There has been a small discussion on one social media site about a certain Hereford Bull not testing 100% Hereford. I am not going to go into depth on the who was right or wrong or what the truth is about that bull. What I want to talk about is cattle being purebred anymore or do you know the true lineage of your cattle? For years we have known that some animals were not 100% purebred. When I was younger being purebred was a status that people took pride in with their herds. Today I believe a lot of people still take pride in their purebred operations.
For years people have known that real money is made in commercial cattle. The Purebred cattle industry was/is the upper echelon of cattle. These are the cattle that people took to fairs to exhibit. They took to their state fairs to see what prize they could obtain with their homegrown bulls and heifers. There are also some great advantages to taking those purebred genetics and going back into a commercial herd to increase production, introduce new blood lines and even change the path of your commercial herd.
Over the last 20 years. There have been many breed associations introduce a cross breeding section to their cattle and allow people to register these animals. From a breed association stand point this is a HUGE WIN!! The number one reason is there are more registrations and more money coming into the association. There have been some great phenotype advantages. Some breeds have improved structure, moderated the size of the cattle, improved mothering abilities as well. These are all excellent items that need to be improved in any breed or herd. I believe that history in the cattle industry tells us though that we get the most hybrid vigor from crossings 1, 2, or sometimes 3 generations into mating's. After that there can actually be a decrease in the advantages of the cross breeding.
Over the last 10-15 years we have seen a surge of what most call "clubby cows". These are thick ended, course shouldered cattle that are designed to produce show steers. They are ALL OVER the cattle market and some breed associations have catered to these "designer cattle". When it comes to the show industry it is so far removed from real cattle that are back-grounded and sent to feed lots. The clubby/show cattle are not the same animals or products that come across our plates at restaurants and cafes across the country. A few other traits that are concerning include a decrease in mothering ability, increase in calving difficulties and a greater prevalence of genetic mutations.
There is nothing wrong with show cattle. I love show cattle and the purebred cattle industry. I grew up in it and my family was successful in our endeavors. The discussion we need to be having though is where do we draw the line. We have cattle that can be registered in 2 or 3 different associations and show in each show of that breed. There is a club calf bull right now that will throw a Hereford marked steer and that steer will have NO Hereford in him at all. As a whole why have people in the steer jock industry worked so hard to cross cattle to the point of no return? Has that aspect of creating the perfect animal changed our purebred herds?
I honestly have a problem with people taking shortcuts to improve their herd. The worst part about it is the people down stream. You have a lot of Mom and Pop operations that rely on Artificial Insemination to make herd improvements. They get access to powerful sires that can really take what is a really good cow and make some great offspring. Cattle that these smaller operations will make money on and have more longevity in the cattle business.
There a lot of great purebred operations that exist in this great country. A lot of these are smaller operations and a majority are family owned. These are people that love the cattle industry and want to have some success in their operations. The impacts of designer cattle can and has been far reaching. Larger operations continually seeking that top spot have the ability to manipulate the cattle in a way that can be good or bad for cattle operations. If breeders purposely deceive others about their cattle I believe in the end they reap what they sew. I like for karma to take care of those people.
There are cattle producers that have crossed and crossed cattle until there is a hodgepodge of animal breeding's that lack any improvement on beef quality, grading or cut-ability. They have looked so hard to create the perfect animal, that they have lost sight of making a great animal. Steers have to be efficient in the feed yards where they gain weight and finish in a faster more efficient manner that requires less feed and less time in the feed yard. When it comes time to harvest these steers they have to hang a good decent size carcass on the rail that will grade in that choice or prime range. That is where the most money is at for the producers.
If you want to cross out your purebred herd. I have not problem with that decision. There is a lot to be said and money made by making such changes. It is good for herd development and cattle in general. The problem is crossing out your herds and hiding it behind a set of papers. The problem is you use one bull that has horrible birth weights and milk production and "adjusting" the lineage to be more favorable to what people want or what is popular in your breed association. The problem is you cut corners to get ahead and not just raise good cattle from a solid foundation.
Small producers and junior projects are some of the greatest impacted. They will end up with cattle that will not milk, have calving difficulties, and lack longevity. They are sold steers that have severe structure issues or other defects that does not allow them to develop into a good or decent animal the junior can make into a good project. I am not suggesting we go back in time to the other extreme end of the spectrum. I am saying we need to have some integrity in our herds. We need to have some pride in our cattle that comes from years of developing and producing solid animals that are functional and productive. We need to work to improve efficiency in the feed lots and even in the pastures.
When you are in agriculture you have a duty and responsibility to be good stewards of the land. This means changing the ways you grow your crops, raise your animals, and maintain your farms and lands. There is a lot to be said for taking your responsibility to heart and being the best you can be in your agriculture operations. What I hope people understand is that just because some take shortcuts, falsify information or deceive others in their operations, those are not trends you have to follow to succeed. That a smart producer will stick to their principles and do what is right all the time. That includes, culling the defects, cutting the bad bulls, and acknowledging when errors have been made in your breeding's. This means that you do not send cattle out into the market place that are not what you say they are on paper. It's called having some pride and integrity in your operations.
