Do you really know cattle? Fewer calving problems 4.Dispositon There are very few problems reported regarding this breed. Her motto with all of her writing is science-based writing nurtured by education and critical thinking. She specializes in science topics, with a special love for health and environmental topics, and of course, pets of all shapes and sizes. One of the best examples is the Beefmaster Breed, developed in the 1930's using a mix of approximately 25% Hereford, 25% Shorthorn and 50% Brahman cattle in order to create a hardy heat and cold tolerant breed capable of thriving in the harsh South Texas climate. Thus in the 1930s the Beefmaster cattle was developed by Tom Lasater over the years since the breed has been improved and can now withstand diverse temperatures from the heat to the coldest of winters. The breeding program leading to their establishment was started by Ed C. Lasater in 1908, when he purchased Brahman bulls to use on his commercial herd of Hereford and Shorthorn cattle (Beefmaster cattle are 50% Brahman, 25% Hereford, and 25% Milking Shorthorn). Beef master breed is also known as "The profit breed" because of its advantages and no or little disadvantages. Discover how purebred cattle, crossbreeding, and mixed breed herds each have distinct advantages and disadvantages depending on your climate and on how you market your cattle. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. Combining cattle from multiple breeds can add environmental adaptations to your herd that you just can't get from a single breed. She has her WSET 1 and 2 certifications and is currently pursuing her Certified Wine Specialist Award (CSW). If you buy something through one of those links, I receive a small commission. So, if you are giving up ground in traits that matter, consider Beefmasters. Image Credit:Darryl Darwent, Flickr, CC BY 2.0. This publication provides accurate, unbiased information to guide the decision-making process. Mix-ups happen no matter where and how you feed, but to raise your odds of getting individual carcass data, call your state cattlemans association or Extension service. The Gelbvieh cattle having less than 88 percent Gelbvieh are labeled as "Percentage Gelbvieh". The hybrid vigor expressed by these "black baldy" heifers means that they will have higher fertility rates and be more efficient (cheaper to feed) throughout their lives, which is a significant advantage for commercial beef producers. They are a unique combination of Bos Indicus and Bos Taurus breeding that allows them to excel in any environment. The Six Essentials are weight, conformation, milk production, fertility, hardiness and disposition. What are the pros and cons of Beefmaster cattle? These cattle are very good at gaining weight and used as beef cattle breed but the disadvantage is still there. Times are changing. Mature animals are small compared to most beef breeds. Beefmaster ranks fifth in the U.S. in terms of membership and is the largest of the American breeds. An example would be Angus cows bred . Hybrid vigor is for real.. Several states have pasture-to-plate type programs where cattle from several producers are grouped together and sent to a feedlot for finishing, then to harvest. Perhaps its best qualities are its docile temperament and multi-purpose use. Office: 210-732-3132 | Fax: 210-732-7711, The Cowboy Heritage Beefmaster Sale Report. Balancer Cattle Characteristics. I don't recommend commercial beef producers try this route - this is best left to specialized cattle breeders because it takes many generations to create a stable mix of traits after the initial crossbreeding period, and since replacement bulls and heifers must all come from within the same herd after the initial crossbreeding episode, it requires extremely complex herd management to avoid the pitfalls of inbreeding. But you're not just limited to picking a single breed - for many farmers there are significant advantages (and some disadvantages) to combining the genetic traits of multiple breeds through crossbreeding. How many times have you heard someone say, "I like 'em because they're black"? Beefmaster Cattle Breed Uses While its primary purpose is meat, the Beefmaster also produces a decent amount of excellent milk for dairy products and high-quality leather for other uses. and prosperous Georgia. In 2017 the University of Bologna Animal Science Department evaluated potential benefits of Beefmasters for the Italian beef industry. Diamonds of the Flint Hills Spring Female Sale, Paxico, KS, document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); Beefmaster Breeders United | 118 W. Bandera Road, Boerne, TX 78006 | The diversity of resources and management capabilities of any operation makes this question difficult to answer. While its primary purpose is meat, the Beefmaster also produces a decent amount of excellent milk for dairy products and high-quality leather for other uses. The commercial operation is generally a lower-input, lower-risk type of venture. Toughness- they can thrive in cold winters. Every load was sold on the grid. Use of Beefmaster influenced cattle will allow you to be a low-cost producer with fewer inputs at the cow/calf level. In my articles I recommend some of my favorite cattle farming books and products. Crossbreeding combines multiple breeds in very tightly controlled ratios. . Cattle generally perform at a higher level in northern climates. Beefmaster cattle are a combination of Zebu, Hereford and Shorthorn that has been in existence since the early 1950s. That explains why the Beefmaster Breeders United sits in the top ten of cattle registrations. Scotch Highland As one of the hardiest breeds, they survive in poor conditions where other cattle perish. Pay day starts with superior Beefmaster cows. Thus, the resulting crossbred progeny should combine quality . Beefmaster breeder Gary Frenzel says his family has been doing ultrasound measurements for 28 years on their animals. However, its popularity has grown in part because of how easy this animal is to manage on several fronts. Beefmaster cattle are the first American composite breed (combination of three or more breeds). The Lasater family originally developed a large herd of Hereford cattle carefully selected to withstand the heat and insects of the Texas Gulf Coast region, but they were still not perfectly suited to that difficult environment. ing, and boating as much as she can. The females are excellent mothers, raising a heavy calf each year, and the bulls are aggressive breeders. Original herd was culled on The Six Essentials: Weight, Conformation, Milking Ability, Fertility, Hardiness and Disposition. The most obvious example of a crossbreeding program is a terminal cross in which both parents are purebred cattle, but