  BeefTalk:
Records Provide the Proof When Looking for Bull Power
By Kris Ringwall, Extension Beef Specialist,
NDSU Extension Service
Bull buying season is approaching. Of the many areas in the cattle business
that follow tradition, bull buying would be up toward the top of the list. From
the beginning of the domestication of cattle, selection was important. (Perhaps
the most important trait in early cattle production was simply survival of the
fittest.)
In the distant past, work needed to get done and a good source of genuine
muscle was desired. Less-muscled specimens could easily be a protein source and
cows were utilized for milk production. Selection was practiced and certain
bulls were allowed to mate with the females, a practice that continues some
10,000 years later.
A fellow in England eventually put into writing the concept of "like
begets like," and launched the documented art and science of animal
breeding. In other words, if I mate big bulls to big cows, I will get big
cattle. If I mate small bulls to small cows, I will get small cattle. What was
even more exciting, you could mate big bulls to small cows and get medium-sized
cattle. The "Bakewell" concept of cattle breeding or livestock
improvement has been around for more than a century and is still prevalent in
the beef business today.
There are still many bulls purchased today on the concept that "like
begets like." The concept is true and works. However, today, we actually
know why "like begets like." This additional understanding began with
Mendel and his peas. He noticed some where wrinkled and some weren’t. What was
even more important, Mendel selected only seven traits, and worked with each
trait separately. He found that, yes, "like begets like," but not
always.
For years, peas were round and smooth in Burke County, and peas were round
and wrinkled in Divide County. This went on for years, and the champion pea of
the Burke County Fair was always smooth and round. The champion pea at the
Divide County Fair was always round and wrinkled. "Like begets like"
and this was fine. Everyone was happy. Then one day, an ambitious sort from
Burke County, was driving down Highway Five a little too fast, and as the road
curved, Burke County peas spilled in Divide County.
The peas, knowing no better, germinated, flowered and gave to the bees a full
load of smooth and round pea pollen, (the male) and the Divide County peas
welcomed the bees loaded with fresh new Burke County pollen. The incident was
soon forgotten. That year at the Divide County Fair, all the peas were still
round and wrinkled and the champion pea was the roundest and most wrinkled pea
anyone ever saw.
The seed was saved and with great pride, the seed was planted and, well, I’m
sure most of you know by now, these beautiful round and wrinkled seeds produced
not only round and wrinkled seeds, but round and smooth seeds as well.
Astonished, a new set of rules had to be drawn up for the fair (at a rather
lengthy meeting), but more importantly residents found that, "like did not
beget like." Thus the principles of genetic dominance were discovered, and
forever more, what you see is not necessarily what you get.
Even more interesting, the round and smooth seeds that came from round and
wrinkled parents, were rounder and smoother and larger than the round and smooth
seeds from round and smooth parents.
Adapted to today’s bull buying principles, yes, there is comfort in
matching the general appearance of your cattle with the general appearance of
the bull. However, the only way to know if he is round and wrinkled and can sire
round and smooth is to have records.
In closing, not everything in this BeefTalk is factual, but it isn’t in the
bull business either. Good luck buying bulls and may you find all your ear tags.
Your comments are always welcome at www.BeefTalk.com.
For more information, contact the North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement
Association, 1133 State Avenue, Dickinson, ND 58601 or go to www.CHAPS2000.COM
on the Internet. In correspondence about this column, refer to BT0126.
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Source: Kris Ringwall, (701) 483-2427, kringwal@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu
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