Hereford Milking Ability

[HerefordSire]

Do Horned Herefords milk more than Polled Herefords?

I ran a query with MM > 30 and Accuracy > .75 and generated a list of 19 animals. All 19 were horned except for the #2 which was P606 and #18 which was 29F and one that was not discernable. Interestingly, the name Titan showed up twice.

Here is the #1 on the list:

http://www.herfnet.com/online/cgi-bin/i ... 6&9=515A5B

 

[Herefords.US]

Do Horned Herefords milk more than Polled Herefords?

I ran a query with MM > 30 and Accuracy > .75 and generated a list of 19 animals. All 19 were horned except for the #2 which was P606 and #18 which was 29F and one that was not discernable. Interestingly, the name Titan showed up twice.

Here is the #1 on the list:

http://www.herfnet.com/online/cgi-bin/i ... 6&9=515A5B

I always heard those ol' Simmi's could really milk! :tiphat:

 

[KNERSIE]

Do Horned Herefords milk more than Polled Herefords?

Probably yes, the L1s make a large proportion out of the total horned base in the USA. For years the Miles City herd was selected based on increasing weaning weights, this led to much emphasis on maternal taits. Today the L1s are still just about the cream of hereford maternal genetics.

If you asked the same question twenty years ago, the difference would have had a significant effect on performance, but nowadays i think the polls milk more than well enough and the biggest risk is now pushing milk too far and not so much not having enough.

Maximum isn't neccesarily optimum

 

[HerefordSire]

Do Horned Herefords milk more than Polled Herefords?

Probably yes, the L1s make a large proportion out of the total horned base in the USA. For years the Miles City herd was selected based on increasing weaning weights, this led to much emphasis on maternal taits. Today the L1s are still just about the cream of hereford maternal genetics.

If you asked the same question twenty years ago, the difference would have had a significant effect on performance, but nowadays i think the polls milk more than well enough and the biggest risk is now pushing milk too far and not so much not having enough.

Maximum isn't neccesarily optimum

Excess milk appears to be a waste of energy.....it seems more logical to me to breed for the low end in milking ability than the high end. In other words, breed just enough milk to get by with very heathy weights and no more.

 

[KNERSIE]

Do Horned Herefords milk more than Polled Herefords?

Probably yes, the L1s make a large proportion out of the total horned base in the USA. For years the Miles City herd was selected based on increasing weaning weights, this led to much emphasis on maternal taits. Today the L1s are still just about the cream of hereford maternal genetics.

If you asked the same question twenty years ago, the difference would have had a significant effect on performance, but nowadays i think the polls milk more than well enough and the biggest risk is now pushing milk too far and not so much not having enough.

Maximum isn't neccesarily optimum

Excess milk appears to be a waste of energy.....it seems more logical to me to breed for the low end in milking ability than the high end. In other words, breed just enough milk to get by with very heathy weights and no more.

Surely I'm not rubbing off on you?! :shock:

 

[HerefordSire]

Surely I'm not rubbing off on you?! :shock:

I will admit, I have been known to be hard headed and stubborn. At the same time, if one keeps something inside and doesn't vent (place one's head on the guillatine), so to speak, how is one supposed to learn in the shortest period of time? After the efficient milk plateau is reached, then it could gradually be increased in an attempt to increase the poundage produced. Premature milk production would be a waste of energy unless the excess was used to offset a proven negative milk producing animal(s) in a more complex strategy. Therefore, by producing a proven minimum trait leading milk EPD number, it would allow a little room to grow poundage and utility by other breeders.