NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State
University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
March 5, 1998
[Editors: This is the fourth article in a series of six on bull buying]
As beef producers zero in on target markets and pay more attention to carcass traits, producers tend to focus on breeds that best meet those markets. But a North Dakota State University beef specialist argues the case for the hybrid vigor that results from crossbreeding.
"Heterosis, or hybrid vigor, is especially important for maternal traits like reproduction, survival and longevity," says John Dhuyvetter of the NDSU North Central Research Extension Center near Minot. "Those traits aren't highly heritable, so if we want those characteristics in our cows the best way to get them and maintain them is through crossbreeding."
That seems counter to some of today's conventional wisdom, Dhuyvetter admits. An emerging focus on beef products has resulted in an emphasis on breeding along breed lines to result in products that can be marketed as "Certified Angus Beef," and "Certified Hereford Beef." Many of those products and other marketing programs are related to traits such as growth potential and carcass merit. Those traits are highly heritable, passing easily from one generation to the next and are often linked to specific cattle breeds.
"But cattle breeding experiences over the last 25 years have taught us a great deal about how crossbreeding can help us in production," Dhuyvetter says. "We shouldn't ignore those lessons.
"Producers should be looking for ways to incorporate breeds that are complementary to each other that will also allow them, in the long run, to have a cow herd that expresses hybrid vigor for reproduction, survival and fertility," he says.
How important are those traits? Research at Montana State University and records from the N.D. Beef Cattle Improvement Association show that crossbred cows typically stay in the herd nearly a year and a half longer than straight-bred cows. "When you consider that one of the largest costs in a cow herd is raising or purchasing replacement cows, that increase is very significant," Dhuyvetter notes.
Likewise, the improved reproduction rates and heavier calves of crossbred cows result in a 25 percent increase in calf weaning weight per cow—an increase of almost $70 per year in net profit over straight-bred cows.
If producers want to produce cows with good reproduction traits and target calves at specialty markets, they need different bulls with different backgrounds for different purposes. "Producers may want one bull to breed part of the herd to produce crossbred replacement cows with good maternal characteristics and another bull to use with another part of the herd to produce feeder calves," he explains.
"Some breeds that are very good for crossbreeding have few bulls that are suitable for breeding first-calf heifers without risking excessive calving difficulties, so different breeding strategies and bulls may be needed for heifers and cows," he adds.
Dhuyvetter also reminds producers to consider feed resources when developing the breeding program. "Whether straight breeding or crossbreeding, the biological type of cow needs to be matched to the feed base. If cattle need more feed than we can provide, their nutritional requirements aren't going to be met and that will lead to herd health and reproduction problems," he says. Those problems can easily eliminate gains made through improved production or marketing strategies.
"Producers need to keep in mind that the bulls they buy now and the breeding strategies they implement, whether crossbreeding or straight breeding, have a direct influence on the productivity of the future cow herd," Dhuyvetter says. "That productivity needs to be considered at the same time as we're looking at future production and marketing plans."
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Source: John Dhuyvetter (701) 857-7682
Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629