Black is for Bovine

[cow pollinater]

My contention is that the better performing calves will suffer more in the heat regardless of color because their metabolisms run at a much faster pace than that of the lesser calves.

If by "better performing" you mean weight gain wouldn't the opposite be true? I always thought that something with a higher metabolism burned more calories therefore more would have to be consumed in order to gain weight. That would make the cattle with the lower metabolisms the better performers. What am I missing?

Either burns more calories or uses the calories more efficiently and puts them into growth. Metabolic efficiency in cattle is about the amount eaten and the resulting amount of beef. It's the opposite of the skinny kid that eats like a horse. The industry wants cattle that eat less and gain more.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

My contention is that the better performing calves will suffer more in the heat regardless of color because their metabolisms run at a much faster pace than that of the lesser calves.

If by "better performing" you mean weight gain wouldn't the opposite be true? I always thought that something with a higher metabolism burned more calories therefore more would have to be consumed in order to gain weight. That would make the cattle with the lower metabolisms the better performers. What am I missing?

High metabolism animals can convert "cold" rations a lot better than slow metabolism animals. So you could feed more roughage, and less of the expensive concentrates.

 

[Isomade]

My contention is that the better performing calves will suffer more in the heat regardless of color because their metabolisms run at a much faster pace than that of the lesser calves.

If by "better performing" you mean weight gain wouldn't the opposite be true? I always thought that something with a higher metabolism burned more calories therefore more would have to be consumed in order to gain weight. That would make the cattle with the lower metabolisms the better performers. What am I missing?

Either burns more calories or uses the calories more efficiently and puts them into growth. Metabolic efficiency in cattle is about the amount eaten and the resulting amount of beef. It's the opposite of the skinny kid that eats like a horse. The industry wants cattle that eat less and gain more.

VanC, that is Politician speak for yes you are correct. :lol:

 

[TexasBred]

Either burns more calories or uses the calories more efficiently and puts them into growth. Metabolic efficiency in cattle is about the amount eaten and the resulting amount of beef. It's the opposite of the skinny kid that eats like a horse. The industry wants cattle that eat less and gain more.

Metabolism is simply the amount of energy necessary to maintain life and is usually determined by genetics. Has nothing to do with how fast the heart beats or how fast they breath. It is how much of the intake of energy is expended for the simple maintenance of the cow. Caloric intake over and above that can be used for gain or production in the case of dairy cattle. Thus the variation in gains among groups of cattle and breeds of cattle fed the exact same amount of the same feed.

 

[inyati13]

Metabolism is complex. It occupies an entire sector of biology. From the molecular level to the organ-system level. Not enough space to make it simple but here is an excerpt that might help. Focus on the concept that it is divided into two parts: Catabolism and anabolism.

Metabolism (from Greek: μεταβολή metabolē, "change" or Greek: μεταβολισμός metabolismos, "outthrow") is the set of life-sustaining chemical transformations within the cells of living organisms. These enzyme-catalyzed reactions allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. The word metabolism can also refer to all chemical reactions that occur in living organisms, including digestion and the transport of substances into and between different cells, in which case the set of reactions within the cells is called intermediary metabolism or intermediate metabolism.

Metabolism is usually divided into two categories. Catabolism breaks down organic matter, for example to harvest energy in cellular respiration. Anabolism uses energy to construct components of cells such as proteins and nucleic acids.

 

[VanC]

I'm not trying to ba a PITA, it's just sometimes I still go through spells where I can't process things as well as I used to. I have one question and then I'll leave you all alone: Is an animal's metabolism rate linked to it's feed efficiency, or are they independent of each other?

 

[u4411clb]

The funny thing about these black hides absorbing more heat discussions I have noticed is it is always people from Canada, Wisconsin or Michigan or Minnesota or the Pacific North West or the midwest that are always telling us how bad black hides are for cattle and dealing with heat. But we never seem to hear anyone from Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama complaining about black hided cattle. We just here people from places where it isn't that hot telling us what color cattle we should raise. I guess we just have to much experience with cattle that we have had their great gran dams to current calves that are black and they have not only been fine but thrived in our environment. Maybe if some of these people from other parts of the country are having a problem with their black hided cattle they should come to the southeast to get some of their black hided genetics and they will see a big difference.

 

[inyati13]

The funny thing about these black hides absorbing more heat discussions I have noticed is it is always people from Canada, Wisconsin or Michigan or Minnesota or the Pacific North West or the midwest that are always telling us how bad black hides are for cattle and dealing with heat. But we never seem to hear anyone from Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama complaining about black hided cattle. We just here people from places where it isn't that hot telling us what color cattle we should raise. I guess we just have to much experience with cattle that we have had their great gran dams to current calves that are black and they have not only been fine but thrived in our environment. Maybe if some of these people from other parts of the country are having a problem with their black hided cattle they should come to the southeast to get some of their black hided genetics and they will see a big difference.

The heat thing is getting stretched out of proportion. My cattle are mostly black (and they are fat, dun even commented on my pics that they had more condition than some finished stock he had seen). I am in KY and they have no heat problems here. They do go to shade and I am fortunate to have a couple of nice shady areas.