from two distinct breeds, and the calves are always a 50/50 mix of the two breeds. Dan Dorn has seen his share of feedlot cattle after working 18 years for Decatur County Feed Yard. Thats one reason that the Beefmaster cow came on the scene. The following formula outlines how these factors must balance in order to optimize profitability. It is the only breed in history to be selected only using pressure for productive traits, as opposed to aesthetics. The breed standard calls for bulls to have a masculine appearance and cows feminine. The purebred cattle market often provides a higher return per cow unit, but at the expense of higher maintenance costs, higher breeding costs, more management inputs and greater risks. Lasater succeeded admirably, with the Beefmaster earning USDA recognition in 1954. She and her husband, Norm, were awarded the State of Kentucky Colonel Honor for their restoration work at Mammoth Cave National Park. These cattle produce almost 1 calf per year, so their calving rat is slow. With global demand for higher-quality beef growing geometrically, Beefmasters provide the perfect breed to cross on commercial cattle to improve production efficiency and carcass quality, while not sacrificing adaptability. PetKeen.com does not intend to provide veterinary advice. Take our quiz and find out! For commercial production, it is important to recognize that the premium is paid for uniformity. (I get commissions for purchases made using Amazon links in my post.). Users agree that automated translations may not effectively convert the intended design, meaning, and/or context of the website, may not translate images or PDF content, and may not take into account regional language differences. The Beefmaster is a gentle animal, both cows and bulls. For more than a century, we've provided research and education through a UGA Extension is not responsible for any damages, costs, liability, or risk associated with any use, functionality, and/or content of the website translations. Nothing beats a Beefmaster. The large size of the breed may require larger handling facilities, which can be more expensive to build and maintain.HornsThe Beefmaster breed is known for its horns, which can be a disadvantage for some producers. 50/50 or 25/25/50), the size, growth rates, and finishing weights of the calves will be extremely consistent and uniform, just like those from a purebred herd, while displaying traits and adaptations from both breeds. The breed will jump-start your cattle and give your next calf crop a performance boost. In selecting a beef breed, use the MARC information to select breeds that have higher genetic potential for meat and milk. Live Oak BBA Carcass Ultrasound Scan Day @ Landair, Beeville, TX, April 20, 2023 The Beefmaster cattle are a mixed Brahman-genetics with Shorthorn and Hereford, developed by Tom Lasater in the 1930's. This hardy breed is ideal for the harsh climate extremes of Texas. Cons: calves less aggressive at birthing. His son, Tom, perfected the breed that was a mix of 50% Brahman (Bos inidus), 25% Milking Shorthorn, and 25% Hereford (Bos taurus). Angus are highly unlikely to have pinkeye, sunburn or cancer because of their pigmented skin. American Cattlemen is a division of Twin Rivers Media. When crossbred offspring are rebred (either to other crossbred cattle or back to a purebred animal), the next generation of calves will display traits that can be anywhere along a sliding scale between the two (or more) purebred extremes, ranging from looking almost completely purebred on either end of the scale to literally ANYWHERE in between. Texas A&M Extension animal scientist Joe Paschal says Santa Gertrudis already have genomic-enhanced EPDs, and Brangus should have them soon. The Beefmaster breed was recognized in by the USDA in 1954, and today Beefmaster Breeders United is the fifth-largest breed registry in the United States. The Beefmaster breed of cattle is a multipurpose breed that is full of convenience traits. The Lasater Ranch is located on the Rocky Mountain plains, which is known for its high altitude, snow, extreme cold and meager grassland for foraging. With the low cattle numbers, what better time to prove to cattle buyers, feedyards and consumers that Brahman cattle are acceptable? . According to this evidence, base the selection of a breed on the level of performance in your environment. Other such composite breeds have been successful for short term results, but the retained heterosis produced through crossbreeding with Beefmasters is strong and will generate long term benefits. 1996 May;74(5):955-64. doi: 10.2527/1996.745955x. This question brings cold chills to many knowledgeable cattle producers and excitement to just as many enthusiastic breeders. Many cattle breeders used cross-breeding to combine desirable genetics from a range of breeds to create new brees. In the early 1970s, a research project was started at the Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Clay Center, Nebraska. There was also an attempt to compare bulls that were representative of the breed. Adapted from USDA MARC Beef Research Progress Reports, No. Their research points to the heterosis gains showing an extra calf when weaning weights produce 50-75 extra kilograms per calf born. There were times when there would only be a handful of people at the performance- and breed-improvement meetings. Light to dark red with some having a light mottle on their faces. As producers continue to pay attention to details and genetics, Brahman-cross cattle continue to get better. The cows are extremely fertile have calves with good birthweights and weaning weights. It sounds simple enough. When the cattle are harvested, the feeding costs are subtracted from your final check. Either route is more expensive and complicated, which eats up much of the advantage of using a terminal crossbreeding program in the first place. The Beefmaster is a great range cattle breed that can handle adverse environments and climates. It is true a higher percentage of Brahman cattle are less likely to marble as well as Angus cattle, explains Dwain Johnson, University of Florida (UF) meat scientist. Mixed breed calveswill lookverydifferent from one another even if they have identical breed ratios in their ancestry; they will have a random combination of traits that range anywhere along the spectrum between their purebred ancestors. Didn't find what you need? The purebred operation requires more time, record keeping and initial input. However, the news was far from all bad for devotees to the Brahman breed. We cant get performance without Brahman blood, he stresses. , BEEFMASTER BREED OF CATTLE QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW. 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