Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Forums
Cattle Boards
Breeds Board
What do you think of this bull...
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Help Support CattleToday:
Message
<blockquote data-quote="KNERSIE" data-source="post: 426813" data-attributes="member: 4353"><p>I have been reading about feed efficiency for cattle, and some have suggested that a smaller frame animal is more efficient at converting grass to beef, allowing a higher stocking rate etc. I'm not sure I fully accept the idea to the extent of miniature cattle, but I thought maybe frame size 0 or 1 would make sense for me. But most cattle I've seen are frame 3 and 4 or larger. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Being able to finish on grass in a relatively short period of time requires a certain type of animal. Not neccesarily a certain size animal (avoiding extremes)</p><p></p><p>From my experience as soon as you go smaller than a frame 3.5 or 4 you lose growthability and often lose proportion and balance to the animal. Without balance grass finishing is impossible.</p><p></p><p>If you can find frame 3 or 4 cattle, I would start with that and use a frame 3 or 4 bull, sooner or later you will get a taller calf and also a smaller framed calf. then you will see for yourself that the frame 1 will fare no better than the frame 4. If your phenotype is correct its very possible to finish a frame 6 animal on grass only by the time they are 18 -20 months old. The frame 3 will finish more or less the same time and the frame 1 also very similar. The essence is still in the right phenotype. </p><p></p><p>Ideally I would say use frame 4 cows and breed to a frame 5 bull. You just need to completely forget the weights that are usually associated with frame scores. You need an animal that is heavy for their size, for lack of a better description.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="KNERSIE, post: 426813, member: 4353"] I have been reading about feed efficiency for cattle, and some have suggested that a smaller frame animal is more efficient at converting grass to beef, allowing a higher stocking rate etc. I'm not sure I fully accept the idea to the extent of miniature cattle, but I thought maybe frame size 0 or 1 would make sense for me. But most cattle I've seen are frame 3 and 4 or larger. Being able to finish on grass in a relatively short period of time requires a certain type of animal. Not neccesarily a certain size animal (avoiding extremes) From my experience as soon as you go smaller than a frame 3.5 or 4 you lose growthability and often lose proportion and balance to the animal. Without balance grass finishing is impossible. If you can find frame 3 or 4 cattle, I would start with that and use a frame 3 or 4 bull, sooner or later you will get a taller calf and also a smaller framed calf. then you will see for yourself that the frame 1 will fare no better than the frame 4. If your phenotype is correct its very possible to finish a frame 6 animal on grass only by the time they are 18 -20 months old. The frame 3 will finish more or less the same time and the frame 1 also very similar. The essence is still in the right phenotype. Ideally I would say use frame 4 cows and breed to a frame 5 bull. You just need to completely forget the weights that are usually associated with frame scores. You need an animal that is heavy for their size, for lack of a better description. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Cattle Boards
Breeds Board
What do you think of this bull...
Top