Market Minute
Believe It
By Frank Padilla, NALF director of marketing
It doesn’ t make any difference if you are talking cattle, crop seed, or hogs, heterosis has proven its value in research trial after research trial as well as in pasture’ s and feed yards across the United States and foreign countries. The chicken and swine industry figured out a long time ago that hybrids and composites produced from purebred lines work very well as seedstock.
The Germ Plasm Utilization project began at MARC( Meat Animal Research Center) in Clay Center, Nebraska in 1973. Their research showed several advantages that come from crossbreeding. Most importantly they showed that hybrid vigor has a large impact on beef cattle productivity. The research demonstrated an eight percent improvement in weaning weight when a purebred cow is mated to a bull of a different breed. The research also showed that crossbred cows are far more productive than purebred cows. The benefits came in multiple areas including more milk production, better body condition, faster re-breeding, and a longer productive lifetime. There are three kinds of heterosis in cattle, individual( the calf), maternal and paternal. Of the three, paternal heterosis of the hybrid bull has received the least attention.
Maternal heterosis in a cow increases her performance and that of her calves. She reaches puberty earlier, rebreeds more quickly, her calves have greater survivability, she stays in the herd longer and she produces more pounds of calf during her lifetime. Now producers are seeing the advantages of utilizing paternal
28 | AUGUST 2017 heterosis and improving reproductive and stayability characteristics of the bull.
Commercial producers utilizing Limousin and Lim-Flex ®( Limousin x Angus hybrid) genetics get the results that they are looking for in order to reach their management and marketing targets. The Limousin breed serves as the best complement to British base cow herds to add heterosis and efficiency.
Kevin Kinghorn of Kinghorn Ranch, Shepard, Mon., breeds purebred Limousin bulls to Angus cows. Kevin says,“ We use high growth, black and polled Limousin bulls as terminal sires in our program. We buy bred females for replacements then breed them back to Limousin bulls. We like the calving ease Limousin gives us with the growth and natural muscling. We wean and sell the calves after backgrounding them. They are sold after the first of the year at PAYS Auction in Billings, Mont., and are consistently at the price top of the sale. Buyers like how they perform for them. The bulls stay sound on their feet and legs so we are able to use them for several years.”
Carnahan Ranches, a long time Colorado plains ranching operation, sells calves off the cow in the fall through Superior Livestock, and has been using Limousin and Lim-Flex bulls in their program for many years. Charlie Carnahan likes the pay weight of Limousin cross calves when sold. The females retained make excellent cows and have stayability with excellent udders and feet. Repeat buyers have been purchasing his calves and he likes the Lim-Flex females as cows.
Frank Daley, western Colorado and Nebraska rancher, runs cows at elevation above 6000 feet. He shares that he has no problems with pulmonary arterial pressure or brisket disease, in running Limousin at that elevation. The adaptability of Limousin makes them an ideal fit to run at a higher elevation, as well at his Nebraska location. He is getting the feedlot performance and carcass quality when he retains ownership of his calves going to the feed yard. They are fitting commodity and natural feeding programs well. He gets more pounds when he sell as his Limousin genetics can be fed to heavier out weights efficiently. They convert pounds of feed to beef efficiently which lowers cost of gain while on feed. They meet quality grade specifications and earn premiums on value base marketing grids.
Profit minded cattlemen across the United States find Limousin to be their best choice in cross-breeding systems for reasons that make them money. More pounds at weaning. The feed efficient and long-lasting females. Cattle with the carcass quality to earn premiums. The sound structure and calm dispositions. The calving ease when compared to other breeds. Buyer acceptance for the calves. Bulls that last many breeding seasons. These are reasons profit minded cattlemen and cattlewomen choose Limousin. You should too. I