marbling beef that is high yielding. Why can’t we do both? Can we produce a higher-quality, higher-yield animal simultaneously?” One unexpected bonus is the positive recruiting
value this project has had for West Texas A&M. “Even though we are a small school, we have big
imaginations and big goals, and we have been able to move forward on those,” Hawkins says. “We have been able to form relationships with private partners for no other reason than that they wanted to help. Our students have been involved since day one. It’s not a faculty ivory tower project — it’s boots on the ground with undergrad and grad students helping out.” In 10 years, Hawkins hopes the project has a line
of cattle with excellent genetic and physical carcass traits. The best-case scenario is that they can provide semen germ plasm and collaborate with ranchers and feedlots who want these cattle. “Our goal is not to compete with any of the breed
associations,” reports Hawkins. “In every population of animals there are outliers, these Prime, YG1 carcasses. Unfortunately, when they enter the harvest chain, their genetic potential is lost. We’ve been able to reset the clock and go backwards.”
Photo Courtesy of Ty Lawrence and West Texas A&M University. This young calf is Gamma One, 1 of 3 identical heifers born as a result of this project.
One possible impact on ranchers, according to Law-
rence, is that the cow-calf or stocker producers may have an opportunity to improve herd genetics. Feed- effi cient animals, able to fi nish sooner with a more effi cient cost of gain, would be valuable to a feedyard operation. There could be other groundbreaking im- pacts of this cloning technology. “It’s not just about shifting the distribution of the
carcasses toward a high Choice movement,” Hawkins says. “It could be disease resistance or inheritance of disease resistance.” “Time will tell,” Lawrence says with a smile.
“Stay tuned.”
SOUTH TEXAS HEREFORD ASSOCIATION Offering Hereford Bulls, Females, True F1
FALL SALE Females, and Registered Brahman Bulls & Brahman Females
Saturday, 10.25.2014 at 11a.m. AT THE BEEVILLE LIVESTOCK COMMISSION, INC. 2218 US HWY 59E, BEEVILLE, TEXAS
FOR SALE INFORMATION CONTACT: Robbie Morish, SECRETARY
(361) 920-0012 or
info@southtexashereford.org AUCTIONEER: LEO CASAS, III
BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
SOUTHTEXASHEREFORD.ORG tscra.org October 2014 The Cattleman 109
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140