you’re located geographically and climate-wise,” he says. “Farther south, a higher percentage Brahman or Brahman-infl uenced breed would be more productive. Farther north, perhaps a quarter or even an eighth Brahman infl uence would be useful. “Throughout most of the U.S., a half-blood or quar-
ter-blood Brahman cow would certainly be of benefi t, and she could be bred to an unrelated breed to confer more traits acceptable to the market. “The calf would have a quarter to an eighth Brah-
man infl uence and would be hardly detectable as such. Of course the Brahman-infl uenced breeds could do that nearly as straight-breds, which is why they were developed in the fi rst place. They have about half the heterosis of the F1, but in a straight breeding program or in using them as straight-breds in a crossing pro- gram, any heterosis is benefi cial.” Perkins says it gets down to a producer’s choice,
which can be dictated on pasture conditions and mar- keting opportunities. “I think this becomes somewhat producer specifi c,” he says. “However, it is generally recommended that cattlemen increase the level of Brahman infl uence the more tropical the environment. “It is generally practiced to have 3/8 or more Brah-
Beefmaster
man infl uence in replacement females in the more southern environments. Perhaps something less than 3/8 Brahman-infl uenced cows work very well in the more northern operations. “The good news is that the American breeds offer
these options for commercial cattlemen. For example, Brangus cattle work great in tropical and subtropical environments and Ultrablack (Brangus X Angus) cattle work great in more temperate climates, while still pro- viding the advantages of the Bos indicus derivatives.” Perkins concludes that further use of Brahman-cross genetics should help expand the U.S. beef industry.
“The use of breeds adapted to hot climates will be more productive and will ultimately improve total beef production across the U.S.,” he says. “The benefi ts of hybrid vigor and use of higher qual-
ity genetics will certainly make optimum utilization of heat tolerance, disease resistance, parasite tolerance, longevity, fertility, maternal attributes and effi ciency of growth.” Whether a rancher is making herd adjustments
Brangus
based on drought or overall climate, it still gets down to making sound business decisions. “Many factors must be considered,” Paschal says. “Producers should locate or produce quality replacements that fi t their budget and provide the type of genetics they need, based on longevity, adaptability, marketability and profi tability.
>
tscra.org
EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCH SHOW THAT EARED CATTLE HAVE FEWER HEALTH PROBLEMS AND CAN HANDLE OTHER ASPECTS OF HOT CLIMATES.
November 2014 The Cattleman 83
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