicures, slingbacks and perfect makeup were mandatory. This job requires me to wear something very practical and warm and spend at least an hour morning and night up close and personal with beings who really don’t care in whose direction they burp and poo.
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I stand with small lots of these teenage bovines, offering them sheafs of green hay (which they REALLY want) and standing quietly. Some carry on like prawns, others just watch til they overcome their fear and come close enough to take a bite. It’s amazing how quickly they respond, and soon they are milling all round you hustling for a mouthful. They soon forget you are another scary species, and look forward to your visits, with their faces peering keenly through the rails for the next session.
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(I wonder if anyone’s ever tried the same technique on wayward human adolescents?).
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And there are some special ones that have all the right attributes and are nicely behaved that get to represent our stud at special shows and sales. And even when they are big and scary-looking, they are still gentle at heart.
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Like so…
Hello my little blue friend… how are you today?
Hmmmm…. finger-lickin’ good! Kinda salty…
Now if you want to really do something for me, it’s itchy a bit lower down… my hooves just won’t reach…
Ahhh… thanks mate!
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It’s almost weaning time here… I can’t wait.
I wonder who I’ve got this year??
12 Comments
I'm Mikey
Breathtaking critters! I love them. Not sure why, but they are such massive magnificent beasts… thank you for the the Brangus lesson, that was excellent too!
They seem like a very good hardy breed.
Bush Babe (of Granite Glen)
Thanks Mikey… I have to say that am by no means a cow-expert and no doubt I shall be pulled up soon for mis-explaining something… but I need my visitors to understand what we do.
And I have no idea what you already know, and what you don’t!!!
I do love our cattle (and I don’t mind if people call ’em all cows – but you are in a better place than most to term it right!).
So who do you reckon the Brahman bull looks like?? All aloof, and tall and exotic??
Hmmmm…
baby~amore'
I like the Brangus … are they widely available my FIL has beef cattle – Herefords and Angus.
These guys look cute .
debby
Love the pictures of Dash and his new playmate. Beautfiful cattle and beautiful pictures. By the by, you’ve never had a long horn steer just magically appear in your herd before, have you? Just asking. No particular reason.
Pencil Writer
Nice lesson, BB, and nice pictures. I love pastoral scenes. My son and I were driving along a country road close to the house the other day. One pasture bordered on the road and up close to the fence was a herd mixed with all kinds of different breeds of cattle. Quite a nice mix of colors and sizes. I love watching all the new little calves. But then, I’m a sucker for babies.
Debby–makes me laugh. I’m still wondering if Pioneer Woman is ever going to give us “the rest of the story” about the Longhorn that showed up in her pasture not long ago. So, BB, DO you ever have Longhorns on the property?
Jenni
What an interesting post! I’m not sure who the Brahman or the Angus look like. I can’t get past the way Brangus reminds me of Brangelina. I don’t even read tabloids–except for the occasional headline in the checkout aisle when the cashier is being too slow. Give us a hint at which direction you’re thinking. Please?
Some of the people around us (though none of our closest neighbors) have longhorns. I’ve always thought they were a pretty breed.
My favorite, though, are the Highland cattle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_cattle) of Scotland. When we visited Scotland on our honeymoon, we saw these creatures all over the countryside that looked like a cross between domestic cattle and bison. We couldn’t figure out what they were and so we asked a cab driver. “It’s a highland coo.” Uh-huh. A coo. We asked for clarification, but he just kept saying, “It’s a coo. A COO. COOOOOO.” Then, as we sat there with completely dumbfounded expressions, he muttered something in Gaelic about stupid American tourists and kicked us out of the cab. Not really. We found the Scottish people to be some of the most pleasant and friendly anywhere, but we could tell he was starting to get frustrated and trying very hard not to show it:o) We finally asked a Scottish friend with less of an accent and used to dumb Americans. I think he explained it this way, “A coo says moo. Hamburger, milk–you get them both from a coo, I mean cOW.”
So, do y’all really say y’all in Australia? Do you like the way I can go from a post about cattle to different ways to speak the same language?;o)
Lottery Girl
Very interesting about the interbreeding to get an animal who can thrive in the conditions you describe.
Love your blog! Love those puppies! Love all those gorgeous photos!
Raising Country Kids
Beautiful pictures! It says a lot for the disposition of your cattle that you can trust them with the kiddos. We have a bull or two that are not kid friendly (or ranch wife friendly, for that matter).
dykewife
what??!! you don’t wear open toe, thin strap 5 inch stiletto heels when you’re working on the farm? i’m shocked! shocked, i say!
the animals look lovely.
Bush Babe (of Granite Glen)
ggyratDebby & PW … no longhorn steers here. (That would be one impressive swimming bovine if it managed to make it from P Dub’s place!). Never seen any cattle like it in Queensland… perhaps in hobby setups somewhere down south? We go for no horns at all (as you can see).
Baby A … Brangus are well-established in the US. Aussie breeders import and export semen (I KNOW!) to and from AMerica.
Jenni – Brangalina is a great call for our guys! I reckon the Angus are so solid and immovable looking they are a bit kinda Bruce Willis-ish or maybe Wesley Snipes? Brahmans are more your David Beckham or Angelina Jolie. But you have to really squint!!!
No, we actually don’t really say ‘y’all’ much, unless we are being smart alecs and imitating Yanks in westerns. Sorry. I just love writing it. He heh.
LG and RCC … thanks – they are not ALL this quiet, but if they are wild they get to don’t stick around this paddock.
DW … there are a great many reasons I don’t wear the kind of shoes your describe these days. And weaners are just one of ’em.
debby
You know, BB, I think that I’m just perfectly suited for the job of ‘quietening’. I like my Carolina work boots very much, and furthermore, I chock full of maternal feelings that have no place to go, since my children refuse to put up with my nonsense anymore. I could get all broody with cattle.
Now here’s the question that I thought of while pondering on your post (Brangus are really a beautiful beas). Why do you only quieten some? Is it because you select bulls to use as breeders? Are those the bulls you are quietening? You don’t have the friendly ABS man in Australia. Dunno, though, it struck me as such a humane way to run a meat ranch. I like the idea of friendly breeding bulls.
alice
oh, what a lot of bull! 😉