Just to recap: My objective was to disconnect this black deal. It is what is under that hide that counts. If the cattle are fullfilling one's dreams, what difference does the color make.

 

[glacierridge]

Could be what the cattle are used to with native weather...
Just like us. If someone from FL or TX comes here in winter when I "don't feel that cold"... They might be freezing. And the critters here are used to weather "that isn't that hot" and there is a hot humid spell, they might be feeling heat stress.
Just had a 5 day old calf last week that was a curly fuzzy haired Simmental/char that we almost lost to the 90 degree heat and humidity... And the other newborn was under some distress. And neither calf was out under the pounding sun, or black in color for that matter.
Now that we had weather that was in the 60s and 70s the last couple days and the humidity was gone, they are comfortable and doing okay again.

Makes me think about my friend telling me about when I'm going to see her in January in CO. She warned me I could get altitude sickness because I'm not used to it.

 

[highgrit]

U4411CLB that's the way I see it also with the cows. But please do not invite anymore Yankee's to the south, we have plenty here already.

 

[CKC1586]

Oh my goodness- The Anti-Black cattle Activists have made me see the light! I'm gonna sell em all and get me some white ones with pink skin so they can burn their teets! Bunch of geniuses on here.

Oh boy, been :secret: ..... but ....... just gonna say Pieds are light haired fawn / white / to grey with black skin..... :secret: sorry, couldn't contain myself. Have a great day. :tiphat:

 

[glacierridge]

Oh my goodness- The Anti-Black cattle Activists have made me see the light! I'm gonna sell em all and get me some white ones with pink skin so they can burn their teets! Bunch of geniuses on here.

Oh boy, been :secret: ..... but ....... just gonna say Pieds are light haired fawn / white / to grey with black skin..... :secret: sorry, couldn't contain myself. Have a great day. :tiphat:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Taurus]

Oh my goodness- The Anti-Black cattle Activists have made me see the light! I'm gonna sell em all and get me some white ones with pink skin so they can burn their teets! Bunch of geniuses on here.

Oh boy, been :secret: ..... but ....... just gonna say Pieds are light haired fawn / white / to grey with black skin..... :secret: sorry, couldn't contain myself. Have a great day. :tiphat:

:secret: :tiphat:

 

[glacierridge]

Taurus what breed is that animal?

 

[Taurus]

Pied :mrgreen:

Actually its just naturalean pied.

 

[glacierridge]

A pb?
Its dark

 

[Isomade]

Oh my goodness- The Anti-Black cattle Activists have made me see the light! I'm gonna sell em all and get me some white ones with pink skin so they can burn their teets! Bunch of geniuses on here.

Oh boy, been :secret: ..... but ....... just gonna say Pieds are light haired fawn / white / to grey with black skin..... :secret: sorry, couldn't contain myself. Have a great day. :tiphat:

I am well aware of light haired dark skinned animals. Since you appear to be thread challenged, I will repeat. My point is it doesn't matter if your cows are Purple People Eaters, as long as you like em, it don't matter. Some of you have so little to talk about you jump on anything you think will get you some attention, like color. I simply don't care, no matter the color of your Bovine it won't make you a better cattleman nor a more interesting person.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Yes it does! I don't got nothing to talk about Isom, will you be my friend??

 

[TexasBred]

Metabolism is complex. It occupies an entire sector of biology. From the molecular level to the organ-system level. Not enough space to make it simple but here is an excerpt that might help. Focus on the concept that it is divided into two parts: Catabolism and anabolism.

Metabolism (from Greek: μεταβολή metabolē, "change" or Greek: μεταβολισμός metabolismos, "outthrow") is the set of life-sustaining chemical transformations within the cells of living organisms. These enzyme-catalyzed reactions allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. The word metabolism can also refer to all chemical reactions that occur in living organisms, including digestion and the transport of substances into and between different cells, in which case the set of reactions within the cells is called intermediary metabolism or intermediate metabolism.

Metabolism is usually divided into two categories. Catabolism breaks down organic matter, for example to harvest energy in cellular respiration. Anabolism uses energy to construct components of cells such as proteins and nucleic acids.

Metabolism is simply the amount of energy necessary to maintain life and is usually determined by genetics.

For the layman there is no need to make it any more complex than that.

 

[TexasBred]

Oh my goodness- The Anti-Black cattle Activists have made me see the light! I'm gonna sell em all and get me some white ones with pink skin so they can burn their teets! Bunch of geniuses on here.

Oh boy, been :secret: ..... but ....... just gonna say Pieds are light haired fawn / white / to grey with black skin..... :secret: sorry, couldn't contain myself. Have a great day. :tiphat:

I am well aware of light haired dark skinned animals. Since you appear to be thread challenged, I will repeat. My point is it doesn't matter if your cows are Purple People Eaters, as long as you like em, it don't matter. Some of you have so little to talk about you jump on anything you think will get you some attention, like color. I simply don't care, no matter the color of your Bovine it won't make you a better cattleman nor a more interesting person.

:clap: :clap: :nod: :nod: