BRAHMAN SECTION
The Brahman F1: A Solution for Southern Cattlemen
By Matt Woolfolk and David Riley
T
HE ABILITY OF BRAHMAN AND BRAHMAN-CROSS CATTLE to withstand heat and humidity has allowed these cattle to become a staple of commercial
cattle production in the southern U.S. Using Brahman bulls on a herd of British (such as
Hereford or Angus) or Continental (such Charolais or Limousin) females presents the opportunity for hybrid vigor, or heterosis. This is the added performance of crossbred individuals over the averages of their straightbred parents. For more than 50 years, we’ve known that crossing Brahman (Bos indicus) with a British or Continental breed (Bos taurus) results in much more heterosis than crossbred offspring of any other breeds.
Added growth and performance Brahman F1 calves exhibit as much as a 5 percent
increase in weaning weight over the average of purebred parents due to heterosis. If the average weaning weight for 2 parent breeds was 500 pounds, the F1 Brahman cross calf would be expected to weigh 525 pounds at weaning. In today’s market, that’s approximately a $50 increase in calf value. Texas A&M University research on Brahman-sired
steers out of Angus and Hereford cows showed 60 per- cent of the carcasses graded USDA Choice, comparing favorably to industry-wide averages for percentage of Choice cattle. More than 90 percent of carcasses tested with accept-
able ratings for tenderness using the Warner-Bratzler Shear-Force test.
The F1 female The biggest impact of Brahman cattle on commer-
cial cattle production is through the infl uence of the F1 female as a brood cow in the South. Half-blood
60 The Cattleman May 2014
Brahman cows are highly regarded for their ability to thrive in hot, humid environments like the Brahman. Traits such as pregnancy rate, calving rate, and
weaning rate are typically better in F1 females than in straightbred or Bos taurus-cross females. Studies conducted in Florida in the early 2000s have
shown the superior performance of Brahman-Angus females over both parent breeds. Pregnancy and calving rates in F1 females from a
Brahman-Angus cross were (93 percent) 11 to 16 per- cent greater than the purebred Angus (82 percent) or Brahman (77 percent). Weaning rates were also 15 percent higher than the
weighted average of the parent breeds. In addition, F1 Brahman-infl uenced cattle have in-
creased longevity compared to purebred counterparts. A 1988 research project in Texas showed that Brah- man-sired F1 cows out of Angus and Herefords dams had an average lifespan of almost 14 years, compared to the 10-year average lifespan of the parent breeds. Another study from Nevada reported F1 females with Brahman inheritance having more calves over their lifetime than Bos taurus F1s and purebred Bos taurus, as well as a greater portion of the females staying in production longer. In the southern U.S., using Brahman genetics in
commercial crossbreeding systems provides heat toler- ance, durability and maximum heterosis through the entire production cycle.
Editor’s note: David Riley, Ph.D., is associate profes- sor of animal breeding and genetics at the Texas A&M University (TAMU) department of animal science. Matt Woolfolk is a teaching and research assistant at TAMU and is a past chairman of the board of the National Junior Hereford Association.
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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