Interesting article on PROFIT!

[Brandonm2]

I wouldn't disagree with much in the article. Heterosis is proven over and over.

5. My Angus bulls' weaning and yearling weights are comparable or better than the crossbred calves running through my local sale barns..

Frankie, I agree with the rest of your post, but how does one make these statements jibe?

Most of the cattle at the stockyard are grade cows crossed to grade bulls usually of different breeds. A breeder who uses performance Herefords x performance Angus x performance Charolais is going to wean HEAVIER calves than the guy who breeds mediocre Herefords x mediocre Angus x mediocre Charolais (for just one crossbreeding example). Both breeders are getting heterosis and are weaning more pounds of calves than if they were straight breeding; but there are purebred Hereford herds which are weaning a 620+ pound calf crop, dittoe with Charolais and Anguses. While those cattle would have better perfromance by crossbreeding, those pure performance lines surpass the performance of average grade crossbred cattle. Also a lot of heterosis effects are not visible at the stockyard. Increased female fertility and longevity and calf survival rates translates into dollars on the farm; but aren't measured by a scale.

 

[tapeworm]

4. One of the biggest complaints by consumers about beef is lack of consistency. I believe straightbred cattle will be more consistent than crossbred cattle.

Bingo, Frankie. The next change to come about in the industry will, IMHO, be focusing on creating a more consistent product. I don't believe it will focus on any particular breed as much as it will focus on the genes needed to create consistency. I know growth is very important, but quality will be key the next time times get tough. Whether a fellow straight or cross breeds, they will have to prove they can provide a consistent, quality product.

Bingo to you to Dph..I wished that some of these breeders would quit chasing the biggest numbers..admit there where they need to be on yw..ww...mm..ect and quit trying to outdo the guy in the next advertisment. Now is time for some of these breeders to show whos got the biggest huevos and start a new trend....to say enough is enough on chasing bigger numbers and start focusing on TENDERNESS. Whether you like a lean select high cutting cont carcass or a high quality marbeled up angus steak...tenderness is what we need...not ever once in a while...tenderness ever time!!!!!

 

[Brandonm2]

That SOUNDs good; but the customers of the seedstock guys is NOT the consumer; but rather the commercial cow/calf guys. And most of the commercial cow/calf guys sell by the pound, usually straight off the cow. Most don't want 1500++ pound cows to feed; but they still want the biggest payday they can get when they run those cows' calves through the yard. Until there is a way of identifying the tender calves in the ring (other than discounting the eared calves and the wild calves) there is no direct market reason to breed for tenderness. If your buying bulls you want a sound bull with the frame you desire with the biggest performance/EPD numbers you can get. Which bull is tender is not easily quantifiable and is not really relevant.

 

[dph]

Brandonm2: You should be able to currently, with any breeder keeping up with the times, go to a sale and listed along with the bulls numbers is a list of the copies of the desired and identified marbling and tenderness genes that bull carries. Some bulls won't have it. The biggest problem is some big names in the Angus breed, 1407, for instance, don't test well. But nobody is going to want to kill the semen sales, or the sales of the many, many sons of 1407 just yet, or 878, or BR Midland. Those bulls are making owners and breeders millions of dollars. But these same breeders, when they get the genes in their favor, are going to discount any breeder or bull that doesn't carry them. Express, for instance, has the only identified 8 star bull, just wait the spring after next when they begin selling sons out of him, if his sons turn out. You won't believe how well they will tout it.

You should be able to find bulls that have the confirmation and the numbers you are looking for, along with a few of these genes. When tenderness does become a similar program to CAB, for instance, how many years will it take you to breed those genes into your herd? I am not saying you have to start tomorrow, but it will very much be something you will consider in the future. And, in my opinion, I think it will be something that will dominate discussion more than which breed is the new thing. And will begin to peel back the the thought that my calves just need to be black-hided. There is also no reason that in order to get the tenderness genes a fellow has to give up growth. I haven't noticed that any calve that tests well genetically has sub-par growth numbers. I would be more concerned about over focusing on these genes and giving up confirmation.

 

[Brandonm2]

Obviously, if you are a seedstock guy paying $25 a straw for a fancy bull with a big picture in the Angus Journal you want to get a bull who is sound, looks nice, has a pedigree that is respectable, has good individual performance, good EPDs, AND the 8star tenderness test; but the commercial guy who needs his cows settled isn't going to get paid for those genes at his local yard anytime in the forseeable future.

 

[dun]

Obviously, if you are a seedstock guy paying $25 a straw for a fancy bull with a big picture in the Angus Journal you want to get a bull who is sound, looks nice, has a pedigree that is respectable, has good individual performance, good EPDs, AND the 8star tenderness test; but the commercial guy who needs his cows settled isn't going to get paid for those genes at his local yard anytime in the forseeable future.

That's where the different marketing takes place. If you have the genes and quality, retain ownership, sell in potloads with others that have the same genetics, sell direct to the consumer, etc.
It's seems to me that the two most important aspects of the business is forage managment and marketing the product(forage).

dun

 

[Susie David]

IMO...once the tenderness issue has becoms a constant within a select breed or breed line, then, the marketing folks will have a field day and the demand will be created in the end consumer market. Cattle identified as genetically tender will be in demand much like CAB is now and Hereford beef was a few years ago.
DMC