What qualifies as an "outcross" ?

[Dylan Biggs]

How many generations away from a common ancesteral lineage do individuals have to be to qualify as an outcross mating?

It seems the term gets used very loosely any more which is understanable when you consider that probably more then 95% of the Angus population stems from either Band, Rito and or Emulous lines for the last 40 to 50 years at any rate.

Genetically speaking I always thought for a mating to be considered an outcross the gentic lineage must be unrelated.

Any thoughts?

 

[Brandonm22]

If cattle are in the same "breed", they are by definition related. Now how many generations does it take to define an "outcross"? That is very open for debate.

 

[Dylan Biggs]

And if cattle are of the same subspecies they are by definition related.

 

[Aaron]

I think you would need at least 10 generations of completely different lineage before you could consider it an outcross within a single breed, but likely even more. The word "outcross" is a big ad word in the Hereford world.

 

[robert]

the word outcross is comfort food for folks who don't want to read what is actually on the reg paper, all those 'outcross carcass genetics' that were stacking 1680 and 9J9 just off the paper came around to bite a lot of folks in the rear, as you pointed out, the SAV and Ohlde genetics are not so different, just the result of following different phentypic parameters. One group of cattle that could reasonably be considered outcross to the current Angus population might be Wye.

 

[Oldtimer]

One group of cattle that could reasonably be considered outcross to the current Angus population might be Wye.

Also Shoshone lines.... A lot of the outcross hype is just sales promotion....

Monarch Farms
Seventh Metamorphosis Angus Bull & Female Sale

180 Head Sell

THIS SATURDAY,
February 19, 2011
Folsom, LA



Lot 26 - Monarch Blackcap R591
GAR Retail Product x 6I6

Lot 44 - Monarch Blackbird 0015
GAR Predestined x BR Midland

Lot 55 - Monarch Rita T427
SAV Net Worth 4200 x N Bar Emulation EXT

Lot 77 - Monarch Miss Countess T316
GAR Predestined x BR Midland

I received this in an e-mail this morning from one of the sales manager outfits...What is a "Metamorphosized" angus bull ?

 

[Dylan Biggs]

OT, whatever it is it sounds like it will give you a heck of an outcross punch.

It makes me wonder though if inbreed outcross hybrid vigour is simply the creation of creative marketing efforts.

There must be some research out there that would substantiate the strenght or degree of an inbreed outcross effect or prove it is simply wishfull thinking.

 

[Hereford76]

There must be some research out there that would substantiate the strenght or degree of an inbreed outcross effect or prove it is simply wishfull thinking.

heard numberous straight horned breeders dabbling with polled herefords say they seem some vigor... a couple even said they were basically F1s. would be neat to see a study on it.

 

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

I think the degree of linebreeding that has been used can also influence the number of generations that are necessary to be declared an outcross.