Why did we add Charolais genetics at the Bradley 3 Ranch?
They make a great cross on Angus cattle and they just work for the beef industry. Charolais have proven themselves to grow efficiently, perform well in the feedyard and hang a heavy carcass with more salable product.
In 2009, we started our Charolais herd. We expect the same high level of productivity from our Charolais cows as our Angus cows. Open cows or cows that don't bring in a calf at weaning time are culled. Any cows with bad feet or udders are also culled. The Charolais cows run at a separate ranch in Donley County, Texas. This location is drier with a higher elevation and we challenge this set of cows to maintain on native grass with minimal / limited feed.
Unlike many registered cattle operations, our bulls are actually turned out (in very large pastures) on the cows during breeding season. Because of this feet, structure and temperament is very important! We collect birth, weaning and yearling weights on the Charolais bull calves. Our weaned Charolais bulls are managed the same as our Angus bulls, so they are also grass gain tested and ultrasound data is collected.
We are members of the American-International Charolais Association and utilize their whole herd inventory-reporting system. All Charolais bulls are registered and buyers will receive registration papers after purchase.
We hope you will join us on Feb 13, 2021 and appraise our elite Charolais bull offering. For customers looking to add the benefits of cross breeding, and specifically the highly sought after Angus-Charolais genetics, we've got you covered.
At Bradley 3 Ranch, our goal is to produce predictable genetics for commercial beef producers that wean the most quality pounds from cows exposed to calves weaned. Therefore, we concentrate our breeding efforts on the beef industry's most basic traits while employing the industry's latest technology. Fertility, easy calving, easy fleshing, soundness, high performance, muscle and carcass value. Our experience in the meat business has helped us develop an understanding of the entire food chain, from the cow-calf producer to the consumer at the meat case. These valuable lessons are used in our ranch management decisions every day.
Our herd sires are expected to be productive in our challenging environment. The Bradley 3 Ranch raised herd sires are selected for their performance, as well as their balance in one of five distinct sire lines. Those sire lines are maintained as separate lines so that a buyer can purchase bulls from different sire lines without the concern of inbreeding. The only AI used in the cow herd is on replacement heifers. All other cows are bred naturally by home raised bulls that are picked up on the 60th day after turnout. Multiple sires are utilized in each pasture and calves are matched to sire by DNA. By utilizing a multiple sire program, we can determine traits seldom measured such as libido and natural competitiveness with other sires. We feel very strongly that if you buy a bull from B3R, you know his sire has been treated to the same conditions in which you would expect your new bull to perform.
The Bradley cow herd runs in some of the Texas Panhandle's roughest country. Our rough country emphasizes the importance of an easy fleshing, moderate cow herd with good feet and sound structure. B3R donor cows are proven cows, not prospects. Our donors are cows that have proven to be sound, structurally correct and capable of covering long distances. If maternal traits are important to your program, pedigrees that carry some of these donor cows will add maternal traits to your herd. For instance, a bull that sells in our sale who has three donor cows in his pedigree would have at least 30 years of proven maternal ability backing him genetically. Few, if any, other Angus breeders can make this claim in the bulls they market!
