rkaiser
Well-known member
I think cowsense makes sense. Ultrasound is still based on the eyeball -- at least with our techs it is. As the DNA tests become more affordable - I feel this is where we will need to go.
Identifying Grass Sires w/Ultrasound
- Thread starter PureCountry
- Start date
RobertMac
Well-known member
rkaiser said:
Randy, how many genes were humans supposed to have before they mapped the genome and actually found out? or found out what they didn't know?
DNA testing is another tool, but we have to learn how to use it...CORRECTLY!! ...and like ultrasound!!!
Nature doesn't make mistakes...man just fails at interpreting what we think we see.
Red Robin
Well-known member
Not all ultrasound software interpretations are visual Randy. Some are 100% repeatable with the same ultrasound image. The trouble is in the taking of the image correctly. Some ultrasound capturing software has land mark requirements that make the technician take a more precise image.rkaiser said:
PureCountry said:That's interesting Mike, but I think in developing grass genetics, we can't forget marbling. We have to have animals that marble while they're gaining, since the biggest argument against grass-finished beef is it's taste/flavor. If it's an animal that gains well, and marbles very well, we should have a critter that's not only economical to raise, but produces a very tasty end product, shouldn't we? That's my opinion/best guess.In other words, I agree with Northern. Good gain+good backfat+good marbling = good grass genetics.
All the posts are very interesting. Personally I am trying to choose sires in the angus breed with good imf and at the minimum a positive $EN epd. And as I have stated earlier at this and other sites, so far the higher $en animals are easy fleshing easy keeping cattle. All my cattle get is grass hay and trace mineral salt presently. This spring I am going to experiment with some mineral though. I have had one heifer off of grass that produceda 6.21 Pct imf with a .06 Fat. Her sire was a + 6 $EN and her dam was a +22 $EN. and she is an easy fleshing heifer.
Shorthornguy
Well-known member
Jersey steer is the best eatin. Cattle will gain and marble good on grass.....but......it has to be quality grass. Protien is the key to marbling.
Quality grass makes quality beef.
Quality grass makes quality beef.
RobertMac
Well-known member
Fat is energy...it's the energy component of forage that is needed to make fat/marbling.
Grain is starch...starch is energy....that's why cattle fatten/marble easily on grain.
A bull test over powers the bull's system with macro-nutrients..both forage and grain test...what is identified is the "ruminant hogs". Genetic change takes long term solutions and, IMO, starts with the cow.
Forage is less nutrient dense that grain...to get the same daily gains take an animal with more gut volume.
Grain is starch...starch is energy....that's why cattle fatten/marble easily on grain.
A bull test over powers the bull's system with macro-nutrients..both forage and grain test...what is identified is the "ruminant hogs". Genetic change takes long term solutions and, IMO, starts with the cow.
Forage is less nutrient dense that grain...to get the same daily gains take an animal with more gut volume.
Mike
Well-known member
To get the same daily gains, the forage animal has to move more dry matter through the digestive system period.
I presume a larger gut volume would aid in this.
But you could have a forage with a higher protein content (on a dry matter basis) than grain, thus making the digestion capabilities (or speed of digestion) of the two equal.
Where I see a real advantage of the larger gut is consuming forages with a high water content.