Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Herd Improvement With Black Baldy Cattle

By Eugenia Dickerson


Cattle ranchers around the world know that their profit margin is too small to withstand annual losses caused by infertility, slow maturity, and short life in their breeding stock. Black Baldy cattle are showing great returns for their owners by eliminating many of these and other problems with their hybrid vigor and superior performance. Ranchers who have seen as much as 20% greater performance ratings are spreading the word that this type of animal is worth investigating.

Black Baldy is the name given to white-faced, sable-bodied cattle that are produced by breeding a Hereford bull to an Aberdeen Angus cow. The white-face gene of the Hereford and the sable-color gene of the Angus are dominant, so the color of the hybrid crosses is remarkable consistent.

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.

Both of these crossbreeding methods produces animals that perform well in breeding or in beef production. The black white-faced cows are known for their fertility, their longevity, and their 'good mother' characteristics. These include a gentle disposition, which makes handling easier, and good milk production to nourish the calf. In the feedlot, both types of offspring are docile and gain weight rapidly on less feed than other breeds might require.

These results are part of what is called 'hybrid vigor'. Crossbreeding in any species usually brings the good characteristics of both breeds into prominence and eliminates the tendencies to genetic problems that show with greater frequency in every purebred generation. Both Hereford and Angus are sound animals with many good traits, and imparting new blood resurrects qualities that have been in decline in purebred herds.

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 are available for breeding stock and for those who want to fatten animals for beef. Check out the results of performance tests that show how this breed can increase production in any aspect of the beef business.




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