ANOTHER APPROACH

Big Jimmer found this one...i copied and paste since LL doesn`t have pdf

COMPOSITE FORMATION PLAN
Creating the “Maternalizer”
This paper outlines our restocking and composite formation plan, after our cow
dispersal in the fall of 2005. Our plan is to repurchase Red Angus heifer calves
over the next few years, looking for market opportunities to repurchase these
heifers at attractive prices. Our belief is that heifer calves are more attractive
than purchasing bred heifers and young cows. Heifers can be purchased and
developed on our on our relatively low-cost feedstuffs, cheaper than buying a
similar bred heifer or cow. Consequently any heifers that are culls or opens will
have been run similar to a yearling feeder heifer program and can be marketed
accordingly. Also, heifers are advantageous in that they can be developed to
our handling techniques, developed to our target breeding weight and bred to
bulls of our choosing that fit our breeding plans.
Because of high calf prices in 2006 and 2007 and a premium for pregnant
females we have waited to the 2008-2010 period when prices may be more
attractive for heifer calves due to potentially higher corn prices. Our
repurchase window to purchase these females closes in April of 2010 before
we run into substantial tax consequences. Roughly $1,500,000 worth of heifers
will need to be purchased over the 2008-2010 time frame. This will result in
more cows in our herd than our operation can run and highlights the need to
continue to build programs to sell excess heifers/cows and continue our cow
lease program.
Our goal is to recreate a moderate sized British type crossbred female, similar
to our previous composite as displayed below:

We are fans of crossbred cattle. In our opinion, there is no single management
practice, which can have more impact on your bottom line than crossbreeding.
The use of crossbreeding yields two important advantages over straight-bred
cattle. First is that the crossing of two breeds results in higher levels of
performance for most economic traits. Secondly the use of multiple breeds
allows producers to harness the traits of one breed to “compliment” and
improve desirable characteristics of another breed. No one breed has optimum
levels of performance however, through breed combinations and hybrid vigor,
one can develop highly desirable animals for a broad range of traits.
Hybrid vigor, more commonly referred to as heterosis, is the superiority that
crossbred animals exhibit over its straight-bred parents. Generally, heterosis
has the greatest affect on those traits, which have a lower level of heritability,
moderate heterosis is observed in moderately heritable traits, while highly
heritable traits show little or no affects from heterosis. Traits such as fertility,
longevity, and health have relatively low heritability yet show large responses
from cross breeding. This is important for two often overlooked reasons. One
is that while most genetic change is focused on the highly heritable traits like
frame size and growth, the truly important economic traits like overall cow
productivity are not the focus of the seed stock community, because of the low
heritability. Even if it were a focus in selection, making change in these areas
would be quite limited. Secondly, crossbreeding allows one to make much
larger strides in genetic improvement by utilizing breed differences. Through
recent efforts to characterize the important economic traits and biological type
for beef cattle breeds, one can easily identify which breeds excel in any one
trait and use that breed to introduce those genes for that trait into your
crossbred population. You can make much more progress in one cross than a
lifetime of selection for a trait, even one with high heritability.
Producing crossbred calves has advantages in terms of heterosis and blending
of breed differences but the major advantages of cross breeding accrues to the
crossbred cow. Hybrid females generate a more desirable environment for her
calf through improved maternal ability. This results in higher calf survivability
and higher weaning weights. On average a crossbred cow has a 4% higher
calving rate, raises one more calf, and produces a cumulative 600 more
pounds of calf over her lifetime. This higher productivity gives you more
pounds to sell every year per cow and reduces your replacement rate due to
higher fertility, longer lives and healthier more “maternal” cows. This higher
productivity and lower replacement rates are powerful factors affecting overall
ranch profitability.
In order to capture the benefits of hybrid vigor, we plan on developing a
composite population of “Maternalizers”. Our Maternalizer cows are designed
to emphasize maternal traits. We feel these cows will be well suited for our
environment and production system. They are smaller framed, easier fleshing,
early growth cows with desirable udders. We want cows that deliver low birth
weight calves without assistance. Our composite is designed to graze year
round with minimal feed inputs. With this genetic emphasis, and through the
use of cornstalks and late spring calving, only in the case of severe weather will
any hay or supplementation be fed. And while some emphasis was given to
carcass quality/marbling in our breed selection, our focus is on whether the
breed can deliver fitness and convenience traits. Moreover, with our composite
herd, genetic change is not necessarily our goal. Instead we are trying to fix a
set of traits at a given level of production. High growth and more milk are not
necessarily desirable because of the higher maintenance and feed costs
associated with higher production. Selection for fitness and convenience traits
trumps high production. Our goal is to have every cow pregnant and raise a
calf albeit at a lower weaning and yearling weights than most production
systems.
Our ideal cow will have the following convenience and fitness characteristics:
1. 1150 lbs mature weight.
2. Frame score 5 or less
3. Fault free udders
4. Docility
5. Fertility
6. Polled
7. Longevity
8. Pigment on eye and udder
9. Fleshing ability
10. Calving ease
11. Modest early growth and milk
Here is a table Modified from the USDA MARC Germ Plasm Evaluation project
that characterizes the production traits and biological type of the parent breeds,
which we have selected to be contributors to our composite.
Breed Growth
Rate
Age
Puberty
Milk
Production
% Retail
Product
+ -
AR
Red Angus
XXX XX XXX XX -Good all-round
maternal traits
-Limited genetic
base
TA
Tarentaise
XXX XX XXX XXX -Excellent convenience
traits
i.e. udders, size
-Greater than optimum
milk &
growth
DS
South
Devon
XXX XX XXX XXX -Excellent docility
and carcass traits
-Greater than optimum
milk &
growth
-Marginal udders
RP
Red Poll
XX XX XXX XX -Excellent Fertility
and marbling
-Marginal udders
-Not much fleshing
ability
HE
Hereford
XXX XXX XX XX -Optimum Milk
-Right biological
type
-Poor Marbling
-Questionable
udders
DE
Devon
XX XXX XX XX -Optimum milk
-Correct Biological
type
-Poor Marbling
-Extremely small
genetic base
We have confidence that the Red Angus breed will provide an excellent base
for our composites. We plan on purchasing lighter Red Angus heifer calves,
especially from a few selected breeding programs, to develop and breed. We
will limit our purchase weights to 500 pounds or less to minimize our first cost
and limit our ultimate mature cow size. Red Angus offers carcass quality,
maternal traits and calving ease. One draw back is that they have a far smaller
breed population compared with Black Angus.

