Which Breed Beef Maternity Breed Marc
- Start with the Nuts
- Full general Trends
New cattle producers ofttimes ask, "Which breed should I choose?" This question brings cold chills to many knowledgeable cattle producers and excitement to merely as many enthusiastic breeders. The diversity of resources and management capabilities of any operation makes this question difficult to answer. This publication provides accurate, unbiased information to guide the decision-making process. After reading this publication, you should understand why the only correct answer is, "It depends!"
The two fundamental categories of beef cattle operations are purebred and commercial. The purebred performance requires more time, record keeping and initial input. The commercial operation is by and large a lower-input, lower-risk type of venture. When choosing a brood for either a commercial or purebred operation, base of operations your conclusion on profitability. Tabular array i illustrates that while production can exist increased by option for growth, the increased production from crossbreeding is more than rapid and cost-effective.
Unfortunately, one of the more influential factors on breed selection is glaze color. How many times have you heard someone say, "I similar 'em because they're black"? Coat color, whether it is ruby-red, black, white, yellow, gray or mixed, has little to do with operation, just information technology does touch how people perceive cattle. A herd of purebred cattle volition generally exist more than uniform in coat color than a herd of crossbred cows. In that location are breeds that will produce all of the colors mentioned above and more than. Equally a producer, you lot must be satisfied with the color and its uniformity or lack of uniformity. Productivity volition suffer, however, if coat color is a primary selection trait. If your breed pick is more dependent on production and return on investment, make coat choice low on the list of criteria.
Traits used in the last selection process should non be affected by the type of performance (commercial or purebred). The 1 unique aspect of the purebred manufacture is the high-profile advertising and educational programs, such as field days. The purebred cattle market frequently provides a higher return per cow unit, but at the expense of higher maintenance costs, higher breeding costs, more management inputs and greater risks.
| Table i. Comparing of Product and Profitability between Crossbred Cows, Selected and Unselected Purebred Hereford Cows | |||
| Crossbred | Unselected | Selected* | |
| Pregnancy Rate | 83% | 86% | 79% |
| Avg. Cow Weight | 1,234 lbs | 953 lbs | i,168 lbs |
| Adj. Weaning Wt. | 612 lbs | 402 lbs | 494 lbs |
| Dogie Ingather Weaned per Moo-cow Wintered | 87% | 84% | 73% |
| Weaning Wt. per Cow Wintered | 530 lbs | 338 lbs | 358 lbs |
| Render over Feed Cost | $21.67 | -$9.72 | -$32.42 |
| Adapted from Ritchie, 1986, MSU Research Report FS-473. * Option was for increased growth rate. | |||
Get-go with the Basics
The factors that influence returns to a commercial operation are calf ingather percentage, weaning weight, market price and annual cow costs. The following formula outlines how these factors must residuum in social club to optimize profitability.
| Annual Cost per Cow | |||
| Land Feed (grain and mineral) Herd Health | Fertilizer | ||
| Must Equal | |||
| Weaning Weight Growth Rate | X Calf Crop Per centum X Pick | Market Price Season | |
The factors that influence weaning or marketplace weight and calf crop percent are most affected by brood option.
The weaning or market weight of the calves is afflicted by genetics, milk production of the brood moo-cow, availability of pasture and / or pitter-patter feed, and environmental conditions such equally temperature, etc. Piece of work toward calving xxx to 60 days prior to the best forage season in your area. Cow milk production declines after three months; therefore, supplement the food requirements of the growing calf by making loftier-quality forage available. If your forage system lacks high-quality forages, the selection of a fast-growing, heavy-milking breed would be detrimental to optimum productivity.
