Best Type of Cows for Beef
- Start with the Basics
- General Trends
New cattle producers oftentimes ask, "Which breed should I cull?" This question brings cold chills to many knowledgeable cattle producers and excitement to but as many enthusiastic breeders. The diverseness of resources and management capabilities of any 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 only correct answer is, "It depends!"
The two key categories of beef cattle operations are purebred and commercial. The purebred operation requires more than time, record keeping and initial input. The commercial operation is generally a lower-input, lower-risk blazon of venture. When choosing a breed for either a commercial or purebred operation, base your decision on profitability. Tabular array i illustrates that while production can be increased by pick for growth, the increased production from crossbreeding is more rapid and toll-effective.
Unfortunately, 1 of the more influential factors on breed selection is coat color. How many times have you heard someone say, "I similar 'em because they're black"? Coat colour, whether it is ruby-red, black, white, xanthous, gray or mixed, has piffling to practice with performance, but it does affect how people perceive cattle. A herd of purebred cattle will by and large exist more compatible in coat color than a herd of crossbred cows. At that place are breeds that will produce all of the colors mentioned above and more. As a producer, y'all must be satisfied with the colour and its uniformity or lack of uniformity. Productivity will suffer, yet, if coat colour is a main selection trait. If your breed option is more dependent on production and return on investment, make coat pick low on the listing of criteria.
Traits used in the concluding option process should not be afflicted by the type of operation (commercial or purebred). The ane unique aspect of the purebred industry is the loftier-profile advertizement and educational programs, such as field days. The purebred cattle market oft provides a higher return per cow unit of measurement, but at the expense of higher maintenance costs, higher breeding costs, more management inputs and greater risks.
| Table 1. Comparing of Production and Profitability between Crossbred Cows, Selected and Unselected Purebred Hereford Cows | |||
| Crossbred | Unselected | Selected* | |
| Pregnancy Charge per unit | 83% | 86% | 79% |
| Avg. Cow Weight | one,234 lbs | 953 lbs | i,168 lbs |
| Adj. Weaning Wt. | 612 lbs | 402 lbs | 494 lbs |
| Dogie Crop Weaned per Cow Wintered | 87% | 84% | 73% |
| Weaning Wt. per Cow Wintered | 530 lbs | 338 lbs | 358 lbs |
| Return over Feed Cost | $21.67 | -$9.72 | -$32.42 |
| Adjusted from Ritchie, 1986, MSU Inquiry Report FS-473. * Pick was for increased growth rate. | |||
Start with the Basics
The factors that influence returns to a commercial performance are calf crop percentage, weaning weight, market price and almanac cow costs. The following formula outlines how these factors must balance in lodge to optimize profitability.
| Annual Cost per Cow | |||
| Land Feed (grain and mineral) Herd Health | Fertilizer | ||
| Must Equal | |||
| Weaning Weight Growth Rate | X Calf Crop Pct Ten Choice | Market Price Season | |
The factors that influence weaning or market weight and dogie ingather per centum are most affected by breed selection.
The weaning or market weight of the calves is afflicted past genetics, milk production of the brood moo-cow, availability of pasture and / or pitter-patter feed, and environmental weather such as temperature, etc. Work toward calving 30 to 60 days prior to the best forage season in your expanse. Cow milk production declines afterwards iii months; therefore, supplement the nutrient requirements of the growing calf past making high-quality forage available. If your provender system lacks high-quality forages, the option 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 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?due south re-breeding percentage volition exist reduced. The growth potential of the calves will simply be met when adequate milk production is available. When milk supply is abundant and provender quantity and quality are marginal, the outcome is a reduced calf crop percentage due to low cyclicity and pregnancy rates; therefore, make certain to match your fodder production system to the genetic potential of your brood cow herd.
With this "optimum philosophy" in listen, we can look at general trends in milk production, growth and reproduction of several breeds in the The states.
In the early 1970s, a inquiry project was started at the Meat Beast Research Middle (MARC) in Clay Center, Nebraska. The projection was designed to evaluate the "recently" imported breeds from Europe and provides the about complete, comprehensive data available. All breeds were non compared, and so some information is non available. Breeds may perform differently in Georgia. The project does provide a valid comparison of the cattle in one mutual environment.
