Purpose Driven Cattle

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Kent

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Jul 27, 2005
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North Georgia
I just read the Black Ink article on Purpose Driven Cattle, and came across something that I don't agree with. I wanted to get some other opinions.

We have all heard the old axiom that reproductive traits are 5 times more important than growth traits and 10 times more than carcass traits for the cow-calf man. This article says that the newest research puts reproductive traits BELOW growth and carcass traits for those who retain ownership.

I cannot imagine a situation where a farmer who produces calves could put importance on ANY trait over reproduction. This is saying that in some cows and in some years, it is better for her not to produce a calf at all than to have one that doesn't grow off well or that ends up being a YG 4 Standard calf. I just don't get it. Anybody else have any thoughts?
 
That sounds stupid even to me! Why have a cow if not for her to have a calf??
 
Kent":1tjfutdm said:
I just read the Black Ink article on Purpose Driven Cattle, and came across something that I don't agree with. I wanted to get some other opinions.

We have all heard the old axiom that reproductive traits are 5 times more important than growth traits and 10 times more than carcass traits for the cow-calf man. This article says that the newest research puts reproductive traits BELOW growth and carcass traits for those who retain ownership.

I cannot imagine a situation where a farmer who produces calves could put importance on ANY trait over reproduction. This is saying that in some cows and in some years, it is better for her not to produce a calf at all than to have one that doesn't grow off well or that ends up being a YG 4 Standard calf. I just don't get it. Anybody else have any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Guess the article isn't online?
 
I would like to see the whole article. What calculations or research did they offer to back up their statements?
 
Kent":91xxy03s said:
I just read the Black Ink article on Purpose Driven Cattle, and came across something that I don't agree with. I wanted to get some other opinions.

We have all heard the old axiom that reproductive traits are 5 times more important than growth traits and 10 times more than carcass traits for the cow-calf man. This article says that the newest research puts reproductive traits BELOW growth and carcass traits for those who retain ownership.

I cannot imagine a situation where a farmer who produces calves could put importance on ANY trait over reproduction. This is saying that in some cows and in some years, it is better for her not to produce a calf at all than to have one that doesn't grow off well or that ends up being a YG 4 Standard calf. I just don't get it. Anybody else have any thoughts?
Click to expand...

I think the ratios of importance in the article just reflect the amount of money that can be gained or lost at each step. The grid pricing has made it so that there is a huge value difference between the top premiums paid on prime yg1 and the big cut you take for a yg 4 standard. If you run an open cow for a year she may cost you $400+-. If you retain ownership in a calf that makes standard yg 4, how much money did you lose on that calf by the time you pay all your expense.
Maybe not a perfect example but I think that is what they were getting at.

I am not condoning single trait selection and I don't believe the article was either. quote from article "That's why modern beef production goals must be oriented toward an equal balance among these traits."
 
i have to strongly agree with jnowack, when you start getting into those low grades and yeilds, the loss that is taken can exceed the cost of keeping a cow open..... Although at my place i still consider my a cow/calf person rather that a finisher even though we do both... I try to operate each as its own venture... cost wise anyways... so i guess what i am trying to say is that for my cow/calf operation an open cow is a major expense that doesn't get to happen, while everybody feeding calves tries to sta away from the poor ones, but every operation has some.
 
My biggest problem with it is that reproductive traits are lowly heritable. They are not easily improved by selection. A cow that produces a prime YG2 steer every year should go to town if she fails to rebreed on time and no herd bulls out of her should be kept. We can't afford irregularly producing cows in our business.

Now, on a single year basis, I can see how retaining ownership on a calf that ends up YG 4 standard might end up costing more than an open cow for that year, but reproductive efficiency cannot be gambled upon, and I don't think we can just expect crossbreeding to pick up the slack with hybrid vigor. Sooner or later it will bite us.
 

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