1-31 IAT Crossbreeding

1-31 IAT Crossbreeding

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
Crossbreeding, good or bad? It's amazing how labels can be put on certain types of DNA mixes. For example, when you have two or more purebred dogs intermixing, a common term to apply is that they are a mongrel. Tell that to someone who just paid between one and $3000 for a Labrador poodle mix, otherwise known as a Labradoodle. Now let's look at beef cattle. While crossbreeding advocates sit on one side of the aisle and straight-breeding proponents on the other - it seems there is one truth that they can all agree on - according to Bryce Schumann of the American Angus Association: "Regardless of what technology you want to use, what reading strategy you want to use, you need to have a plan to be successful in today's beef industry. Long gone are the days where, just before turn out time you decide what kind of bull you are going to use. You need to be planning ahead how you are going to market the off spring of those cattle and how you can take advantage of different market opportunities."

Dave Nichols is a longtime champion of heteroris - but says cattlemen can't just use two or more breeds and expect an automatic advantage: "The secret to crossbreeding is relatively simple. Number one, have a plan and number two utilize breeds that complement each other in this plan and have some goals."

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