Pros And Cons Of Beefmaster Cattle

There are several Pros and cons of beefmaster cattle breed, just as it can be used in crossbreeding programs to enhance performance and efficiency in all stages of production. In addition, it has excellent carcass and calf traits. Some of its features include low birth weights, ease of calving, and Breed complementarity.

Breed complementarity

Breed complementarity is the idea that two or more breeds of cattle are best suited for each other. Each breed has unique traits and can be improved by crossing the genes of the other breeds. This concept is often referred to as sequence breeding. It involves mating males of two or more breeds with crossbred females. The resultant animals are often more productive than their purebred counterparts.

Heterosis retention

While other cattle breeds can pass on desirable traits through artificial insemination, Beefmaster cattle are able to retain up to 63% of heterosis. This makes Beefmaster cattle a more desirable option for farmers seeking to maximize genetic diversity. Although artificial insemination is a viable option for farmers, it does not provide the same level of guarantee as natural conception.

Calving ease

Calving ease is a trait that breeders use to identify and improve cattle quality. It is measured on a scale from one to five. A score of one indicates that the cow is easy to calve, while a score of five indicates that the cow requires assistance during the birth process. Cattle producers use first-calf heifer calving ease scores in national cattle evaluation.

Low birth weights

When selecting bulls, a farmer should consider a bull's birth weight, which is directly correlated to calving ease. A bull with a lower birth weight is expected to have 8.7 percent fewer unassisted deliveries than a bull with a high birth weight. While this may not seem important, birth weight is an important trait, as low birth weights will affect the reproductive efficiency of cows.

Longevity

The Beefmaster breed of cattle has become a popular breed among herd managers over the past decade. These cattle have a high fertility rate and are able to tolerate hot, humid climates. In addition, they are exceptionally hardy and can provide milk under a wide range of environmental conditions.

Feed consumption

Several recent studies show that beefmaster cattle are among the top feed-efficient cattle in the world. A recent study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture's Meat Animal Research Center used data from 18 breeds of beef cattle to determine their feed efficiency. The results showed that Beefmaster cattle ranked second in overall feed efficiency, Average Daily Gain, and Dry Matter Intake. Moreover, Beefmasters scored highly on the Steer Daily Gain and Heifer Daily Gain traits. In addition, their feed efficiency compared to other breeds was also a significant factor in the study.