Genetic Trends - Hereford

[Herefords.US]

Fall 2010 Genetic Trend Report:
http://hereford.org/static/files/f10_Trend.pdf

For the first time since 1976, in 2009, BW EPD went down from the previous year. All other EPD averages went up, including Fat.

The most noteworthy thing to me was the huge reduction in numbers reported (count) from the previous year. For instance BW count went from 112,568 in 2008 to 97,259 in 2009. Some sort of anomaly or have we really lost that high of a percentage of the base cowherd?

George

 

[WichitaLineMan]

I'd say all things equal BW down and fat up is good.

 

[KNERSIE]

I'd say all things equal BW down and fat up is good.

I agree.

 

[dun]

I'd say all things equal BW down and fat up is good.

I agree.

Only if it's marbling and not backfat. That's the one problem I see with Herefords today is too much backfat, everything else is just fine.

 

[Idaman]

Being the natural skeptic. Could the BW be going down because there is so much pressure in that area? The fat going up wouldn't qualify that way but lots of Hereford breeders have been getting slaughtered on BW.

 

[WichitaLineMan]

I'd say all things equal BW down and fat up is good.

I agree.

Only if it's marbling and not backfat. That's the one problem I see with Herefords today is too much backfat, everything else is just fine.

It is backfat. We need to get some of the "doing ability" back in a lot of Herefords. If you have too much backfat in your cattle use a terminal Charolais or Limousin that should take care of your backfat "problem". Herefords are a maternal breed and the backfat is a plus for them not a minus.

 

[Herefords.US]

Being the natural skeptic. Could the BW be going down because there is so much pressure in that area? The fat going up wouldn't qualify that way but lots of Hereford breeders have been getting slaughtered on BW.

The BW EPD had been stable for several years. This reversal is likely the beginning of a trend toward lower BW EPD averages and probably has been helped along by the wider availability of AI bulls like Harland and Ribeye.

George

 

[Idaman]

Maybe also the pressure for lower birth weights has (encouraged) some of our stalwart breeders to use the BW tape which I understand lowers BW by about 6 or 7 lbs below the scale.

See the skeptic.

 

[Brandonm22]

I don't like extreme cattle (too fat, too lean, too high birth wt., too low birth wt.) but it is long long past time that Hereford breeders paid some attention to decreasing birth weights.

 

[RD-Sam]

The increase in calving ease is more significant than the minor loss in birth weight.

 

[dun]

Herefords are a maternal breed and the backfat is a plus for them not a minus.

Only up to a point. Too much backfat will kill you at slaughter time if you retain ownership. Yield grade number goes up and check number goes down

 

[KNERSIE]

Herefords are a maternal breed and the backfat is a plus for them not a minus.

Only up to a point. Too much backfat will kill you at slaughter time if you retain ownership. Yield grade number goes up and check number goes down

Just looking at the hereford pics posted I fear too many had been too successfull in breeding the backfat (and do-ability) away.

 

[smnherf]

Herefords are a maternal breed and the backfat is a plus for them not a minus.

Only up to a point. Too much backfat will kill you at slaughter time if you retain ownership. Yield grade number goes up and check number goes down

I agree, too much backfat combined with low REA and low IMF is a bad combination when it comes to yield grades and you end up with yg 4 and 5 select cattle. Interesting that this is one of the reasons that they had the type conferences in the 1970s that ultimately led to the frame race and the trend away from Hereford cattle toward leaner larger framed exotic cattle and ultimately to Herefords being discounted in the marketplace. I fully realize the importance of maintaining fleshing ability in the cowherd, but keep everything in perspective.

 

[Northern Rancher]

We've retained ownership on our calves for many years-they are straight British cattle Angus/Horned Hereford/South Devon-it doesn't take long for a big carcass type cow to eat up her progeny's grid premium. I wonder how many people telling us what kind of cattle to raise and feed have ever seen a lot closeout or paid a feed bill. Alot of wisdom is just rehashed breed propaganda. If I want to use RWF cattle to bump up my yield grade I don't need to use a Hereford although baldy steers will usually yield grade a bit better than straight blacks. I think when Hereford lost the focus on making good mother cows and started trying to outmilk and outgrow Simmental cattle is when the breed lost it's way-at least up north here.

 

[KNERSIE]

I think when Hereford lost the focus on making good mother cows and started trying to outmilk and outgrow Simmental cattle is when the breed lost it's way-at least up north here.

I think that pretty much applies world wide

 

[SRBeef]

As a beginner I missed a lot of the earlier Hereford ups and downs. I can see where extreme growth and extreme milk are not desireable. But I am still unconvinced that excess backfat is a positive or necessary even in a cold northern climate, especially in a Hereford.

