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Ranchers.net

This was in the Tri-State Livestock News, for those of you who don't subscribe:

Headlines August 12, 2006

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By Steve Paisley
University of Wyoming, State Beef Cattle Extension

With the current climatic trend in west leaning towards continued dry, most producers have had to cull herds considerably deeper than they would like. Traditional culling procedures have always included the 3 0's: Open, Old and Ornery. In fact, when I was a UW student, we had a "culling list" taped inside the office during calving season. Cows that seemed to develop a taste for Carhartt® automatically made the list, along with colorful comments describing her particular disposition. But like all operations, actually having a live, healthy calf on the ground tended to soften your heart a little. We have all succumbed to the old phrase "Well, she DID raise a good calf" at least once.

Temperament: A convenience trait? There are several economic and management factors, combined with new research, that has at least moved cattle temperament, or disposition, up on the list of important traits. Ranching trends, such as the increasing size of ranches, fewer ranch employees, the increased use of 4-wheelers and other ATV's, and even rising health care costs have all made temperament an important issue. As the industry moves more towards individually tagging cattle, and marketing fed cattle individually through grid pricing, it's becoming easier to identify individual cattle and bloodlines, and how temperament can potentially impact calf health, performance and carcass merit.

Temperament impacts calf health. We've always suspected that temperament, defined as "mothering ability" is essential for colostrum intake, and adequate transfer of passive immunity to the calf. Several studies show a direct link between colostrum intake of the calf and overall health, both prior to weaning as well as in the feedlot. More recent research from Texas A&M has shown that calm cattle respond better to weaning and feedlot vaccinations, resulting in a better immune response to the vaccine and better overall immune protection.

Temperament and feedlot performance. Studies from Colorado State University, as well as a recent summary of 3 years data from an Iowa Tri-County Futurity feedlot test suggest that steer temperament affects feedlot gain. In the recent Iowa report estimates that "docile" and "restless" cattle had increased feedlot gains valued at $37 and $29 over aggressive cattle. More controlled studies reported by Missouri, Texas A&M and Mississippi State looking at specific groups of cattle are not as clear. Often, the sire effect is larger than the impact of temperament. The difficulty with these studies is that removing the sire effect from a group of cattle (and differences in temperament between sires) also impacts the overall interpretation of temperament results. Temperament appears to be an moderately heritable trait, and it is difficult to separate out the performance and temperament differences between sires.

Temperament and Carcass Quality. There is more conclusive data reported by several universities that suggests that highly excitable cattle tend to have reduced marbling (lower USDA quality grade). Recent studies from Mississippi State and Texas A&M report that cattle with high temperament scores (1=calm, 5=extremely wild/aggressive) have an increased incidence of tough steaks. Although tenderness isn't a current criteria in determining fed cattle prices, it's still an important issue for the industry to address. The 2005 National Fed Beef Quality Audit identified the lack of uniformity in marbling and tenderness as the number one challenge for the industry. Identifying factors that affect tenderness is an important first step.

Measuring temperament. Current systems used to measure temperament include Pen Score, a subjective measurement based on observing cattle in the pen, Chute Score, and estimate of temperament based on observing cattle while restrained in the chute, and Exit Velocity, how fast an animal leaves the chute after being processed. Many of us have less formal criteria, such as the number of fence boards you have to climb to get out of danger, response to aluminum bat treatment, the cow's ability to climb in back of the pickup with you, and how aggressively she chases the dog.

So how important is temperament? It's difficult to put a dollar value on cattle disposition. If you retain ownership through the feedlot, the Iowa report suggests that calm cattle are worth $50 - $60/head premium based on higher feedlot gain and improved carcass quality. Additional considerations that are more vague include the dam's mothering ability and associated calf health and performance as well as convenience and safety issues. I'm not aware of any studies comparing heifer temperament and overall A.I. conception rates. While temperament may not be at the top of the culling criteria list, recent data suggests it may be a more important trait than once thought. Certainly the industry has identified uniformity, marbling and tenderness as important industry issues, and temperament is most likely a contributing factor in all three
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