Tom
This is interesting. Tell me what are your overall plans?
Also tell me who you have used that has surprised you in anyway either good or bad.
Not pickin in just interested in what you are doing.
Honestly, my direction continues to evolve. Currently, my goal is to produce consistent tender grass-fed beef that can grade high-choice or better in roughly 30 months. Further, I'd like long-lived, low input cattle that can weather tough times.
I believe that it is necessary for feeder cattle to consistently have their nutritional needs met in order to maintain tenderness. The are studies to back up this belief. Therefore, in order to stick with grass and consistently produce a high-quality tender product, total required nutrients need to be scaled by significantly. Conversion efficiency and lower growth are the only two ways to scale back nutrient requirements.
Further, I want cattle to finish with marbling rather than backfat at a later age on grass. I have come across some very old Hereford genetics that I believe lend themselves to marbling more than backfat. A couple of more years of ultrasound data will confirm or refute my guess.
As for my observations, take them for what they are worth. They are my opinion based on limited sample sets, but I believe the observations will hold – otherwise, I would not make them. In terms of gain on grass, I've found that 15G and Headline S133 genetics do well. Rusty's cows build great condition on grass after the calf is weaned, but they milk very heavily. Therefore, the longevity does not seem to be there, despite Rusty himself living a long time. 517's calves tend to do much better with creep. Some of his dams are low-milking, but they are not hardy. 774 adds frame (for me – I'd guess his progeny average around 6-6.5 frame), quite a bit of white, and marbling. Steers out of 774 really grow on grass, but I'm not a fan of the quality and I've had a few steers from my 774 son that were not very tender. I think BTF Grazer 540 5015 may add more hardiness and more conditioning than any other modern bull I've found, but my best dam from him produces calves that finish with too much backfat (they still marble fairly well). Limited Edition calves do well with supplements but fall apart when only on grass in a drought. 9126J produces large cows, and they seem somewhat hardy with fairly good carcasses. My Knight Ryder influenced genetics seem to outgrow all other genetics. They come out large, but they keep growing. Then again, the calves look like ponies when they are yearlings. They also are difficult to get to breed back when only on grass.
For the older genetics, HCJ Beau Rollo 60 calves almost look like M326 calves at birth (except they average 65 instead of 80 lbs), but at 90 days the 60th calves have butts! They also are about 10 pounds behind the M326 calves at 90 days. The most distinctive calves I have ever had have been from EEH Lamplighter 21. Bred to modern genetics, they average less than 60 lbs at birth, and they come out looking like little blocks. I can tell his calves versus all other genetics at 100+ yards away. They also grow very slowly until about one year of age. Thereafter, they grow fairly quickly. In terms of slow growth, the 21st calves trail M326 calves in total weight by roughly 70-85 pounds at only 90 days of age (yes, I know that's a lot for 90 days). Kudzu calves seem to grow about like M326 calves. My guess is that Kudzu calves will outgrow from weaning to yearling versus M326, because they seem to already have a little more frame at 90 days.
. Any seed stock producer should be making an attempt to move forward with their respective breed.
