What Are the 7 Beef Cows
- Showtime with the Basics
- Full general Trends
New cattle producers frequently ask, "Which brood should I cull?" This question brings cold chills to many knowledgeable cattle producers and excitement to just equally many enthusiastic breeders. The diversity of resources and management capabilities of whatsoever operation makes this question difficult to answer. This publication provides accurate, unbiased information to guide the determination-making process. After reading this publication, you should understand why the just correct answer is, "It depends!"
The 2 primal categories of beef cattle operations are purebred and commercial. The purebred operation requires more time, record keeping and initial input. The commercial functioning is generally a lower-input, lower-adventure blazon of venture. When choosing a breed for either a commercial or purebred operation, base your determination on profitability. Table one illustrates that while production tin can be increased by selection for growth, the increased product from crossbreeding is more than rapid and cost-effective.
Unfortunately, ane of the more influential factors on breed selection is coat color. How many times accept you heard someone say, "I like 'em because they're black"? Glaze color, whether it is red, blackness, white, yellow, gray or mixed, has little to do with functioning, but it does touch how people perceive cattle. A herd of purebred cattle volition generally be more uniform in coat colour than a herd of crossbred cows. There are breeds that will produce all of the colors mentioned above and more than. Every bit a producer, you must exist satisfied with the color and its uniformity or lack of uniformity. Productivity will suffer, nevertheless, if glaze color is a primary selection trait. If your brood option is more dependent on production and return on investment, make coat selection low on the listing of criteria.
Traits used in the final choice process should not be afflicted by the type of operation (commercial or purebred). The one unique aspect of the purebred industry is the high-profile advertising and educational programs, such as field days. The purebred cattle market often provides a higher return per cow unit, only at the expense of higher maintenance costs, higher breeding costs, more than management inputs and greater risks.
| Table 1. Comparison of Product and Profitability between Crossbred Cows, Selected and Unselected Purebred Hereford Cows | |||
| Crossbred | Unselected | Selected* | |
| Pregnancy Rate | 83% | 86% | 79% |
| Avg. Moo-cow Weight | 1,234 lbs | 953 lbs | 1,168 lbs |
| Adj. Weaning Wt. | 612 lbs | 402 lbs | 494 lbs |
| Calf Ingather Weaned per Cow Wintered | 87% | 84% | 73% |
| Weaning Wt. per Moo-cow Wintered | 530 lbs | 338 lbs | 358 lbs |
| Render over Feed Price | $21.67 | -$9.72 | -$32.42 |
| Adapted from Ritchie, 1986, MSU Research Report FS-473. * Selection was for increased growth rate. | |||
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The factors that influence returns to a commercial performance are dogie ingather percentage, weaning weight, market price and annual cow costs. The following formula outlines how these factors must balance in lodge to optimize profitability.
| Almanac Toll per Moo-cow | |||
| Land Feed (grain and mineral) Herd Health | Fertilizer | ||
| Must Equal | |||
| Weaning Weight Growth Rate | X Dogie Crop Percentage Ten Option | Market Toll Flavor | |
The factors that influence weaning or market weight and calf crop percentage are most affected by breed pick.
The weaning or market weight of the calves is affected by genetics, milk product of the brood cow, availability of pasture and / or pitter-patter feed, and ecology weather condition such as temperature, etc. Work toward calving 30 to 60 days prior to the all-time fodder flavour in your area. Cow milk product declines after iii months; therefore, supplement the nutrient requirements of the growing dogie by making high-quality provender bachelor. If your forage system lacks loftier-quality forages, the choice of a fast-growing, heavy-milking brood would exist detrimental to optimum productivity.
Researchers evaluated brood types using varying percentages of European x British and beef x dairy crossbred cows. When maintained in similar environments, the larger-framed, college-milking cows had poor reproductive performance. Thus, when genetic potential for milk is high a cow?s re-breeding percent will exist reduced. The growth potential of the calves will merely be met when acceptable milk production is available. When milk supply is abundant and forage quantity and quality are marginal, the result is a reduced calf crop percent due to low cyclicity and pregnancy rates; therefore, brand certain to match your forage production system to the genetic potential of your breed moo-cow herd.
With this "optimum philosophy" in mind, we tin can wait at general trends in milk production, growth and reproduction of several breeds in the United States.
In the early 1970s, a research projection was started at the Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Clay Center, Nebraska. The project was designed to evaluate the "recently" imported breeds from Europe and provides the most consummate, comprehensive data available. All breeds were not compared, then some information is not available. Breeds may perform differently in Georgia. The project does provide a valid comparison of the cattle in one common environment.
Table 2 outlines how the breeds compare to the Angus ten 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 higher up the standard of 100; a ratio of 95 indicates a value five percent below the standard. The actual percentage is in parenthesis for the percentage of cows meaning later the start breeding season and percentage calf crop weaned. Calving difficulty was reported in actual percentage.