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." ~Thomas A. Edison
For years people have known that real money is made in commercial cattle. The Purebred cattle industry was/is the upper echelon of cattle. These are the cattle that people took to fairs to exhibit. They took to their state fairs to see what prize they could obtain with their homegrown bulls and heifers. There are also some great advantages to taking those purebred genetics and going back into a commercial herd to increase production, introduce new blood lines and even change the path of your commercial herd.
Over the last 20 years. There have been many breed associations introduce a cross breeding section to their cattle and allow people to register these animals. From a breed association stand point this is a HUGE WIN!! The number one reason is there are more registrations and more money coming into the association. There have been some great phenotype advantages. Some breeds have improved structure, moderated the size of the cattle, improved mothering abilities as well. These are all excellent items that need to be improved in any breed or herd. I believe that history in the cattle industry tells us though that we get the most hybrid vigor from crossings 1, 2, or sometimes 3 generations into mating's. After that there can actually be a decrease in the advantages of the cross breeding.
Over the last 10-15 years we have seen a surge of what most call "clubby cows". These are thick ended, course shouldered cattle that are designed to produce show steers. They are ALL OVER the cattle market and some breed associations have catered to these "designer cattle". When it comes to the show industry it is so far removed from real cattle that are back-grounded and sent to feed lots. The clubby/show cattle are not the same animals or products that come across our plates at restaurants and cafes across the country. A few other traits that are concerning include a decrease in mothering ability, increase in calving difficulties and a greater prevalence of genetic mutations.
There is nothing wrong with show cattle. I love show cattle and the purebred cattle industry. I grew up in it and my family was successful in our endeavors. The discussion we need to be having though is where do we draw the line. We have cattle that can be registered in 2 or 3 different associations and show in each show of that breed. There is a club calf bull right now that will throw a Hereford marked steer and that steer will have NO Hereford in him at all. As a whole why have people in the steer jock industry worked so hard to cross cattle to the point of no return? Has that aspect of creating the perfect animal changed our purebred herds?
I honestly have a problem with people taking shortcuts to improve their herd. The worst part about it is the people down stream. You have a lot of Mom and Pop operations that rely on Artificial Insemination to make herd improvements. They get access to powerful sires that can really take what is a really good cow and make some great offspring. Cattle that these smaller operations will make money on and have more longevity in the cattle business.
There a lot of great purebred operations that exist in this great country. A lot of these are smaller operations and a majority are family owned. These are people that love the cattle industry and want to have some success in their operations. The impacts of designer cattle can and has been far reaching. Larger operations continually seeking that top spot have the ability to manipulate the cattle in a way that can be good or bad for cattle operations. If breeders purposely deceive others about their cattle I believe in the end they reap what they sew. I like for karma to take care of those people.
There are cattle producers that have crossed and crossed cattle until there is a hodgepodge of animal breeding's that lack any improvement on beef quality, grading or cut-ability. They have looked so hard to create the perfect animal, that they have lost sight of making a great animal. Steers have to be efficient in the feed yards where they gain weight and finish in a faster more efficient manner that requires less feed and less time in the feed yard. When it comes time to harvest these steers they have to hang a good decent size carcass on the rail that will grade in that choice or prime range. That is where the most money is at for the producers.
If you want to cross out your purebred herd. I have not problem with that decision. There is a lot to be said and money made by making such changes. It is good for herd development and cattle in general. The problem is crossing out your herds and hiding it behind a set of papers. The problem is you use one bull that has horrible birth weights and milk production and "adjusting" the lineage to be more favorable to what people want or what is popular in your breed association. The problem is you cut corners to get ahead and not just raise good cattle from a solid foundation.
Small producers and junior projects are some of the greatest impacted. They will end up with cattle that will not milk, have calving difficulties, and lack longevity. They are sold steers that have severe structure issues or other defects that does not allow them to develop into a good or decent animal the junior can make into a good project. I am not suggesting we go back in time to the other extreme end of the spectrum. I am saying we need to have some integrity in our herds. We need to have some pride in our cattle that comes from years of developing and producing solid animals that are functional and productive. We need to work to improve efficiency in the feed lots and even in the pastures.
When you are in agriculture you have a duty and responsibility to be good stewards of the land. This means changing the ways you grow your crops, raise your animals, and maintain your farms and lands. There is a lot to be said for taking your responsibility to heart and being the best you can be in your agriculture operations. What I hope people understand is that just because some take shortcuts, falsify information or deceive others in their operations, those are not trends you have to follow to succeed. That a smart producer will stick to their principles and do what is right all the time. That includes, culling the defects, cutting the bad bulls, and acknowledging when errors have been made in your breeding's. This means that you do not send cattle out into the market place that are not what you say they are on paper. It's called having some pride and integrity in your operations.
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." ~Thomas A. Edison
Thank you Jeremy! Well said.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting read and quite a few valid points. The Bull of the month club and trying to turn to many Dams into nothing but egg makers. Still not sold of them ideas. the you got them folks who go to the stockyard bring em home and sale them as 'their on herd'.
ReplyDelete