Thursday, December 26, 2013

Herd Improvement 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.

Mating Aberdeen Angus cows to Hereford bulls produces Baldy calves. They are white-faced from a dominant gene in the Hereford and black-bodied from a dominant gene in the Angus. This coloration is remarkably consistent in this type of hybrid cross that is rapidly growing in popularity.

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.

Performance ratings are high is both birth statistics and growth patterns. The white-faced cows are known for early maturity, fertility, and longevity, all areas in which the purebreds have been having problems. They also exhibit excellent mothering talents and good milk production for their sturdy, fast-growing calves. Their gentle disposition comes to them from both sides, making them valuable in both the herd and the feedlot.

A lot of the success of this practice is the effect of hybridizing. Purebred animals pass both good and bad characteristics to succeeding generations, and the inevitable inbreeding leads to the development of genetic defects and problems. In contrast, a hybrid offspring often is stronger, more vigorous, and just plain more adept at living than either of their parents. They in large part mature early, conceive readily, grow rapidly, and live long, productive lives.

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.

Black Baldies, known as Black Herefords in the American northwest, have an advantage in areas where the sun is hot. Their dark skin resists sunburn, which can be a problem for cows with white udders. The great ranches of Australia, New Zealand, and the American plains are home to free-ranging herds that endure every extreme of weather, and the hardy Baldies are holding their own. Their weight gain to feed conversion ratio in the feedlot is another winning point for the crossbreds.

Black Baldy Cattle have raised profits in many herds by as much as 20%. Go online to see the results of studies and performance reviews and to find out where the crossbred animals can be found.




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