It Takes Records to Learn Real Value of Top Genetics
RUSSELLVILLE, Mo. – Better genetics puts high-quality beef on the consumer’s plate. Also, better genetics brings more profits back to the producer’s pocketbook. “Today we have the ability to make...
View ArticleBeef Bull Management Refresher
At first glance, the life of the herd bull looks pretty easy. Work 2-3 months of the year and get the rest of the year for rest and relaxation. However, things aren’t quite that simple. The bull’s...
View ArticleVideo Feature: Angus Breeding For the Future
Dick Beck, manager at Three Trees Ranch near Sharpsburg, Ga., talks about the need to evaluate today’s genetic decisions to be prepared for what tomorrow will bring. This video news is provided by...
View ArticleMaintain Bull Power During Breeding Season
As cows and bulls are turned out to breeding pastures this summer, producers will expect their cows to be pregnant this fall. However, careful attention during the breeding season is critical to assure...
View ArticleUnderstanding bulls’ gene-rich Y chromosomes may improve herd fertility
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Y chromosomes of cattle have more genes and are more active than the Y chromosomes of other mammals, according to researchers. This discovery may help biologists better...
View ArticleWatch Bulls Before, During Breeding Season
Spotting problems early can save the breeding season. More than 80 percent of producers in North Dakota likely will have bulls actively breeding cows in their pastures on Aug. 1. “The importance of...
View ArticleAngus: Mapping Herd Improvement
Steer futurity Sire Profit Analysis guides progress When Daryl Strohbehn retired as an Iowa State Extension beef specialist there was one project he wasn’t ready to give up the reins to. Since 2003, he...
View ArticleSire Selection: Add dollars to your bottom line profit
It won’t be long until breeding season for herds that calve in the Fall, and it is never too early to start planning. Improvement of next year’s calf crop is dependent upon the breeding decisions you...
View ArticleVideo Feature: How prolific are your sires?
Allison Van Eenennaam, University of California-Davis beef geneticist, talks about research on sire prolificacy and how DNA can aid in finding the bulls that make a ranch the most money. This video...
View ArticleBeefTalk: How Well Did the Bulls Do?
In some cases, bulls do not adapt well to the cows or pasture. The life of a bull is not simple because, for the most part, his life is somewhat confrontational. The other day while reviewing the...
View ArticleVideo Feature: EPDs and Sire Selection
Dr. Bob Kropp speaks on EPD’s at the 2013 Little Red River Beef Cattle Conference Source: University of Arkansas, Department of Animal science
View ArticleObserve Bulls Closely as the Fall Breeding Season Begins
The week of Thanksgiving is traditionally a time of thanks and turning in the bulls. Cow calf operations with fall-calving herds that target a late August, early September beginning to the calving...
View ArticleBeefTalk: Bull Buying and Headaches
With the ever-growing databases and improved techniques and computer applications to access the data, reviewing records of old bulls to access the current genetics within the herd aids in understanding...
View ArticleBeefTalk: What’s in the Bull Soup?
Bull selection only requires that one understands or at least appreciates the EPD values and trends within a breed. Buying bulls is like making soup. You put in a bit of this and a bit of that and in...
View ArticleUse Calving Ease EPDs to Select Sires for Replacement Heifers
When one begins the process of selection of bulls to produce replacement heifers or bulls to be service sires of replacement heifers a number of criteria come to mind. Certainly among these are breed...
View ArticleBeefTalk: Calves That Create Fervid Gusto Are Good
One simple message to bull buyers is to use the available EPDs to strengthen the genetic accuracy of selection. Buying bulls means buying a good bull with structure, fertility and the desired traits...
View ArticleBeefTalk: Live Bait is Not Needed to Catch Fish
For beef producers fishing for bulls, welcome to the bull-buying season. Catching fish does not always require the use of live bait. In fact, the use of lures of many types and sizes has led to the...
View ArticleBeefTalk: EPD Numbers Can Challenge, but Don’t Give Up
If we are going to buy bulls at today’s prices, why not make sure that the bulls are carrying the genes we want and represent the top bulls within the breed? Here is an invitation. Just call if you...
View ArticleBeefTalk: In Search of Good Sires
The bottom line is to know the breed average EPDs for the traits of interest, know the herd historical and current averages for EPD traits of interest, set herd goals and then select the right bulls....
View ArticleSelecting Genetics that Fit Your Environment
Science, or rather advancements in science, allow for new or revised tools to aid in selection and management of beef cattle. It’s not hard to think of examples; artificial insemination protocol and...
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