What Are the Major Visual Considerations Used to Select Breeding Beef and Swine

Revised by Carole H. Knight, Canton Extension ANR Amanuensis – Bulloch County
and Ted G. Dyer, Former Extension Animal Scientist – Beef Cattle

• Start with the Basics
• General Trends

New cattle producers oft enquire, "Which brood should I choose?" This question brings cold chills to many knowledgeable cattle producers and excitement to simply as many enthusiastic breeders. The diversity of resources and management capabilities of whatever operation makes this question difficult to answer. This publication provides authentic, unbiased information to guide the decision-making process. Later on reading this publication, you should empathize why the but correct answer is, "It depends!"

The two cardinal categories of beef cattle operations are purebred and commercial. The purebred functioning requires more time, record keeping and initial input. The commercial functioning is generally a lower-input, lower-chance type of venture. When choosing a breed for either a commercial or purebred operation, base your decision on profitability. Table 1 illustrates that while production tin can exist increased by selection for growth, the increased production from crossbreeding is more rapid and cost-effective.

Unfortunately, one of the more than influential factors on breed selection is glaze color. How many times have you lot heard someone say, "I like 'em because they're black"? Coat colour, whether it is ruby-red, black, white, xanthous, gray or mixed, has trivial to do with performance, but information technology does bear on how people perceive cattle. A herd of purebred cattle will generally be more uniform in coat colour than a herd of crossbred cows. There are breeds that will produce all of the colors mentioned to a higher place and more. Equally a producer, you must be satisfied with the color and its uniformity or lack of uniformity. Productivity will suffer, however, if coat color is a primary option trait. If your breed selection is more than dependent on production and return on investment, make coat option low on the list of criteria.

Traits used in the final selection process should non be afflicted by the type of operation (commercial or purebred). The 1 unique attribute of the purebred industry is the loftier-profile advertising and educational programs, such as field days. The purebred cattle market often provides a college render per cow unit, but at the expense of college maintenance costs, higher breeding costs, more than management inputs and greater risks.

Table 1. Comparison of Production and Profitability between Crossbred Cows, Selected and Unselected Purebred Hereford Cows
	Crossbred	Unselected	Selected*
Pregnancy Rate	83%	86%	79%
Avg. Cow Weight	1,234 lbs	953 lbs	1,168 lbs
Adj. Weaning Wt.	612 lbs	402 lbs	494 lbs
Calf Crop Weaned per Cow Wintered	87%	84%	73%
Weaning Wt. per Cow Wintered	530 lbs	338 lbs	358 lbs
Return over Feed Cost	$21.67	-$9.72	-$32.42
Adjusted from Ritchie, 1986, MSU Research Report FS-473. * Selection was for increased growth rate.

Start with the Basics

The factors that influence returns to a commercial operation are calf crop percent, weaning weight, market cost and annual cow costs. The following formula outlines how these factors must balance in order to optimize profitability.

Almanac Price per Cow
State Feed (grain and mineral) Herd Health		Fertilizer Hay (purchase vs. custom) Depreciation (moo-cow purchase)
Must Equal
Weaning Weight Growth Rate Milk Production Surroundings	X Calf Crop Pct 10 Selection Balderdash Fertility Dystocia Health		Market Price Flavour Demand Mgt. Ability

The factors that influence weaning or market weight and calf crop pct are most affected by breed pick.

The weaning or marketplace weight of the calves is affected past genetics, milk production of the brood cow, availability of pasture and / or creep feed, and ecology atmospheric condition such as temperature, etc. Work toward calving xxx to sixty days prior to the all-time provender flavor in your area. Cow milk production declines afterwards iii months; therefore, supplement the nutrient requirements of the growing dogie past making high-quality forage bachelor. If your forage system lacks loftier-quality forages, the selection of a fast-growing, heavy-milking breed would exist detrimental to optimum productivity.

Researchers evaluated breed types using varying percentages of European x British and beef x dairy crossbred cows. When maintained in similar environments, the larger-framed, higher-milking cows had poor reproductive performance. Thus, when genetic potential for milk is high a cow?s re-breeding percentage will be reduced. The growth potential of the calves volition only exist met when acceptable milk product is available. When milk supply is abundant and forage quantity and quality are marginal, the result is a reduced dogie crop percentage due to low cyclicity and pregnancy rates; therefore, brand sure to lucifer your provender production arrangement to the genetic potential of your breed cow herd.

With this "optimum philosophy" in mind, we tin await at general trends in milk product, growth and reproduction of several breeds in the United states.

In the early 1970s, a enquiry project was started at the Meat Animal Enquiry Middle (MARC) in Clay Center, Nebraska. The project was designed to evaluate the "recently" imported breeds from Europe and provides the nearly complete, comprehensive data available. All breeds were not compared, so some information is not bachelor. Breeds may perform differently in Georgia. The project does provide a valid comparison of the cattle in one mutual surround.

Tabular array 2 outlines how the breeds compare to the Angus 10 Hereford crossbred (used as a standard). The values in the tabular array are listed in ratios. A ratio of 105 indicates a value of 5 percent in a higher place the standard of 100; a ratio of 95 indicates a value 5 percent below the standard. The bodily percentage is in parenthesis for the percent of cows significant after the beginning breeding season and percent calf crop weaned. Calving difficulty was reported in bodily percent.

Since in that location are more than lxx recognized cattle breeds, it is impossible to compare them all at once. The breeds are generally grouped into 3 types: British, European and Zebu-influence. The Zebu-influence breeds were adult in the Gulf Coast region of the United States.

