Atractive is Overrated?

Jack McNamee wrote:

Mike wrote:
because nature is about specie survival ; not econmic survival

The farther I get away form specie survival, the farther I get from economic survival. Some of the traits that are highly important for specie survival are called convenience traits and for the life of me I don't know why. With labor costs so high, if you can find any help at all, these cows have to do more and more on their own and the survival traits have become the most important traits for me. I don't advocate turning them all back out in the hills and letting nature take it's course but weaning a live calf off of a live cow is economic survival for me.

Dennis says virtually every female antelope appears to have an offspring every spring in a three week period; but can we eat them? what triggers breeding season in nature...daylight?

Dennis says virtually every female antelope appears to have an offspring every spring in a three week period; but can we eat them? what triggers breeding season in nature...daylight?

To quote Crocodile Dundee "it tastes like shit but you can live on it". It went something like that. Shot right (without running them and getting them hot) and care for right, I like antelope. I don't know what triggers the rut in antelope and Mule Deer but sunlight would be my best guess. I'm sure most if not all will have their offspring in a three week period as the rut only last about that long.

If you can believe these hunters, there is a lot more inbreeding that goes on than a person might think. We had a big ( big for our country, 27 inches) heavy 3 by 4 Mule Deer buck show up here about 6 years ago and of course no one wanted to shoot a 3 by 4. He was around here for about 3 years before someone finely took him. Now we have several good heavy 3 by 4 bucks running around. I don't know but my hunters swear they are all descendants of the old buck.

I agree with Robert and Dwight. That buck probably moved in here from somewhere and became a dominant male becaues he was a genetic outlier. His off spring will inbeed until they start to regress and then some other outside buck will come in and become the dominant, genetic outlier. This is just what I think and it is probalby worth just what its' cost you.

Jack,
It appears a mutual cattle breeder friend is spending a disturbing amount of time simplifying his creative time by studying his pet coyote because, in his words "Any more I get lost rather fast in complexities"


to which LL remarks...
"Creative time....studying". What a neat picture, the dog & coyote, I wonder when and how the branches of a common ancestry evolved reaching a point when they no longer interbreed, preferring and recognizing their own kind, birds of a feather do flock together. Clearly, the complexities are simplified by the isolation of sub populations of genes that either go on and on or become extinct ..... "thinking" - lot's of underlying messages in these words : )

you can always count on Larry to simplify things

Quote :

reaching a point when they no longer interbreed

Mostly, but we do have Coydogs in the mix from time to time. Usually bigger individuals, with solid black hair coat and short pointy ears. No coyote issues for us due to guard donkeys.

[quote="MKeeney"]
It appears a mutual cattle breeder friend is spending a disturbing amount of time simplifying his creative time by studying his pet coyote because, in his words "Any more I get lost rather fast in complexities"

Creative time....studying". What a neat picture, the dog & coyote, I wonder when and how the branches of a common ancestry evolved reaching a point when they no longer interbreed, preferring and recognizing their own kind, birds of a feather do flock together. Clearly, the complexities are simplified by the isolation of sub populations of genes that either go on and on or become extinct ..... "thinking" - lot's of underlying messages in these words : )

Now thats quite a picture. I didn't realize that his coyote is missing a hind wheel. Maybe thats how they keep him out of the sheep. I have to agree with him about the complexities. I feel like a cat chasing that little red laser dot on the floor some times.

I like looking at dogs though. You could add a Chihuahua in that picture and they all trace back to the same wolf type animal so I tell myself if I continue to breed my type to my type, I will continue to stabilize my preferred type, just like Chihuahuas or Black labs or Coyotes.

Dogs are a good example of how 'man' can screw up genetics. If we raised cattle only for pets, think of the mess we would have...or should I say, bigger mess?

UPDATE:
Weaned the calf off of the "Ugly" cow today. Calf weighed 520 and cow weighed 960. Calf was born on April 24, 2010. Cow was thinner than I would prefer at about a BCS of 4-1/2. Milked like mad and put it into her calf. Did not preg check her as I am not good at it. If she rebred, it will be interesting if she can transmit that weaning weight ratio (calf weight / cow weight) through her son.