T
HE OPTIONS CAN SEEM ENDLESS, AND THE BENEFITS CAN become a blur: body size and growth; milking potential; age at puberty; heat tolerance; fl esh-
ing ability and fatness; muscle expression; cutability; marbling. When you are choosing the best breed of cattle for
your operation, you want to be sure that you are do- ing it right. However, with so many options, how do you know? Joe Paschal, professor and Extension livestock spe-
cialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Corpus Christi, says it’s not rocket science. Nevertheless, selecting the best breed of cattle for your business does take careful consideration and an understanding of your goals as a cattleman.
Understand your situation When selecting a breed for your operation, Paschal
recommends keeping a few key factors in mind — pri- marily environment, production practices and goals. “The cow has to live and produce in her environ-
ment. Her environment is not just the climate around her, but how it affects her nutritional needs for produc- tion and her health.” Throughout the years, cattlemen have altered the
environment of beef cattle by building barns and shel- ters; preparing hay and feed for winter; and providing shade and adequate water for summer, Paschal says. “We have also modifi ed the quality and quantity
of forages eaten and helped to prevent diseases and control parasites that might have either reduced their production or killed them. How much we can or will modify their environment will have a large impact on their production levels.” However, modifi cations to improve environment
and production come at a cost, Paschal says. “A higher level of management is required when higher levels of performance are required or desired,”
Top tips for breed selection Joe Paschal, professor and Extension
livestock specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Corpus Christi, says choosing the best breed for your operation takes a bit of thought. He of- fers these tips when weighing your options:
tscra.org
he explains. “These practices can be sustainable eco- nomically, but if they aren’t, the goals and the practices shouldn’t be pursued.” Environment, climate and forage work together to
determine your production levels, Paschal says. “Climate will determine the type of cattle you will
raise, and forage characteristics will determine their production level. It is more effi cient and economical to adapt your operation — cow breed types and manage- ment — to your production conditions.”
Environment, climate and forage work together to
determine your production levels.
Moreover, if your operation input is minimal, Pas-
chal says, environment could be the most important factor when selecting breeds for your cattle operation. “If input is minimal, then selecting and raising cattle breeds that really do fi t the environment is critical.”
Grouping is key Looking through a list of the more than 75 breeds
of cattle available in the U.S. can be overwhelming, to say the least. So where should a cattleman begin? Pas- chal says to keep it simple and focus on breed groups. His colleague, Stephen Hammack, professor and beef
cattle specialist emeritus, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Stephenville, says beef cattle can essentially be divided into 6 breed-type groups: British
beef, continental beef, continental dual purpose, dairy, Bos indicus (or Brahman) and American. “The classifi cation system groups most of the breeds based on their similarity in production levels for traits
• Decide why you are in the cattle business. • Evaluate your resources, including climate and forage base. • Determine how and when you will market your calves. • Determine how much expertise or technology you have, are willing to purchase or are willing to learn and use. • Determine your level of commitment.
December 2016 The Cattleman 79
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