You don’t have to go through a learning curve or pass a certification that declares you’re qualified to be a cattle seed stock producer. If you have enough dollars in your bank account, you can spend them on a few of the trendiest production sales. You then take an AI class, or again, if you have a sufficient amount of dollars left in the bank, you hire a ranch manager who knows how to AI, and just like that, you’re…
More on EPDs In my last installment, I stated that EPDs are a great tool if used with intelligence and common sense. The end result is in the hands of the breeder. However, a huge portion of the EPDs and $ indexes utilized by the American Angus Association, for example, are geared towards terminal traits. This in and of itself is neither good nor bad. It’s the decisions that we make based on the information at hand that will get…
Selective Breeding and the Show Ring Livestock shows provide a good place for people to go and exhibit the animals they’re most proud of. There’s nothing that isn’t positive about that. Sometimes though, breeders tend to base their program on what’s currently popular in the show ring. This is antithetical to consistency. Also, depending on what’s currently in vogue, at times, it’s downright destructive to commercial profitability. A Moving Target Visualize a timeline of photos of the perceived ideal Angus…
Selective breeding is an art that has been practiced down through the ages. With its use, man has created diverse lines of animals that are much more useful than their original ancestors. Here’s a fact that might seem unfair to the dumber individuals among us. The one with the bigger, higher functioning brain gets to make the rules. Humans have a larger and more complex intellect than the rest of God’s creatures. Consequently, man has been domesticating and selectively breeding…