What Percent of Hereford Are in America Top Beef Breeds

Revised past Carole H. Knight, Canton Extension ANR Agent – Bulloch Canton
and Ted 1000. Dyer, Former Extension Animal Scientist – Beef Cattle

• Start with the Basics
• General Trends

New cattle producers frequently inquire, "Which breed should I cull?" This question brings cold chills to many knowledgeable cattle producers and excitement to simply as many enthusiastic breeders. The diverseness of resource and management capabilities of any operation makes this question difficult to answer. This publication provides authentic, unbiased information to guide the decision-making process. After reading this publication, you should sympathise why the but right answer is, "It depends!"

The two fundamental categories of beef cattle operations are purebred and commercial. The purebred operation requires more time, record keeping and initial input. The commercial performance is more often than not a lower-input, lower-risk type of venture. When choosing a breed for either a commercial or purebred performance, base your conclusion on profitability. Table 1 illustrates that while production can exist increased by choice for growth, the increased production from crossbreeding is more rapid and price-effective.

Unfortunately, ane of the more than influential factors on brood pick is coat color. How many times have you heard someone say, "I like 'em because they're black"? Glaze color, whether it is cerise, black, white, yellow, grayness or mixed, has little to practise with functioning, merely it does bear upon how people perceive cattle. A herd of purebred cattle will generally exist more uniform in coat color than a herd of crossbred cows. At that place are breeds that will produce all of the colors mentioned in a higher place and more. Every bit a producer, yous must exist satisfied with the color and its uniformity or lack of uniformity. Productivity volition suffer, however, if glaze color is a principal pick trait. If your breed option is more dependent on product and render on investment, make coat option low on the listing of criteria.

Traits used in the final selection procedure should not be afflicted by the type of operation (commercial or purebred). The ane unique attribute of the purebred industry is the high-profile advertising and educational programs, such as field days. The purebred cattle market often provides a college render per moo-cow unit, just at the expense of higher maintenance costs, college convenance costs, more than management inputs and greater risks.

Table 1. Comparison of Production and Profitability betwixt Crossbred Cows, Selected and Unselected Purebred Hereford Cows
	Crossbred	Unselected	Selected*
Pregnancy Rate	83%	86%	79%
Avg. Moo-cow Weight	ane,234 lbs	953 lbs	one,168 lbs
Adj. Weaning Wt.	612 lbs	402 lbs	494 lbs
Calf Crop Weaned per Cow Wintered	87%	84%	73%
Weaning Wt. per Moo-cow Wintered	530 lbs	338 lbs	358 lbs
Return over Feed Price	$21.67	-$nine.72	-$32.42
Adapted from Ritchie, 1986, MSU Research Report FS-473. * Selection was for increased growth rate.

Showtime with the Basics

The factors that influence returns to a commercial operation are calf crop percentage, weaning weight, market price and annual cow costs. The following formula outlines how these factors must residuum in order to optimize profitability.

Annual Price per Cow
Land Feed (grain and mineral) Herd Health		Fertilizer Hay (purchase vs. custom) Depreciation (moo-cow purchase)
Must Equal
Weaning Weight Growth Rate Milk Production Environment	X Calf Crop Percentage 10 Option Bull Fertility Dystocia Health		Market Price Flavor Demand Mgt. Ability

The factors that influence weaning or market weight and dogie ingather percentage are about afflicted past brood choice.

The weaning or marketplace weight of the calves is affected by genetics, milk product of the brood cow, availability of pasture and / or creep feed, and environmental conditions such as temperature, etc. Work toward calving 30 to 60 days prior to the best forage season in your surface area. Cow milk production declines afterwards three months; therefore, supplement the food requirements of the growing calf past making loftier-quality provender available. If your forage system lacks high-quality forages, the choice of a fast-growing, heavy-milking breed would be detrimental to optimum productivity.

Researchers evaluated brood types using varying percentages of European x British and beefiness x dairy crossbred cows. When maintained in like environments, the larger-framed, higher-milking cows had poor reproductive functioning. Thus, when genetic potential for milk is high a cow?southward re-breeding per centum will exist reduced. The growth potential of the calves will only be met when adequate milk production is available. When milk supply is arable and fodder quantity and quality are marginal, the result is a reduced calf crop percentage due to low cyclicity and pregnancy rates; therefore, make certain to friction match your forage production system to the genetic potential of your brood moo-cow herd.

With this "optimum philosophy" in mind, nosotros can look at full general trends in milk product, growth and reproduction of several breeds in the United States.

In the early 1970s, a enquiry projection was started at the Meat Animal Research Heart (MARC) in Clay Center, Nebraska. The projection was designed to evaluate the "recently" imported breeds from Europe and provides the most complete, comprehensive data available. All breeds were non compared, so some information is not available. Breeds may perform differently in Georgia. The project does provide a valid comparing of the cattle in ane common environment.

Table 2 outlines how the breeds compare to the Angus x Hereford crossbred (used equally a standard). The values in the table are listed in ratios. A ratio of 105 indicates a value of 5 percent above the standard of 100; a ratio of 95 indicates a value 5 percent below the standard. The actual percentage is in parenthesis for the percent of cows pregnant later on the first breeding flavour and per centum calf crop weaned. Calving difficulty was reported in actual per centum.

Since there are more than than lxx recognized cattle breeds, it is incommunicable to compare them all at in one case. The breeds are generally grouped into three types: British, European and Zebu-influence. The Zebu-influence breeds were developed in the Gulf Coast region of the Usa.

