# Red Polled Cattle for the Homestead?



## plain vision (Aug 15, 2006)

We were interested in Red Polled Cattle. Does anyone on this forum raise this breed? We are in contact with a ranch in Texas that does and gets 3 to 4 gallons a day off of them grassfed only plus they are great for beef. Just thought i would ask to see if anyone else is milking this breed and how they are doing for them. Anyone close to Ohio with some for sale? 

thank you, sonja
www.aopv.com


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## ArmyDoc (May 13, 2007)

You might want to try getting in touch with Jovid on Cattletoday.com

I believe he raises red poll. (he's in Oklahoma, I believe, but he might know someone. One thing's for sure - his cattle look very nice!)


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

The Red Poll is a fairly new breed in the US, so prices are usually still higher than for comparable quality cattle in Angus, Hereford, etc. That makes it a little more difficult to get started.

One comment on the milk. A beef cow that produces a lot of milk is a liability. That milk requires a lot of feed to produce. You want a beef cow to produce enough milk to grow her calf, but no more than that. If you're just getting one cow to milk and produce a calf every year it may be okay, but if you're wanting to eventually move into raising cattle for market, you do _not_ want heavy milkers in your herd.


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## farmerdan (Aug 17, 2004)

An old neighbor of mine milked Red Poll cows for years way back before I was born in 1953. I had several Red Poll cows but didn't milk them even though a couple of them had really nice udders and produced a lot of milk on grass/hay. The aforementioned neighbor has sinced passed but has a son living in Minnesota and another son living here in Michigan. Both sons raise Red Polls for beef. If interested, PM me and I will give you their contacts.

Dan


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## JHinCA (Sep 20, 2003)

Don't have any current info on Red Polls, but know they aren't new. I have an 85 year old relative on my dad's side who still talks about the Dairy her dad had and his Red Poll cattle. That must have been in the 1930's in Oregon.


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## bricned (Jul 3, 2006)

I like the red poll cattle and have been looking for some. Since I live in 
central Louisiana this ranch that you mention in Texas may be in driving
distance. Would you mind sharing the contact information.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Try the red poll association's website. I looked on it and they're having their annual sale this weekend in Sedalia, MO.


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

JHinCA said:


> Don't have any current info on Red Polls, but know they aren't new.


You're right, Red Polls have been around for a while. I was thinking Senepol when she said Red Poll. My mistake.

"Dual-purpose" cattle are fine for a few homestead cows or for someone who wants to produce a limited number of calves to direct market, but they don't produce as much milk as a dairy breed, and they won't produce beef as efficiently as a good beef breed of the right size and type.

Not saying that's a bad thing, just be aware of the limitations on your choice of breed.


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## Drew Cutter (Dec 30, 2008)

This what i found.

DTC Show Cattle	West Milton, OH	(937) 698-6166
Mardan Acres	St. Henry, OH


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## Drew Cutter (Dec 30, 2008)

How do they taste ? say vs angus.


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## plain vision (Aug 15, 2006)

Drew, i guess the Red Poll is supposed to be very tender and then another site i came across said their meat was like the Limousin.


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## plain vision (Aug 15, 2006)

Farmer Dan, i would be interested in the contact information on those breeders. Maybe they have some of the old milking lines that were in Canada at one time.


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## plain vision (Aug 15, 2006)

I wrote this huge book to post here on what we have found out over the weeks on the Red Polls and went to post it and it didn't go through. I guess i will just stick to one liners for a time. I appreciate everyones information on the Red Polls. Thank You.


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## plain vision (Aug 15, 2006)

Here is Jovinds site from Cattle Today ... his bull does look really pretty nice. Not exactly what you would expect from a breed that can milk that well. I have also attached another link to another farm that i think had some really nice looking stock as well. 

http://ninewestoakcanyon.com/index.htm

http://www.lazysredpoll.com/


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## plain vision (Aug 15, 2006)

Bricned, the ranch we were in contact with is very close to the louisiana state line. Their cattle are grass fed only and they also raise Devons but they said they would go out into the pasture and just catch the Red Polls right up and milk them out there. I thought for the thickness and just being grassfed and still milking 3 to 4 gallons a day that they were doing really great. They look like a beef breed to me. England uses Red Polls milk for cheese making. Also at least one article said that they were the closest breed in cattle to produce the smaller fat globule like what is in goats milk which i guess is easier to digest. 

Link to the Texas ranch 

http://www.stevenscreekranch.com/redpollcattle.html


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## Drew Cutter (Dec 30, 2008)

I'm on a little different search . Looking grassfed beef in or near ohio (Brisket) . Red Devon has been recommended. I have access to serveral breed for my BBQ search . ( texas longhorn , belted galloway , scottish highland , angus , beefalo). 
I'm sure you know that there are different types of Devon. I love your fact about goat milk.