In Step 1 of the breeding process Red Angus females will be bred AI and
cleaned-up with calving ease Tarentaise sires like the bull below left.
Tarentaise females like below right bring excellent udders and maternal traits to
our composite but with marginal carcass qualities and greater than optimum
milk production.
The females from this mating (AR-TA F1s) will enter the herd as replacement
heifers. We have the most faith in the Tarentaise and Red Angus breeds in
delivering optimum levels of production and fitness traits. We will have several
years of this mating which will generate a sizable number of these TA-AR F1
heifers to enter the herd as replacements. A representative F1 is seen below.
In Step 2, these F1 heifers (and later as cows) will then be mated to equal
numbers of purebred bulls of Devon, South Devon and Red Poll. If we can find
a suitable Shorthorn of Hereford this would be desirable but their very few if
any bulls in the US that have the maternal traits we are seeking. All bulls and
heifers from this mating will be considered full composites. As a result of this
mating we will have a composite that is on a herd basis, that is: ¼ AR, ¼ TA,
1/8 HE, 1/8 RP 1/8 DE, 1/8 DS. In Step 3 in order to speed up the process of
infusing different genetics into our composite we will contract with breeders to
raise F1 bulls of Tarentaise with: Red Poll (RP), Devon both South (DS) and
Red (DE). These sires will be AI and naturally bred to the AR females to
produce composite females. These cows (and bulls) ½ AR, ¼ TA and either ¼
RP or ¼ DS or ¼ DE. These will be considered full composites as well.
Subsequently, all composite animals then will be randomly mated with other
composites. Breed makeup will not be managed or monitored. Eventual breed
make up will be solely a product of our internal selection process for the fitness
and convenience traits previously articulated. We will give special attention to
ensure that a large number of bulls are used in the formation of this composite
to eliminate inbreeding issues in future years. We will continue to look for
outside maternal genes to contribute genetic diversity to our composite. In all
our composite animals we will have a strong contribution for Red Angus and
Tarentaise. These are the two breeds we have the most confidence in to
deliver the maternal traits desired. Although we are less certain about the other
breeds we feel they can bring genetic diversity and other fitness traits to our
population. Below are some pictures and descriptions of these other
contributing breeds.
Devon genetics offer moderate size, muscling, and decent maternal qualities
but marginal quality grade. Also, the horned gene is in the population. Here
are representative pictures of a Devon sire and dam.
Red Poll contributes excellent fertility, age of puberty and marbling to our
composite population. They may be faulted for poorer udder quality and lack of
fleshing ability. Below are representative Red Poll photos.
South Devon contribute excellent marbling and decent maternal qualities but
tend to be larger framed and some questionable udders can be found in the
breed. Below is a South Devon bull and cow.
Hereford offers moderate size, fleshing ability, optimum milk production and in
some bloodlines, good maternal traits. Herefords don’t make a significant
contribution to carcass quality. A Hereford bull and cow are below.
Once this composite is developed we will continue to select for maternal and
convenience traits. Convenience traits such as disposition, udder quality,
calving ease, polled, and superior feet and legs will be the focus of selection
pressure. Special attention will be focused on body type including mature size,
muscle expression and fleshing ability. Maximizing growth will be avoided in
order to maintain the maternal qualities of moderate size, which are central to
the composite development plan. Carcass traits will be monitored and
improved through genetic markers and new genetic infusion to move the
population in the desired direction. Throughout this selection process no effort
will be made to keep a special percentage make-up in our animals. Instead, in
the selection process described, we will select for the animals that best fit our
environment and be indifferent to the ultimate breed makeup. We plan on
capitalizing on the maternal and convenience genes have been introduced into
our herd with each of the pure breeds sampled. Our role will be to find which
animals are the fittest for our ranch and production system.
In order to produce F1 bulls for our composite formation we have contracted in
2007-8 with the flowing Breeders to produce F1s, which include Tarentaise,
matched up with Devon, Red Poll, South Devon and Hereford. Both bulls and
semen will be used to produce these F1s.
1. Hatfield High Desert Ranch-Tarentaise cows
a. Barnstaple Hassler (Devon)-20 units
b. Rotokawa 93 (Devon)-10 units
c. Lakota’s Buckeye P60 (Devon)-10 units
d. Leachman Muchas Gracias (S. Devon)-20 units
e. Cimarron Ultimate 382 (S. Devon)-20 units
2. Larry Novotny-Tarentaise cows
a. Cimarron Superior 442 (S. Devon)-10 units
b. Leachman Muchas Gracias (S. Devon)-10 units
c. Lakota H48 (Devon)-10 units
d. Lakota P60 (Devon)-10 units
3. Scott Hicks- Tarentaise cows
a. 2 (South Devon) bulls
b. Cimarron Casanova (South Devon) bull
4. Keith Lapp- Hereford cows
a. Coteau Tarentaise
b. Colfax Tarentaise
5. Darrel Manning - Tarentaise cows
a. 2 (Red Poll) bulls
6. Allen Schlenvogt- Tarentaise cows
a. One (South Devon) bull
Hopefully once fully developed, our Maternalizer cows will be well suited for
year round grazing in a low input system. They will deliver problem free
production with an early growth calf, which is suited to a yearling system. One
potential for this population is that through our ongoing heifer development
program and sales we could develop name recognition and reputation that will
help establish demand for our Maternalizer composite. A seed stock sale of
our composite females and bulls is a potential enterprise for coming years

