F-1 label?

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> What do people mean when they
> refer to cattle as F-1? Thanks.

It's a first cross. If you take a registered animal and breed it to an unreg. animal you get a f-1.

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> It's a first cross. If you take a
> registered animal and breed it to
> an unreg. animal you get a f-1.

DOES it matter if a bull or cow is the registered parent?

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> DOES it matter if a bull or cow is
> the registered parent?

I was under the impression that an F-1 cross refered to the cross of 2 registered animals of different breeds. An Angus/Hereford F-1 cross would be an Angus Bull crossed with a Hereford cow. The F-1 designation allows breeders to trace the ancestery more easily. Perhaps some one more knowledgible will be able to shed more light. I will be interested in reading future responses. Thanks for listening,

Mack

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F1 is a biological term for the first filial generation that results from crossing two purebreds of anything, beans or cattle. It's not just a term for cattle. Examples of F1 cattle would be a purebred Angus X purebred Hereford. Both parents must be purebred to get a true F1....

> What do people mean when they
> refer to cattle as F-1? Thanks.

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I am going to weigh in on this subject with my understanding of the subject, but take what I say with a grain of salt as I am an Ag Engineer and not a geneticis.

The F-1 designation identifies an offspring as a first generation cross of two genetically different breeds. Its importance to the cattle industry comes from the fact that a normal F-1 cross resulting from two purebred parents will exhibit the maximum amount of hybred vigor which usually results in increased rate of gain, increased fertility, etc.

If one or both of the parents are a crossbred, then while you still technically have a crossbred offspring, it will have a reduced amount of hybred vigor and will not be an F-1 unless a third/fourth breed was introduced without any or the original 2 breeds being reintroduced. (ie. angusXherford animal bred to a charolais or charolaisX(non-angus or herford) that didn't have any angus or herford breeding would technically still be an F-1)

Sorry about the length and if I am wrong please correct me.

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Frankie's post is most correct. The F1 is the first filial relationship in a cross.

When a third or fourth breed is introduced the designation becomes F2, or F3.

Maximum heterosis is achieved when a true F1 is bred to a third breed. The resultant offspring should usually be sold and not used for further breeding, but by going back to one of the first 2 components of the original F1, a decent result can be obtained.

Moving strictly into cattle, the problem that has occured in North America is that most ranchers never learned proper crossbreeding techniques. They move from one breed to the next, sometimes even breeding multiple breeds at the same time. When the 4th breed is introduced, heterosis is actually reduced, making straightbred or F1's superior in most every trait.

Finally after years of mongrel cattle the nations cowherd is being cleaned up by using one breed more than others, Angus.

Why Angus? Angus is a maternal breed that has good feed conversion and excellent carcass traits, along with a vast gene pool and accurate epd's. Once ranches have used Angus for 2 or 3 generations, they can embark on limited crossbreeding again to use heterosis to their advantage.

An alternative to this approach would be to purchase straightbred heifers or true F1 crosses from herds that never got carried away with multiple crosses.

Jason Trowbridge Southern Angus Farms Alberta Canada

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> I was under the impression that an
> F-1 cross refered to the cross of
> 2 registered animals of different
> breeds. An Angus/Hereford F-1
> cross would be an Angus Bull
> crossed with a Hereford cow. The
> F-1 designation allows breeders to
> trace the ancestery more easily.
> Perhaps some one more knowledgible
> will be able to shed more light. I
> will be interested in reading
> future responses. Thanks for
> listening,

> Mack

A true F-1 is a cross between two different purebreds. F-2 is Purebred X F-1. F-3.....etc.

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