Creating Predictable Herd Genetics for Good Eating Grass-Fed Beef

2005 Vermont Grass Farmers’ Association Conference Presentation Abstract
by Gearld Fry

Begin With Observation

My approach to cattle evaluation begins by trying to get people to really "see" their cattle. Hair coat, body condition, and body type speak volumes about an animal's fertility and health and glandular function. Here are some indicators:

Hair & Hooves - These two physical traits are a window to an animal's health. A short hair coat with a sheen that is oily represents an animal that is healthy inside and whose gland system is functioning properly. Conversely, an animal that develops a shaggy hair coat; long hair on the top of the neck and shoulders; long hair on the udder; or a manure-caked tail - particularly at calving; should be cause for concern. These animals likely suffer from low glandular function and are not healthy, and they will not produce calves with the performance you desire.

Additionally, look at the animal's hooves - how smooth they are or how distorted they've become, as an indicator of glandular dysfunction and mineral deficiency.

Body Condition & Backfat - I like to see a cow that can regain condition while suckling a calf when the grass is lush. If your cows need extra nutrition or needs the calf weaned to gain body condition, this is a sign of a fragile cow and one poorly adapted to grazing.

I also advocate that females have .20-.30 inches of backfat by one year of age, and bulls have .20 inches. This is an indicator that these animals have the ability to utilize grass and forages.

Shoulders, Hip & Rump - Based on a process of linear measurements that dates back to the 15th century, I recommend selecting animals that have wide shoulders and rump and are no taller than 50 inches at the hip. Forty-seven to 48 inches tall is even better.

Of these criteria, tall cattle are later maturing. If an animal gets too big, it takes extra grass -and/or grain - to finish him. Shorter animals utilize feedstuffs more efficiently and reach maturity earlier.

A wide, deep chest and shoulders indicates an animal that is easy maintenance, and regarding the wide rump, he says this allows animals to have a large loin, which is the most valuable cut from the carcass. A narrow or square rump can be cause for calving problems.

Masculinity & Femininity - Along with body type, select bulls that are extremely masculine and females that are very feminine because these are direct signs of fertility.

By 12 months of age, a bull should have masculine shoulders, a crested neck, and 38-40 cm testicles. If they can exhibit these characteristics by a year of age, it's a sign that they have enough testosterone.

Additionally, coarse, curly hair about the bull's head, face and neck are signs of fertility, as is the shape of the testicles. Irregular shaped testicles are correlated to low quality semen counts from a bull. Instead ideal testicles should hang straight down side by side and be the same size and shape with no long hair on the scrotal sack.

In females, fertility is directly linked to the width and depth of the rump. The narrow rump is an absence of red meat and a higher maintenance cow. Without the wide, deep rump, fertility is low and will suffer with slow calving through the life of the cow. Cows do not need to be long bodied or long necked, but instead should be balanced from front to back and moderate in weight, so she can perform efficiently on grass.

Keep cows that have a calf every 12 months; calve in the first 21 days of the breeding period; are never sick or bothered by insects, and produce 55-65% (or more) of her body weight each year.

I've learned within every herd of cattle there is a set of animals that could produce gourmet beef. It takes no more knowledge to produce gourmet beef, just recognizing those good cows and bulls could change the industry.

The reasons for line breeding are to genetically concentrate specific genetic traits, characteristics and production needs. This gene pool (herd) concentration is especially important in the herd sires.

As I have previously discussed, building a maternal gene pool is cheap and easy with crossbreeding. However, building a paternal gene pool requires a level of incestuous type breeding.

Incestuous breeding will line up the unwanted recessive genes in the progeny produced, and therefore demands a strict selection procedure for the replacements females that are put back in the herd and far greater selection pressure on the sire.

This necessity for stringent culling means it is more expensive. This expense was the value foundation for seedstock bringing a premium price over commercially bred cattle.

Crossbred and out-crossed seedstock do not have a similar value basis for seeking a premium price and are genetically worth no more than commercial cattle.

Breeding a sire to a group of his own daughters is the best way to test the progress, strength and success of a paternal breeding program. With the paternal family (male and female) established the daughters that come from a linebred paternal breeding program should be better than their mothers.

The paternal linebred females (helpmates) will possess the type of genetic makeup required to assist the sire in producing the desired performance, herd and breed characteristics needed and for the utilization of grass, performance and quality of product.

The females produced (third or fourth generation) in a paternal linebreeding management program can be breed to their uncles, cousins sired by their father, possibly to their half brothers and sometime to their grandfathers.

There should be at least four or more female paternal family lines established in this gene pool by the same sire so the possibility of genetic repression in future generations could be avoided by selecting bulls from the different females. The possibility of genetic repression after four to six generations should be guarded against with much wisdom and vigilance.

Remember you cannot create new genes.

You concentrate the ones you have in your sire through the paternal dams. It is only through this method that you can change the progeny produced.

Also, remember in the future after the paternal gene pool is established if there is need for change you must find an outside female with the desired characteristics and introduce her to the paternal sire with characteristics the closest to your needs.

The most important thing in beginning a linebreeding program is the sire you choose to begin the gene pool with.

Starting with a superior bull (mostly through AI) is a must for building the type of animal, production, utilization of grass and quality of food product you expect.

If possible purchase an already established paternal linebred bull to begin your gene pool with. This will save a lot of time.

While all of this sounds like a lot of work - and it is - it is the only way to get the predictability we need for a premium-priced grassfed meat product. Most of us have good maternal cowherds. What we need is a BULL!

I have no doubt that most ranchers will not want to make this effort and will prefer to buy their bulls from the few who will. That's what makes a market. However, you need to realize that such an animal will not come cheap. Solutions to intractable problems never do.

I predict those few who are willing to go to the time and expense to create paternally powerful bulls will be richly rewarded for their efforts.