Interest in Hybrid Bulls Growing

February 22, 2006

Interest in Hybrid Bulls Growing

Hybrid bulls have become increasingly popular in the beef industry in the past couple of years, according to a North Dakota State University cattle expert.

“A hybrid is simply a cross between two purebreds,” NDSU Extension Service beef cattle specialist Greg Lardy says. “In the swine and poultry industries, hybrid parent lines are commonly used, but the beef industry is just starting to see increased usage of this type of seedstock. In some cases, hybrids are being sold for more than purebreds in the same sales.”

One reason cattle producers are attracted to hybrids is they offer simplified crossbreeding strategies. Producers can use hybrids to take advantage of heterosis, or hybrid vigor, without the need for multiple breeding pastures or sire breeds in a commercial operation, Lardy says. In addition, hybrids can allow producers to take advantage of breed complementarity to hit specific market targets.

In 1998, the American Gelbvieh Association became the first breed organization to adopt a policy of recording hybrid bulls. Since then, at least eight other breed associations have followed suit.

A common question raised about hybrids is: “Won’t there be more variability in the progeny from hybrids?” Lardy says a long-term study at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Neb., shows that for economically relevant traits controlled by many genes (quantitative traits), the amount of variation in hybrids or composites is similar to average variability in the contributing parent breeds used to create the hybrid or composite. However, for quantitative traits such as horns, scurs and coat color controlled by one or two genes, the amount of variation may be considerably greater in hybrids or composites than the contributing parent breeds.

“By knowing how to properly use hybrid or composite cattle, producers can make educated decisions regarding bull purchases this spring,” Lardy says.

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Source: Greg Lardy, (701) 231-7660, glardy@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Ellen Crawford, (701) 231-5391, ecrawfor@ndsuext.nodak.edu

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