Not All Breeds are Created Equal
Multi-trait selection for many qualities within
one single breed would take many lifetimes to achieve, however, with the
skillful combination and re-combination of breeds showing some or all
of these traits, the Excellerator lines can greatly speed up the fixing
of these traits in your commercial herd.
Breed differences can be very useful when planning rapid genetic progress in many economic traits which exhibit low heritability.
The following chart is sourced from ABS Global in their Cross Breeding brochure. It is important for you to understand "Breed difference" and some of the process involved in producing composite cattle lines such as the Excellerators.
|
Breed |
Calf Size |
Calf Survival |
Frame Size |
Ratio of Meat:Bone |
Age of Puberty |
Milk Production |
| Jersey | ***** | ** | * | * | ***** | ***** |
| Longhorn | **** | ***** | * | ** | **** | ** |
| Herford & Polled Herford | *** | ***** | ** | *** | *** | ** |
|
Red and Black Angus |
*** | ***** | ** | *** | **** | *** |
| Shorthorn | *** | **** | *** | *** | *** | *** |
| Tarentaise | *** | **** | ** | **** | *** | *** |
| Salers | *** | **** | **** | *** | *** | ** |
| Brangus | ** | **** | *** | *** | ** | *** |
| Santa Gertrudis | * | ** | *** | *** | * | *** |
| Beefmaster | ** | *** | *** | *** | ** | *** |
| Gyr | *** | **** | ** | ** | *** | **** |
| Brahman | * | *** | *** | *** | * | *** |
| Nelore | ** | **** | **** | **** | *** | ** |
| Indu-Brasil | * | ** | ***** | *** | * | ** |
| Guzerat | * | *** | *** | *** | * | *** |
| Belgian Blue | * | ** | *** | ***** | * | * |
| Piedmontese | ** | *** | * | ***** | * | * |
| Holstein | * | **** | ***** | ** | **** | ***** |
| Brown Swiss | ** | **** | *** | ** | *** | **** |
| Gelbieh | * | ** | **** | *** | **** | **** |
| Simmental | * | ** | **** | ** | *** | **** |
| Maine Anjou | * | * | **** | ** | *** | *** |
| Limousin | ** | ** | *** | ***** | ** | * |
| Charolais | * | * | **** | **** | ** | * |
| Chianina | * | * | ***** | * | ** | * |
The number of * 's indicates increasing relative differences among breed groups for:
| Calf Size |
small |
***** |
* = large |
| Calf Survival |
hardy |
***** |
* = high mortality rate |
| Frame Size |
large |
***** |
* = small |
| Ratio of Meat: Bone |
muscular |
***** |
* = more bone |
| Age of Puberty |
early |
***** |
* = late |
| Milk Production |
heavy |
***** |
* = low |
"The value of the increased production as a result of heterosis is greater than two times the cost of achieving it." USDA Germplasm Research Centre Nebraska
"Composite breeds offer the greatest opportunity to use breed differences to achieve and maintain optimum performance levels for a wide range of production situations. Selection among breeds is considerably more effective than intra-breed selection for all bioeconomic traits" USDA Germplasm Research Centre Nebraska