Brain Ache

[Northern Rancher]

I was just reading some stuff over at 5barX.com-talk about the zen of breeding cattle. I'm too obtuse to figure out what the heck they're talking about but there are some linebreeding/inbreeding enthusiasts. I've tentatively grasped the concept that you do it to fix desireable traits so there is more repeatability. But I want to run this question by us common folk before I tackle the philosophers-if a linebreeding/inbreeding is a favorable way of propogating how come mother nature does here best to avoid it. They've done studies on whitetail deer-if a young bucks mother dies he'll stay in the area he was fawned-if she's alive when he turns into a yearling he disperses. Don't get me wrong I'm sure line breeding has it's place but from some of the stuff posted it's touted as the be all and end all. I've looked at alot of cattle over the years and I haven't seen many were the embody of perfection.

 

[Faster horses]

If you really want to know about linebreeding cattle, call Larry Leonhardt.
He is an authority on it and besides that, he's fun to talk to.
Or you can ask him on 5-X site, as he is a regular there, or was at
one time.

I've got his phone number if you need it. I think you'd really enjoy
talking to him. No BS there, just facts. And he knows more about
Angus genetics than just about anyone.

 

[Northern Rancher]

To me breeding cattle can be amazingly simple or incredibly complex-if you want good udders breed cattle with good udders to other cattle with good udders-good feet the same thing etc they don't have to be kissing cousins to accomplish that. I'm going to have to go visit some of those herds and try and muddle through it that way.

 

[Faster horses]

He's already muddled through it. He can save you some steps, if
you're open to talking to him.
He started linebreeding in 1979. Bred a bull to it's mother, I believe
and the offspring was Shoshone Encore. But I don't know the
AAA number, and I suspect there are more than one. Encore was
the basis for his linebreeding program. He did have 25% outside influence
at one time, but now it is all linebreeding. He usually has 200 coming
2-year old bulls, so he's not linebreeding on a small scale. He told us
once, "no one wants to buy my bulls, but everyone wants my cows."
I don't think that holds true any longer, as he has a lot of orders for
bulls. His cowherd is something to see. They look like clones.

He'll tell you that he went to the bull tests (before 1979), bought the
high testing bulls, paid a lot of money for them and THEY DIDN'T WORK.
They are outliers and will not breed back to themselves. Cattle breed
back to the average of that line of cattle. You can buy the middle and
have greater success. But I'm putting words in his mouth and perhaps
out of context, so I will quit. But he is really interesting. Very plain-
spoken...he'll tell you, "I'm just a dirty little beet farmer"...

Any time spent with him, is time well spent. A real learning experience.

 

[Northern Rancher]

I do my own muddling...

 

[Faster horses]

I figured as much...

 

[Will G]

A few encore granddaughters here 23%IBC 12 years old. They just keep muddling along year after year....

 

[Northern Rancher]

Only a few!!! I guess I'm a heretic I really don't think purebred cattle should be run in a commercial situation. A good stockman can crossbreed and have a cowherd and a calf crop just as uniform as anybodys.