What Is an Advantage of Crossbreeding Beef Cattle

According to the January 2012 USDA Cattle Inventory study, retained heifer numbers were upward 1.four per centum. This increase indicates an effort at cattle herd expansion. However, the cost of replacement females for a moo-cow-calf operation is significant. Selecting replacement females is challenging, especially when you consider that decisions made at present volition touch on your operation for many years. As commercial cow-dogie producers evaluate the opportunity to expand, it is important to review the value of crossbreeding.

The advantages of crossbreeding are well documented and can have a big affect on your internet return. Heterosis (hybrid vigor) and breed complementarity are the primary benefits realized from a properly planned crossbreeding program. Heterosis is the increase in performance or function in a higher place what is expected based on the parents of the offspring. Breed complementarity allows a breeder to capitalize on the strengths of unlike breeds because no single brood excels at all of the traits that affect profitability.

Maternal Heterosis

Maternal heterosis is the advantage realized by using a crossbred cow versus a direct-bred moo-cow. Inquiry has shown that crossbred cows tin accept many advantages, including a half-dozen percent college calving rate, a 4 percent higher calf survival charge per unit, an 8 percent increase in efficiency, a 38 pct increase in longevity and a 23 percentage increase in lifetime productivity. These advantages will exist optimized when the breeds and individuals you select to create the crossbred cow fit your resources and goals.

Breed Complementarity

Another reward of crossbreeding is the opportunity to capitalize on breed complementarity. This involves evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of potential breeds and selecting those that complement each other. The outcome should be an animal that has the best traits of those breeds. Common examples include the Black Baldie (Angus x Hereford), Brangus (Angus x Brahman) and SimAngus (Simmental 10 Angus), every bit well as many other combinations. The traits that are most important to you should exist based on the goals of your operation.

Direct Heterosis

Direct heterosis is the benefit observed in a crossbred dogie. On average, these advantages include a 4 percentage increase in calf survival, a 5 pct increase in weaning weight and a 6 percent increment in post-weaning proceeds. Withal, these effects are profoundly influenced by breed.

Breed Effects

The outcome of breed on the results of a crossbreeding program tin be significant. Both direct and maternal effects were estimated in a 2010 written report by Williams et al., based on published crossbreeding studies. Their results showed the direct effect of breed tin influence weaning weight past more 70 pounds and postal service-weaning gain by more than than 86 pounds. In improver, the maternal event of brood tin influence weaning weight more than than 88 pounds (Tabular array ane).

Capturing Maternal Heterosis

Maybe the easiest way to capture maternal heterosis is to place the type of female you want and buy her from a reliable, off-farm source. Depending on what you are looking for, this tin can be difficult. In add-on, replacement heifers that are known for their quality and performance volition command a high toll. Alternatively, many producers retain their own heifers as replacements. According to the USDA, 83 per centum of replacement heifers are raised on the ranch where they volition calve. Be sure that raising your own heifers makes economic sense so develop a breeding plan that will allow you to capture heterosis.

Identify the cow type and breeds that all-time fit your fodder resource and feed inputs. Select breeds that complement each other and are consistent with your production goals. Cull the breed or breed crosses that will produce a calf acceptable to your marketing endpoint. This process tin can get complicated, only doesn't need to be. It will be much easier to maintain a crossbreeding plan if it is simple. Keep in mind that considerable variability exists inside breeds, and in that location is a big difference between maximum and optimum. Likewise consider associated costs similar increased cow size and milk production. The optimum system to produce replacement heifers will usually result in less than optimal steer mates, and this should be considered when evaluating the economics of developing your own females.

Capturing Direct Heterosis

If you are purchasing females of unknown breeding or make up one's mind to utilise straight-bred females, you can still capture some of the benefits of heterosis. Identify what brute will produce the greatest profit at your marketing endpoint. For many producers, the primary variable to consider is calf weight. In the Southern Great Plains, black-and smoke-colored feeder calves will receive the highest price at auction barns. Conversely, calves with significant Brahman influence, horns or red-colored hides are often discounted. Identify the brood or breeds of bulls that volition produce a desirable dogie when mated to your females. Again, remember that variation exists within breeds. Select bulls that excel in the traits of economical importance to you.

The goal of most commercial moo-cow-calf producers is to increase profitability. Make up one's mind your market endpoint and work backward to make up one's mind the blazon of animals that volition produce the most profit within the constraints of your resources. Using crossbreeding correctly tin have a significant touch on on your net return.

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Source: https://www.noble.org/news/publications/ag-news-and-views/2012/april/the-advantages-of-crossbreeding/

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