It comes down to marketability and how well they do on YOUR ranch.
For us it's black Angus and black Baldies.
I lived for quite a while in southern Idaho working a full time job and supplementing low wages by working on farms in the area. Learned enough about beef to form definite opinions about cattle raising, what breeds and why. An Angus will yield out at about 900 lbs in about nine or ten months, a Hereford at about 1100 lbs in a year. Three extra months of feeding before sale raises the cost of a steer considerably but this is offset by the Herefords ability to forage on less desirable feed, requiring less supplemental feed. A Hereford will dance for joy at the prospect of green tumbleweed shoots which will cause an Angus mouth problems. A crossed Angus/Herford (black baldy?} will yield out at 1000 lbs in 10 months with about three weeks to a month in the feed lot. They were my favorite cows. As far as taste, I've eaten Holstiens from feed lots that tasted as good as the finest beef but Lord knows, they were the ugliest steaks you've ever seen. I guess they are what they eat but dairy cows just don't do it for me.
It's far more important when they are killed than most other factors. If they are killed when on the gain (gaining weight) they will be tender, if when off the gain they will be tough. Ain't enough money in the world to force me to have a Holstien on the place.
