Red Poll's Economical Traits
Important Then - Important now.

Rodgers Redgistered Red Poll & Continental Cross Cattle
Davenport Washington

Red Poll Cow

Cow was important to the earily settlers. She was the little cow of choice for the long trip across the grasslands. Her ability to raise a calf and provide rich milk that even folks who were allergic to milk could drink made her valueable. Her docile strong sons, the bullocks, the oxen pulled wagons, then the plows!

We've been to the left, "Make 'em bigger".

We've been to the right "Make 'em Longer or Black".

It's it time we got back to the center.

Red Poll Cattle, A Small Breed - With a Big Future

Docile, easy fleshing, smaller cattle are important with more information on "hot heads not doing well in feedlots and have more health problems, it is important to get some docile blood back into our commerical cattle industry. What can Red Poll do? Red Poll add "Tenderness" "Remove Horns" "Reduce Frame (to a more efficient size)" just "Calms 'em down" which "Improves Handling Time" and can "Produce Quality Grassfed Wholesome Beef" and we have alot of economic lose because of bad udders. Now read link Udder-nonsense

Not so long ago the breed went out of favor when there was no need for dual purpose breeds, to pull plows, wagons, give milk and raise a calf. Those who carried on were contributors to what the breed is today, as they struggled to find a place in the market for the cattle they loved.

I know of a famous in Canada dairy herd, that finally turned into a beef herd as unable to financially compete with Holstein domination of milk market. One herd started the bloodlines referred to as the Elgins. This farm in 1947-1954 had a miling herd that traveled by rail. Box car days from fair to fair and show to show, winning "udder classes" and being judge for bee and milking traits that are compatible, production qualities needed at a practical level now.

"We breed cattle, not papers" was the motto. Known for characterestics valued by breeders, now important again; the breed is being rediscovered.

I first heard about Red Poll cattle in 1968, a neighbor AE Brown with pride said these cattle here are all decendants of the red poll cow my dad brought to the Flathead Valley in 1902. The cattle he was showing me looked Hereford to me, but he seeed to see or know something I did not understand then. Alonzo is gone a long time, but the calves he sold made his calves sell for more at the yard as he had a reputation of shipping good growing, calm cattle. Some of those earily settler families were pictured in a frame that use to hang at the livestock yard in Kalispell. I remember only Sullivan and Brown, and feel now I understand as I dicovered the breed. This is not about Red and not about hornless, its RED POLL the breed.

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WHAT IS A RED POLL?

This is what is said about the breed in general: A dual purpose breed of cattle that once was very popular in the USA. Now, the breed is considered rare and in some countries it is listed as "vunerable." Her majesty The Queen of England has established The Red Poll Cattle Society and it is to help promote the breed and its important traits. The breed went out of favor when there was no need for dual purpose breeds. No one needs oxen to pull a plow or a wagon, nor is there much interest in milking a cow or having one that can be milked once a day and still raise a calf. Some breeders did try to promote and some breeders tried to carry on and develop the breed as a dairy animal, but were not successful because of the capable Holstein breed. Some breeders continued to believe the tenderness of the meat and the quality of grass fattened beef would be very important. The first in current times to appreciate her traits were the Australians, who developed the Low-line and use Red Poll in cross breeding programs. A smaller beast, not a miniature breed, but practical for small landowner, she is worthy of consideration when introducing younger children to animal care. Whether 4-H or learning responsibility or experiencing the fun of presenting their animal to be judged, this breed has some traits of importance. The words "we breed cattle, not papers" became a motto for the breed as they tried to focus on characteristics of economic importance. They succeeded when their cattle were selected for research in Australia and the USA. It has been consistently indicated that a positive relationship between good temperaments and feedlot performance for both temperate and tropical cattle. The selection of beef genetics for temperament and tenderness and ability to forage has put this small breed in a good market postion as a cross on Bos Indicus. Now, as more concerns over efficiency the breed is finding favor in drought areas. It has been said that by selecting for marbling and rib-eye you will receive a premium, but today you must have feed efficiency too. Red Poll cross steers have had live weight average of 1060 pounds while they produced a warm carcass weight of 656 with a Carcass Weight Day of age of 1.63 with a Rib-Eye of 15 Sq. In. Because of the docile temperament, Red Poll is a good choice for younger or older owners. As a cow she fattens her calves quickly on a rich milk, and many allow her to keep her calf on her until it is 8 or even 9 months old then slaughter it. Her fertility is not compromised by this extended nursing and as she is an easy fleshing animal, so if on acceptable pasture she handles this without loss of condition. Red Poll has exceptionally tender meat, and most inherited a genetic predispostion for tenderness, the tenderness gene. Red Poll are all hornless. They have earned a reputation for "doing well" even on poor weedy pastures. As efficient forager, they have a place in a sustainable working landscapes. As small breed they are finding their way onto small acreages as some consumers want to take control of their own meat production, you may see more of this quiet and calm animal. Calm animals do not have as many health problems as high strung or flighty animals, it is believed that this breed will again be appreciated for its practical important genetic traits for small ranchette and cross-breeding. Read Udder-nonsense link above if you have not. Here is Red Poll information as above only in a more youthful format. Go Red Poll
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FOR SALE LINK will be here soon for a few Registered Bulls - Herd Sires Prospects:
Birth Date 02/09/05 REG # 207548 Flame's Red Ralph BW 80 - SOLD December 2006 - New Home Southern Idaho
Birth Date 02/24/05 REG # 207547 Flame's Power BW 80 - Retained as Junior Herd Sire
In the Genes - Do visit www.redpollusa and check on current EPDs
2005 EPDs Our Senior Herd Service Sires:
05/27/2002 Suter's Flame B 2.6 P - Wn 6 P YG 5 P Mlk 3 P MG 6
10/26/2003 WFB-Andrew B 1.7 (46) 12 (31)19 (22) 5 (16) 11
11/23/2003 WFB Saul B 2.1 (46) 6 (33) 7 (24) 3 (19) 6
Rodgers Red Poll @ Rattlesnake Ranch, POB 335 Davenport WA 99122

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A Mature Red Polled Bull

Crossbred Heifers and Steers For Sale.
Grass fed beef, the wholesome healthy option.
Steers for 4H or FFA - that a child can handle - Red Poll, a calm breed. Cattlemen can. Change and re-arrange the cow and the range for a more sustainable future.
Some say cattle no longer have a place, but she is the most efficient piece of equipment to utilize grass and otherwise undigestable materials.
She eats down the tall wild grasses around the pond so predators cannot sneak up on the baby ducks and geese. She eats wild grasses that if left that fuel for terrible wild fires, that distroys habitat, causes errosion, and distroy property. What we need is managed grazing, and responsible access and utilization and weed control that encourages good grass and shrubs. Mimicking nature we can have a future.