Ever Hear This

[blk mule]

I was told recently, cattle from Canada produce larger BW than
here in the states. Reason being, fertile soil and grass higher energy. example 90 lb. BW in Canada could mean 70 lb. BW in states. Any truth to this, I don`t have a clue.

blk mule

 

[ALACOWMAN]

never heard it. but it stands to reason. think about how big most of the wildlife is there also compared to the states . and how in the southern united state's deer get larger the further north you go

 

[Brandonm2]

I have never heard THAT; but I have certainly heard that cattle born in Alabama (and like climes) are going to have much smaller birth weights than would the same cattle in cold northern areas like Montana and the Dakotas. I doubt there is much difference between cattle in Calgary and Billings; but between Saskatchewan and West Texas there is probably a big difference.

 

[redangus]

I think it has to do with cold weather. Up north, more blood is concentrated in the interior of the body to keep the animal warm. This, in effect, provides more nourishment to the unborn calf.

I'm only referring to the exact same animal that calved in Canada one year and then in southern Missouri the next.

 

[KNERSIE]

If the cold has that effect, would it then also be true that fall calves would have smaller BW than spring calves? Or would the summer grass offset that because of typical higher proteien than the hay fed during winter?

 

[MikeC]

If the cold has that effect, would it then also be true that fall calves would have smaller BW than spring calves? Or would the summer grass offset that because of typical higher proteien than the hay fed during winter?

Fall calves are definitely smaller than Spring calves.

 

[SEC]

fall calves arent any light than pasture born spring calves, but lighter than the jan/feb calves.

Bwt can vary I would say no more than what they would in any other region. If you were to use semen on a bull from Canada, the environment would affect the bwt of the AI calf.

 

[Txwalt]

I'll have to agree with Mikec just from what I have read.

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/research/2004rr/22/22.htm

Lots of info if you google "fall calving birth weight"

Walt

 

[BAGTIC]

The sure way to tell would be to take some southern cows with an established patter of producing 'smallish' calves and dhip them nort for a few season while doing exactly the opposite with some noerthern 'big calf' mamas.

It may be climate, it may be forage, and it may be that over the generations the northern breeders have, consciously or unconsciously, selected for laarger cows or cows that produce large calves because of higher viability in cold climatic conditions.

Large and fat are more tolerable in cool climates than in tropical ones and vice versa. I know as I am a big man and you won't find me within 600 miles of the Gulf coast in the summer. When I lived in eastern Oregon we used to hunt pheasants in our shirtsleeves with 6 inches of snow on the ground.