luni, 16 decembrie 2013

Greater Profits With Black Baldy Cattle

By Eugenia Dickerson


The beef production business is one in which profits can never be taken for granted. Breeding stock requires years of care - hard work in all sorts of weather conditions - to produce replacement cows and feedlot animals. Raising young animals to an age where they can be profitably sold is a separate aspect of the business with its own demands. When experience shows that Black Baldy cattle can increase profits by 20% or more, ranchers and feedlot managers take notice.

This type of cow is produced by using a Hereford bull to cover Aberdeen Angus cows. The consistent coloration of the hybrid is a result of two dominant genes - the white-face of the Hereford and the solid body color of the Angus. The crossbreeding brings the strengths of these two excellent breeds together, as results are showing.

This color also comes when an Angus bull is bred to a Hereford heifer. Hereford cows can have a hard time with their first calf if bred to a bull from the same breed. Breeding a heifer, or young female, to an Angus bull produces a calf with a lighter birth weight and a smaller head, making a difficult birth less likely.

Both of these crossbreeding methods produces animals that perform well in breeding or in beef production. The black white-faced cows are known for their fertility, their longevity, and their 'good mother' characteristics. These include a gentle disposition, which makes handling easier, and good milk production to nourish the calf. In the feedlot, both types of offspring are docile and gain weight rapidly on less feed than other breeds might require.

These results are part of what is called 'hybrid vigor'. Crossbreeding in any species usually brings the good characteristics of both breeds into prominence and eliminates the tendencies to genetic problems that show with greater frequency in every purebred generation. Both Hereford and Angus are sound animals with many good traits, and imparting new blood resurrects qualities that have been in decline in purebred herds.

Both Herefords and Angus cattle are strong breeds known for soundness and reliable performance, so breeding to optimize their good characteristics makes a lot of sense. There are more Herefords in the world than any other breed, partly because they do well in many different climates and are easy to handle. Angus beef is well-known to many who see it on restaurant menus and in the meat department of grocery stores, since it's regarded as one of the best tasting meats on the market.

Being dark colored, the Baldies are not prone to ill effects from the sun, which makes them valuable in Australia and New Zealand. It's also a useful characteristic on the high plains of the American northwest, where this breed is known also as Black Herefords. The cattle do well when raised outdoors in the extremes of weather that these great beef producing countries have.

Go online to learn more about Black Baldy cattle, including where breeding stock can be purchased. This remarkable hybrid type might be the key to increased herd performance and greater profits. The record of this white-faced, sable-coated animal tells it all.




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