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## antheat (Feb 24, 2009)

plain vision,

did you ever buy any Red Polls from the Stevens ranch?

thanks


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## trbizwiz (Mar 26, 2010)

Just to update this thread. It was posted above that red polls are not efficient at producing beef. I will challege that staement.
They are very competitive with angus and other beef breeds. Their moderate frame size may make you think lower production, but really that will make them more effecient feed per pound. Not to mention they are genetically more predisposed to be tender. 
THey are not a heavy milker, they are a moderate milker. They can raise a calf and breed back, and they are known to be great (low maintenance ) mothers, and tend to have small calves, that ween at 500 lbs in 7 months or less.
Heifers will calve around their 2nd birthday. 
I have two grass fed red poll heifers that got little to no hay this past winter just standing forage. they are 2 years old, moderate frame and around 1100 lbs. I can tell you how they calve and mother at the end of the month. Any deficiencies are my fault, being new to grazing, planning, and general care. i have learned a lot over the last 18 months. I would guess by the end of the next 3 or 4 years, ill be quite good at maximizing the red poll potential. 
Hoping for heifers................


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

I worked in a red poll dairy in Illinois but for only 3 months of one summer..in the same dairy barn style I use now..they only gave them grass in summer , corn silage in winter and very little grain in the milking barn ...had cows giving 9 gallons back then in 1969...that dairy is out of bussiness now ...but they showed there cattle also.. had a bunch of winners and had some winners in the overall carcus compared to angus and red angus......When I was there they had trouble with the bulls calfs they raised becoming sterle..and they sold some bull calfs for $20,000 back in 1969..that bull also became sterle...not the bulls they bought or the cows breeding back....just there bull calfs.....the vets could not tell them why....but my uncle worked there for another 4 years just doing the milking... when i started I want to buy some red polls but could not find any any...they were real easy keepers and very gentle...but stubborn...if you moved something 3 ft from were it always set they would not come into the barn.


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## trbizwiz (Mar 26, 2010)

Most modern red polls have been selected for beef. Sadly their frames are getting away from moderate in so doing. I would guess the sterility may have come from line breeding. Red polls are well known for their fertility. It has been suggested it has to do with their mild temperment and feed effeciency. This also adds to their record tenderness.


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## DJ in WA (Jan 28, 2005)

I'm thinking it's hard to generalize about the milk and beef production of a certain breed. Wouldn't take too many generations to turn a herd of angus into dairy cattle, or holsteins into beefers. Just depends on what someone is selecting for.


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## trbizwiz (Mar 26, 2010)

They still are great milkers, but nowhere near Holstein. I can tell you from first hand experience they can go through winter on no grain and less than one bail of hay with proper forage management. Mine will start calving in the next day or two and in a few months I can verify how well they breed back.


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## Jovid (May 6, 2011)

plain vision said:


> Drew, i guess the Red Poll is supposed to be very tender and then another site i came across said their meat was like the Limousin.


They are one of the most tender meat breeds. It is NOT like Limousin


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## Jovid (May 6, 2011)

JHinCA said:


> Don't have any current info on Red Polls, but know they aren't new. I have an 85 year old relative on my dad's side who still talks about the Dairy her dad had and his Red Poll cattle. That must have been in the 1930's in Oregon.


They came to the United States in the late 1,800s. The American Red Poll Association was started in 1883


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## trbizwiz (Mar 26, 2010)

Very easy keepers too. Both of my bred heifers delivered completely unassisted last month. One had a 65 lb calf and the other had a 70 lb calf. The sire was a 105 lb calf. I know that was dumb on my part, but I knew the sire came from a grain fed herd, adn I knew I do an all grass diet. I really like the height and structure of the sire so I figured we would give it a go. THe grass diet seems to help have smaller calves. But the are both very healthy and so are the mommas. THey delivered 1 day apart. Both bull calves 
The mommas are both in good enough condition to breed back now. They haven't started heat cycles yet, but I will likely breed them this summer. Also I will let the mommas ween their own calves. I have good forage, and they can handle the load.
As a side note, I fed less than half a bale of hay this winter and we had record snow. Also I feed *ZERO* grain. These cows have the capability of surviving in good condition on a forage only diet. Try that with an angus...

I did have 4 dairy steers in the rotation with my red polls. They also got the all grass diet. They were a little thin coming out of winter, but they are gaining nicely now. I dont think a holstein bred heifer would have made ti through the winter on a grass diet.


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## fink38 (Oct 27, 2011)

Came across this thread and this may not be helpful. First off try redpollusa.org to find information and breeders. I have 12 Red Poll Cattle as of right now. I have been able to purchase them at reasonable prices from breeders. As with any novelty breed, I have to drive a bit, as there are not any herds right next door. I figure that I need to get them growing and promote them and maybe they will become more common in my area. As for the cattle, they are very docile. They are great milkers as far as beef go, I grafted a Jersey steer onto a mom last year and she raised her calf and the Jersey. That gives me two steers to market, the second essentially cost me $20. I am doing all grass fed and this is the best meat I have EVER had in my 38 years. I am a rookie farmer and was worried that I would mess up the beef. Even not knowing what I was doing really well, a customer of mine called and said it was best he had ever had as well. Consider that he bad mouthed grass fed to the point I didn't want to sell to him. He was insistent on helping us out by buying a side and he raved about it. He already sold an additional quarter for me next year. I could go on and on.....o yeah, I am in Ohio, so message me if still looking


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