Table 2. Comparison of Production Traits of Several Breeds
	Calves			Heifers		Cows
	Percent Calving Difficulty	Growth Rate to Weaning	Growth Rate to Yearling	Age at Puberty	% Preg. after kickoff breeding season Ratio (%)	% Calf crop weaned Ratio (%)	% Calving Difficulty	12 hour. milk production	Weaning wt. per cow exposed
Angus ten Hereford	3	100	100	100	100 (87)	100 (84)	13	100	100
Red Poll	4	98	96	106	98 (85)	95 (79)	14	123	99
Southward Devon	12	102	103	102	91 (79)	102 (85)	fifteen	107	105
Tarentaise	half dozen	103	103	102	111 (96)	102 (85)	10	130	112
Pinzaguer	6	104	103	106	114 (99)	102 (85)	13	132	108
Gelbvieh	eight	107	105	109	107 (93)	104 (87)	11	137	116
Simmental	15	105	106	100	93 (80)	99 (83)	17	137	108
Maine Anjou	20	105	108	100	109 (94)	103 (86)	11	105	112
Limousin	9	101	102	92	88 (76)	98 (82)	12	91	100
Charolais	18	107	106	92	86 (75)	96 (80)	xv	91	101
Chianina	12	106	105	92	99 (86)	103 (86)	viii	100	113
Brahman	x	107	103	80	113 (98)	103 (98)	1	150	116
Adapted from USDA MARC Beef Research Progress Reports, No. ane (1982) and No. two (1985)

The American Brahman is composed of iii Zebu breeds, while others such as Brangus, Santa Gertrudis, etc. , are composites of the American Brahman and either British or European breeds. The derivative breeds are usually iii/8 Zebu and 5/8 British or European. Some of the breeds within the three categories may exist atypical and may not possess all the advantages or disadvantages.

The MARC projection was designed to evaluate as many of the more prominent breeds as possible. At that place was also an try to compare bulls that were representative of the breed. Information technology is possible to select a bull of one of the breeds that would be an exception to the averages. This bull could perform either meliorate or worse than the bulls used in the MARC projection. The MARC study, however, did provide useful information nigh relative differences among many of the European and Brahman cattle. In selecting a beef breed, utilise the MARC information to select breeds that have higher genetic potential for meat and milk. The specific search for a balderdash would be for one of the breed exceptions in a weak area. For example, the faster growing cattle are generally larger at nascence and calving difficulty is higher. If your plan needs more growth, select a bull from one of the growth breeds that has a light nativity weight and low birth weight EPD.

When selecting a breed or individuals within a breed, exist aware also of a phenomenon called "genetic-environmental interaction. " The term simply ways that cattle adult under certain conditions will perform all-time under those same or similar conditions. Florida researchers did a archetype project to illustrate this effect. Hereford cattle from a similar genetic base were relocated from Montana to Florida and vice versa. One-half of the herds were kept at the original location. Based on the reproductive and growth information, the cattle performed best in the "home" location. Co-ordinate to this evidence, base the selection of a brood on the level of performance in your environment. The breeds that excelled in the MARC comparing may not fit your plan exactly.

Cattle generally perform at a higher level in northern climates. Heat and humidity are detrimental to most production traits. In a more recent Florida study, Florida bulls gained nearly a pound more than per day in Montana than their counterparts in Florida. Nevertheless, the Florida bulls out-performed the Montana bulls in Florida and the Montana bulls performed better than the Florida bulls in Montana. Cattle developed in northern climates with costless choice corn silage during the winter months volition do poorly when brought to the humid South and turned out on stockpiled fescue and trace-mineral salt for the winter. If your plan has been designed to provide express winter feeding, the calving season should be in the jump and the breed should be moderate in both growth and milk production. If you decide to select a fast-growing, heavy-milking breed, provide the necessary feed requirements to achieve optimum performance.

Breed Types	Advantages	Disadvantages
British
Angus Hereford Shorthorn	Low birth weight High fertility Moderate milk product Moderate frame size	Lower growth charge per unit
European
Charolais Gelbvieh Maine-Anjou Pinzaguer Simmental Southward Devon Tarentaise Others	High growth charge per unit Larger frame size High milk production	Increased dystocia Increased maintenance
Zebu
American Brahman British Derivatives European Derivatives	Adaptability to suit to adverse environments Moderate to high milk production Maximum heterosis in crossbreeding	Lower growth rate Poor carcass quality

General Trends

The post-obit generalities hold true within and across breeds:

Faster growth rates = larger birth weights
Larger nascency weights = increased potential for calving difficulty
More milk production and large frame size = higher feed requirements for equal reproductive performance

Whether your selection is purebred or commercial, or cherry, blackness, white or spotted, keep production and profitability high on your priority listing. Select a brood or breeds that your operation tin can manage and you tin feel confident near marketing.

Other breeds fit certain specialty markets. If yous are leaning toward a specialty breed that is selected for some trait other than beef production, you lot must accept the risk of a limited market for the take a chance at the higher prices sometimes received for the product. Yous may decide to select a breed that is handsomely bachelor, then replenishing the herd is easier. On the other hand, you may select a breed that is relatively unavailable in your surface area in order to offering a unique alternative for other breeders. For commercial production, information technology is important to recognize that the premium is paid for uniformity. In this case, being dramatically different tin can mean more than difficult marketing.

Original publication prepared by Rick Hardin, Former Extension Beast Scientist
Previous revisions past Dan T. Brown, Extension Animal Scientist

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Status and Revision History
Published on Feb 19, 2003
In Review for Major Revisions on January 26, 2009
In Review for Major Revisions on February 03, 2009
Published with Major Revisions on Oct xviii, 2010
Published with Full Review on Oct 01, 2013
Published with Full Review on Aug 09, 2016

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Source: https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C859&title=Selecting%20a%20Beef%20Breed

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