When I get an animal processed I specify I want the cuts really trimmed close because that is what my customers want. We need to focus on what the ultimate consumer wants in beef. Internal fat in the middle of a rib cut seems to me to be related to backfat more than marbling. This internal fat is a consumer negative. We want marbling fat and large ribeye area, not excess backfat.

As long as a cow has enough fat to maintain condition in late lactation after spring calving and to get through a cold winter why have more? Extra backfat which is just going to have to be trimmed off at some point before that beef hits the table is not a plus, as far as I can see, as long as that animal has enough to do her job.

The trick may be to get the marbling fat without the backfat and intra-rib fat, whatever that is called. Jim

 

[Herefords.US]

But I am still unconvinced that excess backfat is a positive or necessary even in a cold northern climate, especially in a Hereford.
Jim

My climate sure isn't cold, but I definitely see a need for a little extra backfat in my cowherd because I see an advantage in the ability of a cow to put on a little extra fat in the lush times to get them through the lean times.

If my cows always had the kind of pasture like yours do, Jim, it probably wouldn't be an important issue either.

But my cows winter on dry native grass, no hay, protein tubs, and an occasional sack of range cubes when I go check on them every 10 days or so. The only corn that my cattle see is through a fence - in the fenced-in feeders that the hunters put out for the deer.

George

 

[dun]

But I am still unconvinced that excess backfat is a positive or necessary even in a cold northern climate, especially in a Hereford.
Jim

My climate sure isn't cold, but I definitely see a need for a little extra backfat in my cowherd because I see an advantage in the ability of a cow to put on a little extra fat in the lush times to get them through the lean times.

If my cows always had the kind of pasture like yours do, Jim, it probably wouldn't be an important issue either.

But my cows winter on dry native grass, no hay, protein tubs, and an occasional sack of range cubes when I go check on them every 10 days or so. The only corn that my cattle see is through a fence - in the fenced-in feeders that the hunters put out for the deer.

George

Our cows winter the same as yours but we may be a bit colder. When they look fat they are fat. This year that's a plus though since they're staying fat on P-poor forage (no rain) and still raising good calves. Of course the straight Red Angus are doing the same thing.

 

[SRBeef]

But I am still unconvinced that excess backfat is a positive or necessary even in a cold northern climate, especially in a Hereford.
Jim

My climate sure isn't cold, but I definitely see a need for a little extra backfat in my cowherd because I see an advantage in the ability of a cow to put on a little extra fat in the lush times to get them through the lean times.

If my cows always had the kind of pasture like yours do, Jim, it probably wouldn't be an important issue either.

But my cows winter on dry native grass, no hay, protein tubs, and an occasional sack of range cubes when I go check on them every 10 days or so. The only corn that my cattle see is through a fence - in the fenced-in feeders that the hunters put out for the deer.

George

George, Here is a picture of about the two lowest backfat cattle I have from January 18th, 2009. The temperature the night before had reached about -30 deg F and was about -15 deg F when I took the picture. T-21 was still a yearling at that time.

They had been grazing corn as well as hay at the time (but no more corn for retained females or bull).

They both got through these temperatures with no problem. They have no other shelter other than the woods. They are in their winter coats. This is one of the things I like about Herefords. They can do this with minimal fuss. And with minimal backfat.

 

[Herefords.US]

Perhaps I should clarify. We could just be arguing points of relevance.

I took a look and the sire of my foundation cows has fat EPDS that are in the top 2% of the breed for LOW fat(.76 accuracy). And the sire of my foundation sire has fat EPDs that in the top 25% of the breed (.75 accuracy). Both bulls are in the top 1% of the breed for REA, as well as the bottom 10% of the breed for IMF.

When I looked at the daughters (results of mating my foundation cows with my foundation sire) and how they fare in my grazing environment, I felt they could be improved by reducing frame, adding volume, and adding a healthy degree of "fluff" (fat), while maintaining their thickness of muscling. Those criteria were what I used as a basis to select the bull I bought from Star Lake. Thus far, the results of those matings have exceeded my expectations. The calves have the appearance of being easier fleshing and are generally more moderate in frame than their dams and also carry more volume. The true test comes when the first heifers from the matings calve in about a year.

From my perspective, because the sires and bloodlines I chose to use as my herd foundation were pretty widely used, and because I chose to concentrate on those lines in many of the herds I visited and the cattle I looked at, my impression is that these Hereford cattle could generally all benefit from an infusion of fat. And I stand by that belief!

I would say that's also true of Jim's bull - particularly if he had to live in my grazing environment. But probably not true of Jim's "target" cows.

George