Cattle body shape, Form follow function?

[Anonymous]

Been thinking a lot about the threads on marbling vs cattle shape and performance.

If you think of th eeasiest marbling cattle, they sure don't look like what we'd expect. Wagyo looks like a black corriente angus cross. Jersey's and holstiens also marble easily. I wonder how many goohd heifers or cows I've culled with lots of fat reserves, but didn't show it?? I definitly havee had times where I didn't look past form.

I Feed out my calves, so this is important to me. Size and yeild grade (therefore Rib Eye Area) are also important.

I think here are several things I walk away with. Don't go after extremes and don't single trait select. IMF is important, i think if you couple it with growth, Rib Eye and watch out for fat, you should have something. Be interesting to see what cows look like if you could hold long enough to see the carcass date. Maybe some slab looking one would make the cut,

Lots more to speculate on,


PPRM

 

[Mike]

As a breeder of mostly "Terminal" sires I think I have to look at it differently than the commercial guys. My customers want bulls that produce 85-90lb. calves that hit the ground growing. Different situation with me.

 

[Northern Rancher]

If I get a chance I'll take some pictures of our top carcass producing cows and e-mail them too you-these are cows that produce Prime-Y1 carcasses. They are far from slab sided dairy looking cattle-in fact are some of our easier doing cows-which quite frankly surprised me.

 

[PPRM]

NR,

Congrats! Sounds like you have a program that is already where some of us are striving to get to. My hat is off to you, but I only do that on a cloudy day as the shine off me scalp my blind you,


PPRM