Researchers evaluated breed types using varying percentages of European x British and beef ten dairy crossbred cows. When maintained in similar environments, the larger-framed, college-milking cows had poor reproductive operation. Thus, when genetic potential for milk is high a cow?southward re-breeding percent volition be reduced. The growth potential of the calves volition simply exist met when adequate milk product is available. When milk supply is abundant and forage quantity and quality are marginal, the consequence is a reduced calf crop per centum due to low cyclicity and pregnancy rates; therefore, make sure to match your forage production system to the genetic potential of your brood cow herd.
With this "optimum philosophy" in mind, we tin look at general trends in milk production, growth and reproduction of several breeds in the United states.
In the early 1970s, a research project was started at the Meat Animal Enquiry Center (MARC) in Clay Centre, Nebraska. The projection was designed to evaluate the "recently" imported breeds from Europe and provides the most complete, comprehensive data available. All breeds were not compared, so some information is not bachelor. Breeds may perform differently in Georgia. The project does provide a valid comparison of the cattle in one common environment.
Tabular array 2 outlines how the breeds compare to the Angus x Hereford crossbred (used as a standard). The values in the table are listed in ratios. A ratio of 105 indicates a value of 5 percent above the standard of 100; a ratio of 95 indicates a value 5 percent below the standard. The bodily per centum is in parenthesis for the percent of cows pregnant after the beginning breeding season and per centum calf crop weaned. Calving difficulty was reported in actual percentage.
Since there are more than than 70 recognized cattle breeds, it is impossible to compare them all at in one case. The breeds are generally grouped into iii types: British, European and Zebu-influence. The Zebu-influence breeds were developed in the Gulf Coast region of the United States.
| Table 2. Comparing of Production Traits of Several Breeds | |||||||||
| Calves | Heifers | Cows | |||||||
| Per centum Calving Difficulty | Growth Charge per unit to Weaning | Growth Rate to Yearling | Historic period at Puberty | % Preg. after first convenance flavor Ratio (%) | % Calf ingather weaned Ratio (%) | % Calving Difficulty | 12 hour. milk production | Weaning wt. per cow exposed | |
| Angus x Hereford | 3 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 (87) | 100 (84) | 13 | 100 | 100 |
| Scarlet Poll | iv | 98 | 96 | 106 | 98 (85) | 95 (79) | 14 | 123 | 99 |
| Southward Devon | 12 | 102 | 103 | 102 | 91 (79) | 102 (85) | 15 | 107 | 105 |
| Tarentaise | 6 | 103 | 103 | 102 | 111 (96) | 102 (85) | ten | 130 | 112 |
| Pinzaguer | half-dozen | 104 | 103 | 106 | 114 (99) | 102 (85) | 13 | 132 | 108 |
| Gelbvieh | viii | 107 | 105 | 109 | 107 (93) | 104 (87) | eleven | 137 | 116 |
| Simmental | 15 | 105 | 106 | 100 | 93 (80) | 99 (83) | 17 | 137 | 108 |
| Maine Anjou | 20 | 105 | 108 | 100 | 109 (94) | 103 (86) | eleven | 105 | 112 |
| Limousin | ix | 101 | 102 | 92 | 88 (76) | 98 (82) | 12 | 91 | 100 |
| Charolais | 18 | 107 | 106 | 92 | 86 (75) | 96 (80) | 15 | 91 | 101 |
| Chianina | 12 | 106 | 105 | 92 | 99 (86) | 103 (86) | 8 | 100 | 113 |
| Brahman | 10 | 107 | 103 | lxxx | 113 (98) | 103 (98) | 1 | 150 | 116 |
| Adjusted from USDA MARC Beef Research Progress Reports, No. ane (1982) and No. 2 (1985) | |||||||||
The American Brahman is composed of three Zebu breeds, while others such every bit Brangus, Santa Gertrudis, etc. , are composites of the American Brahman and either British or European breeds. The derivative breeds are usually 3/8 Zebu and 5/8 British or European. Some of the breeds within the three categories may exist singular and may not possess all the advantages or disadvantages.