And in 150 years they will be able to market a fairly stable new breed of Shitmuckle Duns.

Jack, if bullshit was music this would be a brass band.

Jack McNamee wrote:

And in 150 years they will be able to market a fairly stable new breed of Shitmuckle Duns.

Jack, if bullshit was music this would be a brass band.

started reading that war and peace sized line of crap and it turned into Charley Brown's teachers voice in a visual sense. Might print it off to help on those nights when I just can't fall asleep.

I`m posting this from LL under my name so LL can continue to wear a white, but slightly stained hat

I think this would be called history repeating itself....or, startin' all over again expectin' a different result

LL in the vicinity of never learnin'

Did Foxx write this?

chocolate cow wrote:

Did Foxx write this?

No, she and Bill Clinton are down in Ranch Life asking what the definition of good is.

MKeeney wrote:

I`m posting this from LL under my name so LL can continue to wear a white, but slightly stained hat

I think this would be called history repeating itself....or, startin' all over again expectin' a different result

LL in the vicinity of never learnin'

Mike,

Does sound like history repeating itself where folks have a desire to create the next best thing, or in this case a new composite.
In the late nineties, Bent Tree Farms in AL worked on developing the "South Poll" a composite that consisted of 1/4 red Angus,
1/4 Hereford, 1/4 Senepole, and 1/4 Barzona. I did see the end product and didn't look too bad, however, haven't heard much
about the program lately.....That doesn't mean they aren't thriving, just not making a big splash in beef cattle circles.
The one drawback in any plan like that above is that most of us would never live long enough to see any results.....Hard enough
to realize one's goals using one breed.
DM

mrvictordomino wrote:

MKeeney wrote:

I`m posting this from LL under my name so LL can continue to wear a white, but slightly stained hat

I think this would be called history repeating itself....or, startin' all over again expectin' a different result

LL in the vicinity of never learnin'

Mike,

Does sound like history repeating itself where folks have a desire to create the next best thing, or in this case a new composite.
In the late nineties, Bent Tree Farms in AL worked on developing the "South Poll" a composite that consisted of 1/4 red Angus,
1/4 Hereford, 1/4 Senepole, and 1/4 Barzona. I did see the end product and didn't look too bad, however, haven't heard much
about the program lately.....That doesn't mean they aren't thriving, just not making a big splash in beef cattle circles.
The one drawback in any plan like that above is that most of us would never live long enough to see any results.....Hard enough
to realize one's goals using one breed.
DM

it`s all so simple...but there is no big premium in simple, and not enough margin to fund a bunch of middlemen...

Another example:

ln 1960 when D. McQ. Shaver Beef Breeding Farms Ltd. began developing a composite breed of beef cattle, they concentrated on selecting for genetic traits of high economic value. SHAVER BEEFBLEND is the result of more than 40 years of research and development. As a composite beef breed, SHAVER BEEFBLEND combines the genes of nine pure breeds to give today's commercial cattlemen a stable product that will offer the following benefits: calving ease, early sexual maturity, high fertility, rapid growth rate, feed efficiency and early finishing capabilities.

http://www.shaverbeef.com/index.html#.html



Nothing new under the sun.

TD, blasting off into outerspace so I can think of some new shit.