Tabular array two. Comparison of Product Traits of Several Breeds
	Calves			Heifers		Cows
	Pct Calving Difficulty	Growth Rate to Weaning	Growth Rate to Yearling	Historic period at Puberty	% Preg. after first breeding season Ratio (%)	% Calf crop weaned Ratio (%)	% Calving Difficulty	12 hr. milk production	Weaning wt. per cow exposed
Angus x Hereford	3	100	100	100	100 (87)	100 (84)	thirteen	100	100
Cerise Poll	four	98	96	106	98 (85)	95 (79)	14	123	99
South Devon	12	102	103	102	91 (79)	102 (85)	15	107	105
Tarentaise	half-dozen	103	103	102	111 (96)	102 (85)	10	130	112
Pinzaguer	half dozen	104	103	106	114 (99)	102 (85)	xiii	132	108
Gelbvieh	8	107	105	109	107 (93)	104 (87)	xi	137	116
Simmental	15	105	106	100	93 (80)	99 (83)	17	137	108
Maine Anjou	20	105	108	100	109 (94)	103 (86)	11	105	112
Limousin	ix	101	102	92	88 (76)	98 (82)	12	91	100
Charolais	18	107	106	92	86 (75)	96 (fourscore)	15	91	101
Chianina	12	106	105	92	99 (86)	103 (86)	eight	100	113
Brahman	x	107	103	lxxx	113 (98)	103 (98)	1	150	116
Adapted from USDA MARC Beef Research Progress Reports, No. 1 (1982) and No. 2 (1985)

The American Brahman is composed of 3 Zebu breeds, while others such as Brangus, Santa Gertrudis, etc. , are composites of the American Brahman and either British or European breeds. The derivative breeds are usually 3/viii Zebu and 5/8 British or European. Some of the breeds within the three categories may be atypical and may not possess all the advantages or disadvantages.

The MARC project was designed to evaluate as many of the more prominent breeds as possible. There was as well an endeavour to compare bulls that were representative of the brood. Information technology is possible to select a bull of one of the breeds that would be an exception to the averages. This bull could perform either ameliorate or worse than the bulls used in the MARC project. The MARC study, however, did provide useful data most relative differences among many of the European and Brahman cattle. In selecting a beef breed, use the MARC information to select breeds that have higher genetic potential for meat and milk. The specific search for a bull would be for ane of the brood exceptions in a weak area. For example, the faster growing cattle are generally larger at birth and calving difficulty is higher. If your plan needs more growth, select a bull from one of the growth breeds that has a low-cal birth weight and low nascence weight EPD.

When selecting a brood or individuals within a breed, exist aware also of a miracle chosen "genetic-environmental interaction. " The term just means that cattle developed under certain atmospheric condition will perform best under those same or similar conditions. Florida researchers did a archetype project to illustrate this upshot. Hereford cattle from a like genetic base were relocated from Montana to Florida and vice versa. One-one-half of the herds were kept at the original location. Based on the reproductive and growth data, the cattle performed all-time in the "home" location. According to this evidence, base the choice of a brood on the level of performance in your environment. The breeds that excelled in the MARC comparing may not fit your program exactly.

Cattle mostly perform at a college level in northern climates. Oestrus and humidity are detrimental to most production traits. In a more recent Florida study, Florida bulls gained almost a pound more per day in Montana than their counterparts in Florida. Nevertheless, the Florida bulls out-performed the Montana bulls in Florida and the Montana bulls performed better than the Florida bulls in Montana. Cattle adult in northern climates with costless choice corn silage during the wintertime months will do poorly when brought to the humid South and turned out on stockpiled fescue and trace-mineral salt for the winter. If your program has been designed to provide limited winter feeding, the calving season should be in the bound and the brood should be moderate in both growth and milk production. If y'all make up one's mind to select a fast-growing, heavy-milking breed, provide the necessary feed requirements to achieve optimum performance.

Breed Types	Advantages	Disadvantages
British
Angus Hereford Shorthorn	Low nascence weight Loftier fertility Moderate milk product Moderate frame size	Lower growth rate
European
Charolais Gelbvieh Maine-Anjou Pinzaguer Simmental S Devon Tarentaise Others	High growth rate Larger frame size High milk product	Increased dystocia Increased maintenance
Zebu
American Brahman British Derivatives European Derivatives	Adjustability to adapt to adverse environments Moderate to high milk production Maximum heterosis in crossbreeding	Lower growth rate Poor carcass quality

General Trends

The following generalities concord true within and across breeds:

Faster growth rates = larger birth weights
Larger birth weights = increased potential for calving difficulty
More milk product and big frame size = higher feed requirements for equal reproductive performance

Whether your option is purebred or commercial, or crimson, black, white or spotted, go along production and profitability high on your priority list. Select a breed or breeds that your operation can manage and yous tin can feel confident near marketing.

Other breeds fit certain specialty markets. If you are leaning toward a specialty brood that is selected for some trait other than beef production, you must accept the risk of a limited market for the run a risk at the college prices sometimes received for the product. You may decide to select a breed that is amply available, and so replenishing the herd is easier. On the other hand, yous may select a breed that is relatively unavailable in your area in lodge to offer a unique culling for other breeders. For commercial production, information technology is of import to recognize that the premium is paid for uniformity. In this case, being dramatically different can hateful more than difficult marketing.

Original publication prepared by Rick Hardin, Quondam Extension Animate being Scientist
Previous revisions past Dan T. Chocolate-brown, Extension Creature Scientist

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Status and Revision History
Published on Feb 19, 2003
In Review for Major Revisions on Jan 26, 2009
In Review for Major Revisions on February 03, 2009
Published with Major Revisions on Oct xviii, 2010
Published with Full Review on October 01, 2013
Published with Total Review on Aug 09, 2016

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Source: https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C859&title=Selecting+a+Beef+Breed

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