Northern Rancher said:
Yikes-a one head conclusion that so 'purebred' it's scary. Like I said you fellows can sit back on a choppail and watch everybody else self destruct. There's plenty of modern cattle that will function on grass and hay only-but if they are managed like hogs where they are calved in confinement and fed like hogs they are pretty hard to find.
Northern, do you think you'd get 600 pound weaning weights using a bull born in 1962 with your exact current situation?
I don't.
I realize 1 animal from that particular sire doesn't qualify as sound science, but
I used Collossal on a performance cow and got a no performance calf. Could have been a fluke, but when I could get performance from that cow with any other bull I bred her to....
I think the results would be similar with any really old genetics.
To some guys, bulls born in the 80's are old genetics. I guess it would depend on your definition.
Genetics have changed. Cattle produce bigger calves that grow faster and produce a leaner carcass, unless overfed trying to get a marbling premium that their genetics aren't capable of reaching.
My cowherd will survive with anyone's.
I agree with you that there are too many chop bucket cows around. I just don't agree we need to lose the gains we have made thinking old cattle were better.