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 HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Notter, D. R. Articles by Cartwright, T. C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Notter, D. R. Articles by Cartwright, T. C.

Simulated Efficiency of Beef Production for a Midwestern Cow-Calf-Feedlot Management System. III. Crossbreeding Systems¹

University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68503, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station 77843 and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Clay Center, NE 68933

Abstract

A deterministic computer simulation model was used to study the effects of crossbreeding on the biological and economic efficiency of beef production for a Midwestern cow-calf-feedlot management system. The systems simulated included two- and three-breed specific crossing, two- and three-breed rotation crossing and two- and three-breed criss-out-crossing, which used larger "terminal sire" breeds on old cows in rotation crossing. In general, systems in which both individual and maternal heterosis were used were more efficient than systems in which only individual heterosis was used. Systems in which large terminal sire breeds and attempts to minimize calving difficulty were used were generally more efficient than systems in which small sire breeds were used. Optimal sire breed size was a function of the price ratio of feedlot to cow herd total digestible nutrients (TDN), but if calving difficulty in 2-year-old cows was avoided, very high relative feedlot TDN prices were required to negate the advantages of large terminal sire breeds.

¹ Published as Paper No. 5617 Journal Series, Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station, Lincoln.

² Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska, US Meat Animal Research Center.

³ Present address: Department of Animal Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg 24061.

⁴ Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University.

⁵ US Meat Animal Research Center, Science and Education Administration.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. R. Shafer, R. M. Bourdon, and R. M. Enns Simulation of cow-calf production with and without realistic levels of variability J Anim Sci, February 1, 2007; 85(2): 332 - 340. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]