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From Cow Calf Weekly (long)
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<blockquote data-quote="Anonymous" data-source="post: 6625"><p>> Our Perspective Hybrid Vigor Is</p><p>> The Industry's Only Free Lunch At</p><p>> the recent Beef Improvement</p><p>> Federation meeting in Lexington,</p><p>> KY, one breeding specialist after</p><p>> another trumpeted the benefits of</p><p>> hybrid vigor and utilizing breed</p><p>> complementarity. Yet, statistics</p><p>> show that nearly 1 in 5 commercial</p><p>> cows are still straight breds. Why</p><p>> has the industry been so slow to</p><p>> utilize the tools of cross</p><p>> breeding, breed complementarity</p><p>> and planned mating systems?</p><p></p><p>> Colorado State University's Tom</p><p>> Field provided some</p><p>> well-documented points on the</p><p>> value of and need for</p><p>> crossbreeding:</p><p></p><p>> No one breed does all things well</p><p>> and no one breed is without</p><p>> weaknesses. Careful matching of</p><p>> breed strengths and weaknesses can</p><p>> yield optimal trait combinations.</p><p>> Hybrid vigor provides a buffer</p><p>> against environmental stress, and</p><p>> allows crossbred animals to excel</p><p>> the average of their parents.</p><p>> Heterosis is most advantageous in</p><p>> the lowly heritable traits like</p><p>> reproductive performance, calf</p><p>> survival and cow longevity. So,</p><p>> given that and all the years of</p><p>> research documenting that</p><p>> crossbreeding systems improve net</p><p>> income from 11-19%, why haven't</p><p>> these techniques been more fully</p><p>> exploited?</p><p></p><p>> The most common reason is perhaps</p><p>> simplicity. Many of these mating</p><p>> systems are too complicated to</p><p>> implement. Crossbreeding requires</p><p>> a plan, and a breeding program</p><p>> built on the bull-of-the-month</p><p>> club can actually take a program</p><p>> backwards. Plus, when it comes to</p><p>> the benefits of hybrid vigor and</p><p>> heterosis, many producers tend to</p><p>> think in terms of the highly</p><p>> heritable traits like growth.</p><p></p><p>> In addition, within-breed</p><p>> selection has made the advantages</p><p>> of hybrid vigor in relationship to</p><p>> growth less advantageous. In fact,</p><p>> a major challenge of implementing</p><p>> a sound crossbreeding program is</p><p>> in getting too much — too much</p><p>> milk, too much birth weight, too</p><p>> much growth and too much mature</p><p>> size.</p><p></p><p>> The cattle industry has just begun</p><p>> to develop expertise to measure</p><p>> genetic differences in crossbred</p><p>> cattle and provide</p><p>> composite/hybrid/F1 seedstock.</p><p>> This eliminates the need for</p><p>> multiple breeding pastures and</p><p>> wide swings in biological types.</p><p></p><p>> Also, crossbreeding can't be</p><p>> considered a substitute for</p><p>> applying selection pressure. In</p><p>> many cases, crossbreeding systems</p><p>> have been utilized not to improve</p><p>> economic performance but rather to</p><p>> maintain performance while</p><p>> incorporating inferior but</p><p>> inexpensive genetics.</p><p></p><p>> The bottom line is that any</p><p>> commercial operation that isn't</p><p>> leveraging the benefits of</p><p>> heterosis and breed</p><p>> complementarity should take a</p><p>> close look at what that decision</p><p>> is costing them in efficiency.</p><p>> That's especially true considering</p><p>> that the industry has developed</p><p>> the tools needed to make more</p><p>> informed breeding, management and</p><p>> marketing decisions and measure</p><p>> their economic impact on an</p><p>> individual operation's</p><p>> profitability. -- Troy Marshall</p><p></p><p>These are some good, basic facts that cattle producers need to be reminded of (oh, a couple breed associations should review this too).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Anonymous, post: 6625"] > Our Perspective Hybrid Vigor Is > The Industry's Only Free Lunch At > the recent Beef Improvement > Federation meeting in Lexington, > KY, one breeding specialist after > another trumpeted the benefits of > hybrid vigor and utilizing breed > complementarity. Yet, statistics > show that nearly 1 in 5 commercial > cows are still straight breds. Why > has the industry been so slow to > utilize the tools of cross > breeding, breed complementarity > and planned mating systems? > Colorado State University's Tom > Field provided some > well-documented points on the > value of and need for > crossbreeding: > No one breed does all things well > and no one breed is without > weaknesses. Careful matching of > breed strengths and weaknesses can > yield optimal trait combinations. > Hybrid vigor provides a buffer > against environmental stress, and > allows crossbred animals to excel > the average of their parents. > Heterosis is most advantageous in > the lowly heritable traits like > reproductive performance, calf > survival and cow longevity. So, > given that and all the years of > research documenting that > crossbreeding systems improve net > income from 11-19%, why haven't > these techniques been more fully > exploited? > The most common reason is perhaps > simplicity. Many of these mating > systems are too complicated to > implement. Crossbreeding requires > a plan, and a breeding program > built on the bull-of-the-month > club can actually take a program > backwards. Plus, when it comes to > the benefits of hybrid vigor and > heterosis, many producers tend to > think in terms of the highly > heritable traits like growth. > In addition, within-breed > selection has made the advantages > of hybrid vigor in relationship to > growth less advantageous. In fact, > a major challenge of implementing > a sound crossbreeding program is > in getting too much — too much > milk, too much birth weight, too > much growth and too much mature > size. > The cattle industry has just begun > to develop expertise to measure > genetic differences in crossbred > cattle and provide > composite/hybrid/F1 seedstock. > This eliminates the need for > multiple breeding pastures and > wide swings in biological types. > Also, crossbreeding can't be > considered a substitute for > applying selection pressure. In > many cases, crossbreeding systems > have been utilized not to improve > economic performance but rather to > maintain performance while > incorporating inferior but > inexpensive genetics. > The bottom line is that any > commercial operation that isn't > leveraging the benefits of > heterosis and breed > complementarity should take a > close look at what that decision > is costing them in efficiency. > That's especially true considering > that the industry has developed > the tools needed to make more > informed breeding, management and > marketing decisions and measure > their economic impact on an > individual operation's > profitability. -- Troy Marshall These are some good, basic facts that cattle producers need to be reminded of (oh, a couple breed associations should review this too). [/QUOTE]
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