Minnesota Cattle

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Crossbreeding offers two primary advantages: heterosis (also called hybrid vigor) and the opportunity for breed complementarity. When the performance of crossbred offspring exceeds the performance of the purebred parents, the difference is called heterosis. In other words, the whole can be greater than the sum of the parts. For instance, if straightbred Hereford and Angus calves average 500 pounds at weaning and Hereford x Angus calves average 525 pounds, the heterosis realized is (525-500)/500, or 5 percent. Maximizing Heterosis Realization of heterosis is the closest thing to a free lunch that can be found in the cattle business. Thus, all commercial beef cattle producers should seek to maximize heterosis in their herds. Some crossbreeding systems offer a greater degree of heterosis than others, and some traits respond more to crossbreeding than others. Heterosis is realized in inverse proportion to heritability for a given trait. In other words, lowly heritable traits offer the most heterosis, highly heritable traits the least. Table 1 lists beef cattle traits of economic importance and their heritability estimates. In general, reproductive traits are lowly heritable, growth traits are moderate and carcass traits are highly heritable. Thus, differences in reproductive performance between herds are virtually all due to environment and management, while differences in growth or carcass traits are due primarily to genetics. Also, reproductive traits will respond the most to crossbreeding, carcass traits the least. Read more...

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Cattle Today
Articles about the production of beef cattle and livestock.

SUNSHINE FARMS BULL SALE AVERAGES $3,247
The Sunshine Farms Bull Sale was held December 5, 2009 in Clanton, Ala.
FRANK TURNER AND SONS ANGUS SALE HELD NOV. 7
The Frank Turner and Sons Angus Sale was held November 7, 2009 in Hayneville, Ala.
ALABAMA CATTLEMEN'S ASSOC. CONVENTION TO BE HELD
Cowboy hats and boots will be the dress of the day in the Rocket City as cattlemen from all across the state attend the largest cattle event of the year. The 67th annual Alabama Cattlemen's Association Convention and Trade Show will be at the Von Braun Center in downtown Huntsville February 12-13.
USE PRACTICAL STRATEGIES IN CASE OF AN IRS AUDIT
Excessive business deductions by livestock or general farmers, or horse owners--or for that matter, most any other business-- trigger IRS audits. If you are audited in connection with any farming, livestock or horse activity, the IRS will usually start with one tax year and then look back or forward for other years to see the history of losses or profits.
SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED FOR NCBA ANNUAL CONVENTION
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) is pleased to announce the line-up of speakers for the 2010 Cattle Industry Convention.
IT'S THE PITTS -- GRANDPA'S SADDLE
A cowboy's life has always been defined by what he did with his most valued possession... his saddle.
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HOOTER MCCORMICK -- BE IT RESOLVED...SORT OF
Hooter wasn't much on New Year's resolutions. Any he'd ever made were distant memories before Punxsutawney Phil waddled from his burrow to predict winter's fortune.
COLDWATER CATTLE CO. DISPERSAL HELD NOV. 23
Beautiful fall weather greeted buyers and bidders from 10 states at the recent dispersal of the Coldwater Cattle Company cowherd in Holly Springs, Miss.
ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT CHALLENGING FOR PRODUCERS
OK, so back to our list of the 100 reasons why climate change, if occurring at all, is natural and not man-made. Part 1 provided reasons 1-50. Here are the remaining 50 facts:
BLACK INK -- NO BOUNDARIES
In a snow globe, the white flakes drift peacefully on a quiet farmyard. When cattlemen trudge through four-foot snow drifts in 30-mile-per-hour winds and single-digit temperatures to check on a sick calf, it isn't exactly the same picture of serenity.
CATTLEMEN'S COLLEGE BRINGS FOCUS ON CONSUMER TO NCBA CONVENTION
Daily chores get most of your time and attention. That's what pays the bills, but the state of the industry lies in the bigger picture.
IT'S THE PITTS -- AUCTION JUNKIES
You know you are an auction junkie if...
SGBI OPENS NEW OFFICES ON KING RANCH
Santa Gertrudis Breeders International (SGBI) has moved into a new headquarters building on the historic King Ranch. The first Board of Directors meeting and an Open House celebration was held Saturday, October 31 in the new building just inside the main ranch entrance.
BLACK INK -- MIXED BLESSINGS
When you count your blessings, remember to include the ones disguised as challenges. Some of them you decided to take on as calculated risks; others intruded on your farm or in your life, but turned out to be “mixed blessings.”
RED ANGUS AGE AND SOURCE CERTIFICATES ACCESSIBLE ONLINE
Proper genetic, age and source verification is imperative for Red Angus cattle enrolled in the Feeder Calf Certification Program (FCCP) to continue through the marketing channels. The Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) recently developed a new tool streamlining access to this documentation.

Minnesota Cattle Links

Ag Universities

University of Minnesota
We are a landgrant college whose mission is to teach, conduct research, and share our findings through outreach efforts.
http://www.coafes.umn.edu/
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