I read page 2 of the article -- interesting information although I didn't read it entirely. I didn't see much information based on science, rather some guys opinion.
Here in the US, we have MARC (Meat Animal Research Center), which is a third party govt run organization that has been applying real world situations to the 18 most popular breeds used in the US. They annually produce the Across breed EPD's for the above mentioned. Over the last 5-6 decades they have seen improvements based on cross-breeding (hence hybrid vigor) over straight bred cattle. There are a few associations that will tout straight breeding like Angus, but it is seen as a way to market cattle and not really looking out for the industry as a whole. Gelbvieh is in the Across breed EPD chart -- you will see that there is little information on them as far as carcass data goes-- they are limited. We are all really in the meat business here and not the cattle business, ya know.
Angus have given us a multitude of genetic defects through these very ideals (line-breeding). http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...iact=rc&uact=3&dur=978&page=1&start=0&ndsp=26
This is not something we aspire to.
As far as jumping on the black hide bandwagon goes --- you could sooner hold back the tide than to change how people feel about the black hide vs any other color you want to name -- in your lifetime. Why bet on a losing game. It doesn't mean you have to conform, but if you want to increase the market share of your cattle being utilized in the US or Canada -- you will have to raise what the masses want - right/wrong --it is the way it is. They will say "If your breed is so great add it to the PBSM Registry --let's see how you stack up".
The best thing about the PBSM Registry is that they do allow other breeds in. This is a way to use the best genetics from many different breeds regardless of color or any other phenotypical attribute. Who really cares if they "lose their identity" if we produce the best possible breeding animal for the masses. No one breed is perfect by any stretch of the imagination and I think this is one thing we can all agree to. Identity is not as important as producing the best quality breeding stock for those folks that work tirelessly to put something on our plate --is it?
This was done (allowing other breeds into the registry) to increase market share or said in a better way to increase economic value. ASA knew that the traditional Simmental (Fleckvieh) had a much lower economic value compared to the other breeds in the US/Canada based on the quality parameters. Simmental had to change if they wanted an equal share of the pie --it's just this simple. In the real world, everything we succeed in is based on economic value and this is one way I form my opinion about breeds or crossbreeds of cattle. The bottom line for production folks is making a profit. The ethical thing for Breeders is to produce the best individual for sales to the production folks.
A closed population offers the cattleman/woman very little, no variation; they advocate straight breeding (to increase market share), which is not always in the best interest of the whole industry and some Identity -- sadly, identity doesn't pay the bills.
Before the information age and DNA markers and EPD's were widely used as quality parameters, we used performance as a "Predictor" - for cows (cow families) and bulls. Many put so much emphasis on bulls that they sometimes forget that the Dam plays a huge role in passing the traits of economic importance. For example, we know that much of the carcass merit traits for a calf comes from the MGS (Maternal Grand Sire).
This is an interesting topic and maybe we should look at cattle based on economic value (genotype) rather than phenotype. I do know that when Simmental decided to change, thus admitting that they had some issues within the breed to hopefully overcome; the die hard Fleckvieh Breeders broke off and formed the Fleckvieh Federation.
I think this was a huge mistake, on their part, and it was like telling the world that "hey we have the best of everything" which couldn't be further from the truth and in reality (which everyone knows anyway) they are very much lacking in many of the traits of economic importance. Even Simbrah, which is Fleckvieh-based genetics has surpassed the FB Simmental in the carcass parameters (by using more PBSM bulls). This further proves how a closed population like Angus or even Fleckvieh (that advocates straight breeding) does little or nothing to increase economic value. Based on Economic Value the Full Blood SM wont work in a world of ever-increasing inputs.
:tiphat:
Here in the US, we have MARC (Meat Animal Research Center), which is a third party govt run organization that has been applying real world situations to the 18 most popular breeds used in the US. They annually produce the Across breed EPD's for the above mentioned. Over the last 5-6 decades they have seen improvements based on cross-breeding (hence hybrid vigor) over straight bred cattle. There are a few associations that will tout straight breeding like Angus, but it is seen as a way to market cattle and not really looking out for the industry as a whole. Gelbvieh is in the Across breed EPD chart -- you will see that there is little information on them as far as carcass data goes-- they are limited. We are all really in the meat business here and not the cattle business, ya know.
Angus have given us a multitude of genetic defects through these very ideals (line-breeding). http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...iact=rc&uact=3&dur=978&page=1&start=0&ndsp=26
This is not something we aspire to.
As far as jumping on the black hide bandwagon goes --- you could sooner hold back the tide than to change how people feel about the black hide vs any other color you want to name -- in your lifetime. Why bet on a losing game. It doesn't mean you have to conform, but if you want to increase the market share of your cattle being utilized in the US or Canada -- you will have to raise what the masses want - right/wrong --it is the way it is. They will say "If your breed is so great add it to the PBSM Registry --let's see how you stack up".
The best thing about the PBSM Registry is that they do allow other breeds in. This is a way to use the best genetics from many different breeds regardless of color or any other phenotypical attribute. Who really cares if they "lose their identity" if we produce the best possible breeding animal for the masses. No one breed is perfect by any stretch of the imagination and I think this is one thing we can all agree to. Identity is not as important as producing the best quality breeding stock for those folks that work tirelessly to put something on our plate --is it?
This was done (allowing other breeds into the registry) to increase market share or said in a better way to increase economic value. ASA knew that the traditional Simmental (Fleckvieh) had a much lower economic value compared to the other breeds in the US/Canada based on the quality parameters. Simmental had to change if they wanted an equal share of the pie --it's just this simple. In the real world, everything we succeed in is based on economic value and this is one way I form my opinion about breeds or crossbreeds of cattle. The bottom line for production folks is making a profit. The ethical thing for Breeders is to produce the best individual for sales to the production folks.
A closed population offers the cattleman/woman very little, no variation; they advocate straight breeding (to increase market share), which is not always in the best interest of the whole industry and some Identity -- sadly, identity doesn't pay the bills.
Before the information age and DNA markers and EPD's were widely used as quality parameters, we used performance as a "Predictor" - for cows (cow families) and bulls. Many put so much emphasis on bulls that they sometimes forget that the Dam plays a huge role in passing the traits of economic importance. For example, we know that much of the carcass merit traits for a calf comes from the MGS (Maternal Grand Sire).
This is an interesting topic and maybe we should look at cattle based on economic value (genotype) rather than phenotype. I do know that when Simmental decided to change, thus admitting that they had some issues within the breed to hopefully overcome; the die hard Fleckvieh Breeders broke off and formed the Fleckvieh Federation.
I think this was a huge mistake, on their part, and it was like telling the world that "hey we have the best of everything" which couldn't be further from the truth and in reality (which everyone knows anyway) they are very much lacking in many of the traits of economic importance. Even Simbrah, which is Fleckvieh-based genetics has surpassed the FB Simmental in the carcass parameters (by using more PBSM bulls). This further proves how a closed population like Angus or even Fleckvieh (that advocates straight breeding) does little or nothing to increase economic value. Based on Economic Value the Full Blood SM wont work in a world of ever-increasing inputs.
:tiphat:
