HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Black, W. H. Articles by Knapp, B. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Black, W. H. Articles by Knapp, B., Jr.

A comparison of several methods of measuring performance in beef cattle

United States Department of Agriculture

Abstract

It has long been recognized by animal husbandmen that there are differences in breeding ability of sires to transmit efficiency of gain and carcass quality to their progeny. It therefore follows that no system of measuring progeny performance is of real value unless it is precise enough to demonstrate consistently these differences in breeding ability. This is true regardless of how simple or complex, practical or impractical the system may be.

To date, three methods of measuring performance have been proposed for beef cattle. Record-of-performance data accumulated over a period of 7 years by the Bureau have afforded an opportunity to test the relative accuracy of these methods when applied to the progeny of the same sires. Data were available on 147 steers located at three stations: Beltsville, Maryland with beef and Milking Shorthorns; Miles City, Montana with Hereford, and Jeanerette, Louisana with Aberdeen Angus, crossbred Brahman-Angus and cross-bred Africander-Angus.