Saturday, December 14, 2013

Greater Profits With Black Baldy Cattle

By Eugenia Dickerson


The beef production business is one in which profits can never be taken for granted. Breeding stock requires years of care - hard work in all sorts of weather conditions - to produce replacement cows and feedlot animals. Raising young animals to an age where they can be profitably sold is a separate aspect of the business with its own demands. When experience shows that Black Baldy cattle can increase profits by 20% or more, ranchers and feedlot managers take notice.

Mating Aberdeen Angus cows to Hereford bulls produces Baldy calves. They are white-faced from a dominant gene in the Hereford and black-bodied from a dominant gene in the Angus. This coloration is remarkably consistent in this type of hybrid cross that is rapidly growing in popularity.

The same coloration is found when Hereford females are mated with Angus bulls. First births can be difficult when both parents are Herefords. Using an Angus bull gives a calf with a lower birth weight and a smaller head, which is easier for a heifer in her first calving. This practice alone can cut herd losses to a significant extent.

Baldies are becoming known for their docility, their fertility, and their longevity. They are also prized for their thriftiness, or the ability to thrive and grow under range conditions and to gain more weight on less feed in the fattening pens. They make excellent mothers, having ample milk for their calves and taking good care of them. All of these characteristics are valuable when raising beef animals for profit.

Part of this success comes from what is called hybrid vigor. Pure breeds involve a certain amount of interbreeding. Genetic defects are therefore passed down with ever-increasing frequency. By crossing two sound breeds, the off-spring have a greater chance of escaping the genetic weaknesses of either of the parent breeds. The black, white-faced cows live longer, conceive more readily, and are less susceptible to disease.

There are more Hereford cattle around the world than any other breed, a testimony to the hardiness and adaptability of this great strain. There are those who prefer the taste of Hereford beef to any other, but more people are familiar with the Angus label, which they see on restaurant menus and in the grocery store. Angus beef is renowned for flavor and tenderness.

Baldies are popular in areas with hot sun, like Australia, where their dark color minimizes sunburn. In the American northwest, this breed is called Black Hereford. These great beef producing regions have extremes of weather that demand sturdy animals. Ranchers may love their cows but they cannot and do not pamper them.

Go online to learn more about Black Baldy cattle, including where breeding stock can be purchased. This remarkable hybrid type might be the key to increased herd performance and greater profits. The record of this white-faced, sable-coated animal tells it all.




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