The MARC project was designed to evaluate as many of the more prominent breeds as possible. In that location was also an attempt to compare bulls that were representative of the breed. It is possible to select a bull of one of the breeds that would be an exception to the averages. This bull could perform either amend or worse than the bulls used in the MARC project. The MARC report, however, did provide useful information well-nigh relative differences amidst many of the European and Brahman cattle. In selecting a beefiness breed, utilize the MARC information to select breeds that have higher genetic potential for meat and milk. The specific search for a bull would be for one of the breed exceptions in a weak area. For example, the faster growing cattle are by and large larger at nascence and calving difficulty is higher. If your program needs more growth, select a bull from one of the growth breeds that has a low-cal nascence weight and low nativity weight EPD.
When selecting a brood or individuals within a breed, exist aware also of a miracle called "genetic-environmental interaction. " The term simply means that cattle developed under certain atmospheric condition volition perform best under those same or similar conditions. Florida researchers did a classic project to illustrate this outcome. Hereford cattle from a similar genetic base were relocated from Montana to Florida and vice versa. One-one-half of the herds were kept at the original location. Based on the reproductive and growth information, the cattle performed best in the "home" location. According to this evidence, base the selection of a breed on the level of functioning in your environment. The breeds that excelled in the MARC comparison may not fit your program exactly.
Cattle generally perform at a higher level in northern climates. Heat and humidity are detrimental to most production traits. In a more contempo Florida report, Florida bulls gained almost a pound more per twenty-four hour period in Montana than their counterparts in Florida. Even so, the Florida bulls out-performed the Montana bulls in Florida and the Montana bulls performed better than the Florida bulls in Montana. Cattle adult in northern climates with gratuitous option corn silage during the winter months volition do poorly when brought to the humid S and turned out on stockpiled fescue and trace-mineral salt for the winter. If your plan has been designed to provide express winter feeding, the calving season should be in the spring and the breed should be moderate in both growth and milk production. If y'all decide to select a fast-growing, heavy-milking breed, provide the necessary feed requirements to achieve optimum operation.
| Breed Types | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| British | ||
| Angus Hereford Shorthorn | Low nascence weight High fertility Moderate milk product Moderate frame size | Lower growth rate |
| European | ||
| Charolais Gelbvieh Maine-Anjou Pinzaguer Simmental South Devon Tarentaise Others | High growth rate Larger frame size High milk product | Increased dystocia Increased maintenance |
| Zebu | ||
| American Brahman British Derivatives European Derivatives | Adaptability to adapt to adverse environments Moderate to high milk production Maximum heterosis in crossbreeding | Lower growth charge per unit Poor carcass quality |
General Trends
The following generalities concord true within and across breeds:
- Faster growth rates = larger birth weights
Larger nascence weights = increased potential for calving difficulty
More milk product and large frame size = higher feed requirements for equal reproductive performance
Whether your choice is purebred or commercial, or ruby, blackness, white or spotted, continue production and profitability high on your priority list. Select a brood or breeds that your operation can manage and y'all tin experience confident about marketing.
Other breeds fit certain specialty markets. If you are leaning toward a specialty breed that is selected for some trait other than beefiness production, you must accept the hazard of a limited market for the chance at the higher prices sometimes received for the production. Y'all may make up one's mind to select a breed that is amply available, so replenishing the herd is easier. On the other paw, you may select a breed that is relatively unavailable in your area in order to offer a unique alternative for other breeders. For commercial production, it is important to recognize that the premium is paid for uniformity. In this case, being dramatically different tin mean more hard marketing.
Previous revisions by Dan T. Brown, Extension Animate being Scientist
Status and Revision History
Published on Feb 19, 2003
In Review for Major Revisions on Jan 26, 2009
In Review for Major Revisions on Feb 03, 2009
Published with Major Revisions on Oct 18, 2010
Published with Full Review on October 01, 2013
Published with Full Review on Aug 09, 2016
Source: https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C859
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