Table 2 outlines how the breeds compare to the Angus x Hereford crossbred (used every bit 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 percent of cows pregnant subsequently the first breeding season and percent calf crop weaned. Calving difficulty was reported in actual percentage.
Since there are more than 70 recognized cattle breeds, it is impossible to compare them all at once. The breeds are generally grouped into three types: British, European and Zebu-influence. The Zebu-influence breeds were adult in the Gulf Coast region of the United states.
| Table 2. 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 first breeding flavor Ratio (%) | % Calf crop weaned Ratio (%) | % Calving Difficulty | 12 hour. milk production | Weaning wt. per cow exposed | |
| Angus x Hereford | three | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 (87) | 100 (84) | 13 | 100 | 100 |
| Red Poll | 4 | 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) | x | 130 | 112 |
| Pinzaguer | vi | 104 | 103 | 106 | 114 (99) | 102 (85) | thirteen | 132 | 108 |
| Gelbvieh | 8 | 107 | 105 | 109 | 107 (93) | 104 (87) | xi | 137 | 116 |
| Simmental | xv | 105 | 106 | 100 | 93 (80) | 99 (83) | 17 | 137 | 108 |
| Maine Anjou | 20 | 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) | 15 | 91 | 101 |
| Chianina | 12 | 106 | 105 | 92 | 99 (86) | 103 (86) | 8 | 100 | 113 |
| Brahman | 10 | 107 | 103 | 80 | 113 (98) | 103 (98) | i | 150 | 116 |
| Adjusted from USDA MARC Beefiness Enquiry Progress Reports, No. 1 (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 commonly 3/eight Zebu and v/8 British or European. Some of the breeds within the three categories may be atypical 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 balderdash of one of the breeds that would exist an exception to the averages. This bull could perform either better or worse than the bulls used in the MARC project. The MARC study, withal, did provide useful data about relative differences among many of the European and Brahman cattle. In selecting a beef breed, utilize the MARC data to select breeds that take higher genetic potential for meat and milk. The specific search for a bull would be for i of the breed exceptions in a weak area. For example, the faster growing cattle are generally larger at birth and calving difficulty is higher. If your plan needs more growth, select a bull from i of the growth breeds that has a light birth weight and low nascency weight EPD.
When selecting a breed or individuals inside a breed, be aware also of a phenomenon called "genetic-environmental interaction. " The term but means that cattle developed under certain atmospheric condition will perform best under those same or similar atmospheric condition. 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. I-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. Co-ordinate to this evidence, base 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 higher level in northern climates. Heat and humidity are detrimental to most production traits. In a more recent Florida report, Florida bulls gained most a pound more than per day in Montana than their counterparts in Florida. Notwithstanding, the Florida bulls out-performed the Montana bulls in Florida and the Montana bulls performed better than the Florida bulls in Montana. Cattle developed in northern climates with free pick 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 program has been designed to provide limited wintertime feeding, the calving season should exist in the jump and the breed should be moderate in both growth and milk production. If you make up one's mind to select a fast-growing, heavy-milking brood, provide the necessary feed requirements to achieve optimum performance.
| Breed Types | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| British | ||
| Angus Hereford Shorthorn | Depression nascence weight Loftier fertility Moderate milk production 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 agin 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 beyond breeds:
- Faster growth rates = larger nativity weights
Larger nascency weights = increased potential for calving difficulty
More than milk production and large frame size = higher feed requirements for equal reproductive performance
Whether your choice is purebred or commercial, or red, black, white or spotted, keep product and profitability high on your priority listing. Select a breed or breeds that your performance tin can manage and you lot can experience confident nearly marketing.
Other breeds fit sure specialty markets. If you are leaning toward a specialty breed that is selected for some trait other than beef production, you must accept the chance of a limited market for the chance at the college prices sometimes received for the product. Y'all may decide to select a breed that is amply available, so replenishing the herd is easier. On the other mitt, yous 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 case, being dramatically different tin mean more difficult marketing.
Previous revisions by Dan T. Dark-brown, Extension Animal 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 Feb 03, 2009
Published with Major Revisions on October 18, 2010
Published with Full Review on Oct 01, 2013
Published with Full Review on Aug 09, 2016
Source: https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C859&title=Selecting+a+Beef+Breed
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