Maternal genetics

[leanin' H]

A question I'd like input about has to do with the corelation between maternal genetics and carcass genetics. Are they absolute opposites or do they fall somewhere in the middle? I have always followed the thinking that it takes great cows to make great calves. And a bull that throws great replacements would be more attractive to me than a carcass bull. And a secondary question is which Angus lines do ya'll like as maternal bases?

My plan for my cattle is based on balance. I won't chase fads or extremes and I want to build my bunch on "perfect" mother cows who calve unassisted, breed back and raise nice calves. I want a balanced set of cattle that are moderate to below average on frame size with good feet being real important too. So knowing what I'm shooting for, advise me what you'd pick as maternal bulls to breed with. Thanks for the input! There are no wrong answers!

[Grassfarmer]

[Soapweed]

If you are keeping replacement heifers from your own cows, pick from the best and sell the rest. If you plan on buying some young females, find a herd that someone has that is just what you would like to have on down the road, and then buy young females from that herd. Another option is to buy some older tried and true cows that have stood the test of time for someone else. Take pretty good care of them for a couple more years, and save those good heifer calves that those cows will produce. Work to get your ideal females, and the steer calves will sell themselves. Strive to maintain uniformity in your herd, unless you plan to butcher and sell the meat yourself--then it doesn't matter. Otherwise it does matter, and you will receive a bigger paycheck if you sell uniformity.

Free advice is worth exactly what you pay.

[gcreekrch]

[Northern Rancher]

The problem with best is we tend to correelate best with whatever pleases our eye not necessarily what is the most productive or profitable. Probably the best test is expose all your heifers and keedp the ones that breed first cycle-I got alot of ugly monjey making cowss doing that. i've always worked on breeding for mother cows-we ring the bell on the grid with those genetics and our replacements usually bring more than fat steers.

[PATB]

The cow better be able to survive in your management scheme and reproduce. I have not seen a study on carcass quality of maternal lines of cattle. I breed for a good funtional cows and not worry to much about carcass. The last time I talk with one of the feeders that buy my animals they were going 95% choice or better. They were averageing 85% choice on all cattle bought in maine and fed at their feedlot with no implants.

[Doug Thorson]

I would say they work against each other.

Studies I have seen say any ribeye over 1.1 per hundred pounds of bodyweight leads to cattle that don't convert as well, ie hard doers.
The same with backfat, too little up here in the north, and your cows take a lot more hay to keep warm.
I haven't seen anything that correlates IMF either way.

My opinion is the easiest way to make money is to have better cows than most everyone else.

[Soapweed]

[Denny]

[Justin]

[leanin' H]

[Dylan Biggs]