Question for you guys that understand genetics

[Shelly]

If you breed a RWF cow to a black bull, are you always going to get a black calf? Reason I'm asking is one of our cows that we sold to the best friend came up with a rwf calf. Actually, not even red, more a red to tan color. The cow's mother is 1/4 Red Angus and her grandmother is 1/2 Red Angus. This particular cow was not exposed to any other bull than the black bull we bought last spring.

Also, what could be the reason these cows are calving so early? From our herd there's already been three calved and they were not supposed to start till next Sunday. And there's a few more that will calve before week's end.

[Andy]

no you are not always going to get a black calf. You can breed a black cow to a black bull and still get a red calf.

[Big Muddy rancher]

Black bulls can have a shorter gestation period then other breeds.

[PureCountry]

Shelly, if the cow is crossbred, you could get anything. I've had some odd-colored calves around here using Angus or Galloway bulls on red cows that are Tarentaise-Hereford-Shorthorn crosses.

[Faster horses]

We had a horned hereford cow bred to a Registered Black Angus Bull and she had a SOLID RED CALF...polled...we kept her as a herd marker and called her Cincinnatie Red. She always was bred to a Black Angus Bull and had a black calf.


Suprised us that she was SOLID RED, not a speck of white on her anywhere.

[katrina]

[Mike]

[randiliana]

Shelly, that all depends on the color genes behind the Black bull.

It is very possible.

Black is dominant, which means that he can carry the red gene, and still look black. Red is recessive, which means that if the animal is red, it has 2 red genes.

So cross a hetero black animal Ee with a homo red animal ee will give these possible outcomes.

50% Ee - black colored animal carrying the red gene
50% ee - red colored animal.

As for your gestation length, it somewhat depends on the breed, sire and dam. Some breeds have shorter or longer gestations, some bulls within a breed may have longer or shorter gestations, same with the cows. We figure on a 283 day gestation, but calves can be born anywhere up to about 14 days early OR late so anywhere from 269 days to 297 days give or take.

[Juan]

a few years ago -----purebred Hoff black angus bulls bred to purebred black angus cows produced some white calves.

[High Plains]

Some Black Angus cattle carry a red gene, but since red is recessive, it's generally not ever expressed in physical color of their calves when breeding to another Black Angus animal. The reason for this is because the majority of Black Angus cattle have two black genes and very few are red carriers. The only way for red color to show up is to pair up two red genes together in the calf. Once again, since black is dominant over red. Hence, the Red Angus breed was created.

So, if you have a red cow bred to a Black Angus bull and get a red calf from the mating, you've got yourself a Black Angus bull that carries both a black and a red gene for color. Just happened that he sent along his red gene to the calf in this case that you're describing and that was matched up with a red gene from the cow. Two reds equals a red

Randiliana already stated most of what I just outlined. Just couldn't help myself.

[VB RANCH]

Really, here I thought RED ANGUS were the orignal

[DOC HARRIS]