The most efficient cow is...

The most efficient cow is the one with the highest milk potential that can, without reducing the percentage of calves successfully weaned, repeatedly produce a calf by bulls with the growth and carcass characteristics valued most in the marketplace. (Barry Dunn, used to be director at the king Ranch Institute, now dean of ag and bio at SD State U. )

Agree or disagree, or add to it?

I might add something about being able to replace herself at some point.

The most efficient cow is ..... the one that can do it all. Laudable goals but easier said than done at ranch level.

The most efficient cow is........ a sheep.

no script with these slides, you shouldn`t need one, from one of my favorite academics...

http://www.nbcec.org/professionals/slides/bb12/Daley.pdf

this one line says plenty; and I think we know why the following is true...

"We have not focused on maternal and paternal lines...we have spent far too much time trying to blur those lines rather than utilize the differences.

I agree with what Barry started to say but would add that she needs to do it in her enviroment without supplementation and be able to reproduce herself. If she doesn't you are out of there in 10 to 12 years. Bob H

How is a breeder staying consistent? not measuring constantly? What is the valuable data? What are the tools your are using to make breeding choices toward improvement?

Kip wrote:

How is a breeder staying consistent? not measuring constantly? What is the valuable data? What are the tools your are using to make breeding choices toward improvement?

The more main stream breeders measure the less consistent they become.

What measurement for consistency exists? Deviation from the mean? That deviation IS the goal on the mean breeder, and a few pretty nice ones.

, what are your bench marks for finding an average, shouldn't there be a set of "constants" breeder to breeder?, other than the individual herds environment?

Selection for function over time.

Kip wrote:

, what are your bench marks for finding an average, shouldn't there be a set of "constants" breeder to breeder?, other than the individual herds environment?

Yes. Minimal maintenance and maximal profit.

Ok, function makes good simple sense, Thanks However the most important variables for function would be environment, management, genetics, in that order ?

I do not know any commercial cattleman in this area whose environment and management even approaches the levels supplied and provided by even the average registered producer, so how can their benchmarks on function have any transferance to expected commercial performance?

Kip wrote:

Ok, function makes good simple sense, Thanks However the most important variables for function would be environment, management, genetics, in that order ?

Genes will turn on or off depending on the environmental requirements required to adapt functional cattle have this ability. Where un functional cattle do not.
There for selection over time is the result in the balanced adapted cow herd all the measuring in the world will not, determine this eventual out come as only time and environment have this control. you can manipulate all the data you want and it will always vary do to environmental limitations and genetic limitations. every bovine gene is already in the mixing bowl, The key is to minimize the variations. with selection over time.

So if a breeder left a herd alone for a 200 years and no new genetics were introduced, essentially let nature manage, and herd came into balance with it's environment, ie reproduction and death rate etc, What choices of that breeder would still be evident?

Depends on where you got your original herd. from LL or GAR. Also Kip, you need good fences to keep out the HBR cattle. DV... near a herd of 500 pronghorns who got it going.

Each environment will have a different type and size. And this just maybe your answer as this is the only breed that i have known to have selected themselves for 200yrs.

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/texaslonghorn/index.htm

Kip wrote:

So if a breeder left a herd alone for a 200 years and no new genetics were introduced, essentially let nature manage, and herd came into balance with it's environment, ie reproduction and death rate etc, What choices of that breeder would still be evident?

Maybe color . Jon