Since at that place are more 70 recognized cattle breeds, information technology is impossible to compare them all at once. The breeds are generally grouped into iii types: British, European and Zebu-influence. The Zebu-influence breeds were adult in the Gulf Coast region of the United states.
| Tabular array two. Comparison of Production Traits of Several Breeds | |||||||||
| Calves | Heifers | Cows | |||||||
| Percent Calving Difficulty | Growth Rate to Weaning | Growth Charge per unit to Yearling | Age at Puberty | % Preg. subsequently beginning breeding season Ratio (%) | % Calf crop weaned Ratio (%) | % Calving Difficulty | 12 hour. milk product | Weaning wt. per cow exposed | |
| Angus x Hereford | 3 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 (87) | 100 (84) | xiii | 100 | 100 |
| Scarlet Poll | four | 98 | 96 | 106 | 98 (85) | 95 (79) | xiv | 123 | 99 |
| South Devon | 12 | 102 | 103 | 102 | 91 (79) | 102 (85) | fifteen | 107 | 105 |
| Tarentaise | 6 | 103 | 103 | 102 | 111 (96) | 102 (85) | 10 | 130 | 112 |
| Pinzaguer | 6 | 104 | 103 | 106 | 114 (99) | 102 (85) | 13 | 132 | 108 |
| Gelbvieh | 8 | 107 | 105 | 109 | 107 (93) | 104 (87) | 11 | 137 | 116 |
| Simmental | 15 | 105 | 106 | 100 | 93 (fourscore) | 99 (83) | 17 | 137 | 108 |
| Maine Anjou | xx | 105 | 108 | 100 | 109 (94) | 103 (86) | 11 | 105 | 112 |
| Limousin | 9 | 101 | 102 | 92 | 88 (76) | 98 (82) | 12 | 91 | 100 |
| Charolais | 18 | 107 | 106 | 92 | 86 (75) | 96 (fourscore) | xv | 91 | 101 |
| Chianina | 12 | 106 | 105 | 92 | 99 (86) | 103 (86) | 8 | 100 | 113 |
| Brahman | ten | 107 | 103 | 80 | 113 (98) | 103 (98) | 1 | 150 | 116 |
| Adjusted from USDA MARC Beefiness Enquiry Progress Reports, No. one (1982) and No. 2 (1985) | |||||||||
The American Brahman is composed of three Zebu breeds, while others such as 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 v/viii British or European. Some of the breeds inside the 3 categories may be singular and may not possess all the advantages or disadvantages.
The MARC projection was designed to evaluate as many of the more prominent breeds as possible. There was likewise an endeavor to compare bulls that were representative of the breed. It is possible to select a bull of 1 of the breeds that would exist an exception to the averages. This bull could perform either ameliorate or worse than the bulls used in the MARC project. The MARC study, however, did provide useful information about relative differences amongst many of the European and Brahman cattle. In selecting a beef brood, employ the MARC data to select breeds that have college genetic potential for meat and milk. The specific search for a balderdash would exist for one of the breed exceptions in a weak area. For example, the faster growing cattle are by and large larger at nativity and calving difficulty is higher. If your plan needs more growth, select a bull from one of the growth breeds that has a light nascency weight and low birth weight EPD.
When selecting a breed or individuals within a breed, exist aware too of a miracle called "genetic-environmental interaction. " The term only means that cattle developed under sure atmospheric condition will perform best under those same or like conditions. Florida researchers did a classic project to illustrate this effect. Hereford cattle from a similar genetic base were relocated from Montana to Florida and vice versa. One-half of the herds were kept at the original location. Based on the reproductive and growth information, the cattle performed all-time in the "home" location. According to this testify, base of operations the selection of a breed on the level of performance in your environment. The breeds that excelled in the MARC comparison may non fit your program exactly.
Cattle generally perform at a college level in northern climates. Heat and humidity are detrimental to most production traits. In a more recent Florida report, Florida bulls gained almost a pound more per day in Montana than their counterparts in Florida. Nevertheless, the Florida bulls out-performed the Montana bulls in Florida and the Montana bulls performed amend than the Florida bulls in Montana. Cattle developed in northern climates with free choice corn silage during the winter months will do poorly when brought to the humid South and turned out on stockpiled fescue and trace-mineral table salt for the winter. If your programme has been designed to provide limited winter feeding, the calving season should be in the spring and the breed should be moderate in both growth and milk product. If you decide to select a fast-growing, heavy-milking breed, provide the necessary feed requirements to accomplish optimum functioning.
| Breed Types | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| British | ||
| Angus Hereford Shorthorn | Low birth 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 production | Increased dystocia Increased maintenance |
| Zebu | ||
| American Brahman British Derivatives European Derivatives | Adaptability to adapt to adverse environments Moderate to loftier milk production Maximum heterosis in crossbreeding | Lower growth rate Poor carcass quality |
General Trends
The following generalities hold true within and across breeds:
- Faster growth rates = larger birth weights
Larger birth weights = increased potential for calving difficulty
More than milk production and large frame size = higher feed requirements for equal reproductive performance
Whether your selection is purebred or commercial, or red, black, white or spotted, keep production and profitability high on your priority list. Select a breed or breeds that your operation can manage and yous can experience confident about marketing.
Other breeds fit certain specialty markets. If y'all are leaning toward a specialty breed that is selected for some trait other than beef product, you must accept the gamble of a express marketplace for the take a chance at the higher prices sometimes received for the product. Yous may determine to select a breed that is handsomely available, so replenishing the herd is easier. On the other hand, you lot may select a breed that is relatively unavailable in your area in order to offering a unique alternative for other breeders. For commercial production, it is important to recognize that the premium is paid for uniformity. In this instance, being dramatically different tin hateful more difficult marketing.
Previous revisions past Dan T. Brown, Extension Animate being Scientist
Status and Revision History
Published on Feb 19, 2003
In Review for Major Revisions on January 26, 2009
In Review for Major Revisions on February 03, 2009
Published with Major Revisions on Oct 18, 2010
Published with Total Review on October 01, 2013
Published with Full Review on Aug 09, 2016
Source: https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C859&title=Selecting%20a%20Beef%20Breed