Genetic jump

[Alan]

In a early post on Horned Herefords, Greenwillowhereford mentioned if you crossed a horned hereford bull with your polled it would give you a "genetic jump". What can one expect to see out of this genetic jump? and what would the benefits be?

Thanks,
Alan

 

[dun]

I had intended to answer your question when you asked it in the other thread but thought I'ld leave it to greenwillow to clarify.

If I understand the original context it is assumed that there would be some smount of heterosis. From the studies I've read in the past, unless both sides are seperate closely line bred lines, the heterosis is minimal. I think that was from MARC but it could have been from one of the universities.

dun

 

[greenwillowherefords]

As I did state earlier, at least there would be some genetic boost in any eventuality on the crossing of the two branches. There is also a wider gene pool by accessing both branches, whereby one can combine complementary attributes. I would also believe that even one line-bred animal in the equation will contribute the line-bred genetic benefits to some degree while producing a calf that is growthier than the line-bred parent in many cases. Further, there are certainly a number of separate line-bred families to choose from for such a mating. For instance, consider the possibilities of mating Braxton Giants with Hazletts or Line Ones or Canadians.

 

[redangus]

Dun,

Is this the main reason that red angus is trying to breed in some black angus genetics into the red angus breed? Is the 10% increase in growth really an adequate expectation?

 

[dun]

Crossing red and black I don't think would give you any where near 10% increase in anything.
I've seen very little introduction of black genetics into the reds. But a lot of the reds have black genetics in their background because there are still red carrier blacks floating around.
But we're not into the seedstock side of the deal other then occasionally picking up a heifer that really gets me jazzed up. For bulls since we AI 100% and only use high accuracy bulls, if there is black in the background it doesn't make any difference to us. Even the Polled Hereford bulls we use are probably homozygous polled. We're not big into the bloodline deal and don't know the polled lines from the horned. We just know what kind of bulls work for us, if there is a stray horn gene it doesn't matter because the girls are homozygous polled, I'm assuming they are anyway.

dun

 

[redangus]

RA Brown, Ludvigson, and Beiber are three that are doing it quite agressively. What would you expect from the influence of a black/red carrying high quality angus bull into reds?

 

[dun]

RA Brown, Ludvigson, and Beiber are three that are doing it quite agressively. What would you expect from the influence of a black/red carrying high quality angus bull into reds?

I don't see anything in the blacks that isn't available in the reds. It would add diversity to the gene pool and that isn't a bad thing. But since they all came from the same source originally, it would be about the same as horned and polled Herefords.
We do have a couple of black Angus in the tank, but we use them on Holsteins.

dun

 

[hillbilly]

We do have a couple of black Angus in the tank, but we use them on Holsteins.

dun[/quote]



Trying to raise some of those Hillbilly hybreds??

Hillbilly

 

[dun]

We do have a couple of black Angus in the tank, but we use them on Holsteins.

dun

Trying to raise some of those Hillbilly hybreds??

Hillbilly[/quote]

YEEHAW

dun

 

[KB]

redangus,

We are using some Black genetics to mix in with our Reds. Basically it is as Dun has mentioned, we are trying to bring in a little more diversity into the gene pool. It has worked very well....but it is a long road in terms of generations back to the red hide color. Both breeds have a lot to offer the beef industry. We have been marketing some of those in our bull sale and they have been well received by the commercial cattleman. Case in point, one of the nicest heifers in our weaned heifer pen this year is a red Cherokee Canyon daughter out of a black Robin Hood x Traveler 6807 donor cow.

Kelli