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A thought for a few thinkers
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<blockquote data-quote="Anonymous" data-source="post: 7135"><p>Frakie,</p><p></p><p>Double muscled cattle not only are harder calving and harder breeding but they do not grow well past an early age. This is true for all the european double muscled breeds. To be sucessful in a feedlot environement growth rate or lean oprimal cuts per day of age to 1200 LB is an important thing to keep in mind. Before double muscled cattle are accepted in North America they must be selected to work in our environment and management conditions. That means easier calving and better growth with a moderate expression of the double muscled trait. The Pieds that Leachman used were primarily designed to breed to Holstein cows to produce vealers in northern Italy. Growth rate past a few months of age is not considered with carcass lean meat yield only considered at older ages. The poor growth rate overshadowed the excellent carcass traits. Given the fact Leachman had no experience selecting terminal sires or feeding cattle high yeild cattle, a learning curve characterized by financial losses was inevitable. None of the composites or breeds that Leachman raised were terminal in nature so the problems with using pied bulls was vastly under esitmated. As you point out super high yeilding cattle are not rewarded in The U. S. grading system. This meant that Leachman had to have a market that would reward this type of carcass with a premium. He never found one due to his lack of knowledge of grocery retail in the effluent costal cities or high end culinary supply. A market would exist for this premium product in say Seattle or the Bay Area but he never understood this or even where to start looking. The study I quoted is small. It however is not the only such study it was merely the closest one at hand. It is not the reality now but given the economic problems the beef industry is in perhaps we should start thinking out side conventional wisdom since quick fixes have not solved the beef industries problems with declining consumption.</p><p></p><p>Mark</p><p></p><p>> Well, I wouldn't call 18 steers a</p><p>> "large study." You're</p><p>> free to disagree with that, of</p><p>> course.</p><p></p><p>> Everything I've ever read tells me</p><p>> double muscled breeds are less</p><p>> fertile and have more calving</p><p>> difficulty than "normal"</p><p>> breeds. Fertility and calving ease</p><p>> should not be overlooked if a</p><p>> producer actually expects to be</p><p>> profitable. Right or wrong, the</p><p>> packers and the commercial cattle</p><p>> business don't reward double</p><p>> muscled cattle, at least not here</p><p>> in the US. Here's a link to</p><p>> Leachman's Montana Range branded</p><p>> beef site. I think Leachman was</p><p>> the largest beef seedstock</p><p>> producer in the US, possibly the</p><p>> world. They are dispersing this</p><p>> year, in part because of the</p><p>> expense and problems starting up a</p><p>> branded beef program based on the</p><p>> myostatin gene. Good luck....</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p> <a href="mailto:mhickox@vcnet.com">mhickox@vcnet.com</a></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Anonymous, post: 7135"] Frakie, Double muscled cattle not only are harder calving and harder breeding but they do not grow well past an early age. This is true for all the european double muscled breeds. To be sucessful in a feedlot environement growth rate or lean oprimal cuts per day of age to 1200 LB is an important thing to keep in mind. Before double muscled cattle are accepted in North America they must be selected to work in our environment and management conditions. That means easier calving and better growth with a moderate expression of the double muscled trait. The Pieds that Leachman used were primarily designed to breed to Holstein cows to produce vealers in northern Italy. Growth rate past a few months of age is not considered with carcass lean meat yield only considered at older ages. The poor growth rate overshadowed the excellent carcass traits. Given the fact Leachman had no experience selecting terminal sires or feeding cattle high yeild cattle, a learning curve characterized by financial losses was inevitable. None of the composites or breeds that Leachman raised were terminal in nature so the problems with using pied bulls was vastly under esitmated. As you point out super high yeilding cattle are not rewarded in The U. S. grading system. This meant that Leachman had to have a market that would reward this type of carcass with a premium. He never found one due to his lack of knowledge of grocery retail in the effluent costal cities or high end culinary supply. A market would exist for this premium product in say Seattle or the Bay Area but he never understood this or even where to start looking. The study I quoted is small. It however is not the only such study it was merely the closest one at hand. It is not the reality now but given the economic problems the beef industry is in perhaps we should start thinking out side conventional wisdom since quick fixes have not solved the beef industries problems with declining consumption. Mark > Well, I wouldn't call 18 steers a > "large study." You're > free to disagree with that, of > course. > Everything I've ever read tells me > double muscled breeds are less > fertile and have more calving > difficulty than "normal" > breeds. Fertility and calving ease > should not be overlooked if a > producer actually expects to be > profitable. Right or wrong, the > packers and the commercial cattle > business don't reward double > muscled cattle, at least not here > in the US. Here's a link to > Leachman's Montana Range branded > beef site. I think Leachman was > the largest beef seedstock > producer in the US, possibly the > world. They are dispersing this > year, in part because of the > expense and problems starting up a > branded beef program based on the > myostatin gene. Good luck.... [email=mhickox@vcnet.com]mhickox@vcnet.com[/email] [/QUOTE]
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