Prevalence
of crossbreeding has affected our individual view of purebred stock.
The club-calf industry, combining qualities from Maine-Anjou and Chianina with
an English breed cow base, demonstrates the range of phenotype that is
possible.
In the ranching world, as well as the seedstock world, where breed preferences are stronger and have persisted over many decades, the definition of a breed has great importance, ie, “breed character” dictates both performance and maternal trait ranges, from which crossbreeding draws its heterosis effects.
In all this, we balance “cattle management” traits against “market preferences” and find that each breed has a different “fit” into the desires of consumers. The cattleman who has figured this out will see how to optimize production as well as maximize market price for his annual calf crop.
Mich
Livestock Service, Inc “For the Best in
Bulls” (989) 834- 2661 Ovid, MI greg@michiganlivestock.com
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