Grass based Genetics

[gustgd]

I was reading Weders column in Grain News and Noticed beside it his add for his Cattle that "do more with less"
and since I'm sure he posts here wanted to ask the question with a little peer review

How do these bulls calves, do under a conventional system?

I have zero desire to retain ownership and get into cattle feeding, how will these calves perform when I sell them to a feedlot?

I'm not trying to bait you or anyone it's just that it's bull sale season again.

[smcgrath76]

That is a pretty broad question. Generally speaking grass genetics are very good at storing energy, since they are often in seasonal situations where energy is a limiting factor in the diet. In other words cows can put on and peel off backfat as required. Within this category there is still a lot of variation.
Feedlot cattle are not energy limited. "Grass" cattle may tend to have less frame than what we percieve as conventional nowadays.
Basically, we have to ensure that the calves have grown to a point where the feedlot can feed them. The calves will tend to finish faster, at lighter carcass weights, with less yield than a typical continental type cross. They generally will marble very well.
It is possible to use "grass genetics" in the cowherd and conventional genetics on the terminal side to capture value and reduce costs in a conventional approach.
What are you thinking you want to accomplish by going this route? Do you have specific goals for this type of genetics in your operation?
I am sure the grass guys on this site have a lot of great input on this topic, but those are some rough generalities to which there are obvious exceptions.

[gustgd]

Thanks for the reply
What I was thinking was do the feedlot buyers recognise grass genetics would, I suffer a financial penalty if they preform differently than a grain animal.
From what I think you said I should look at buying replacements from these grass fellows to have a more efficient summer herd and then put some bull power on the calves as that is what I'm selling lbs of beef.
please correct me if I'm putting words in your mouth.

[per]

If it is efficient on grass it will be efficient on grain. For sure a more efficient animal is likely to be a little smaller but for those of us that direct market, the biggest complaint from the customer is that the cuts are too big. It is my pipe dream that this will be recognized by the main stream someday and a 1200lb fat will become the norm. So far my smaller framed large barreled grass efficient animals have not been discounted but I never sell calves into the fall market either. A happy medium I think does exist. Your grass efficient cow bred to a more continental type could be the answer.

[Pinebank]

Interested in the discussion on grassgenetics. In 1987? we had a bull progeny tested in Ashlands by Henry Gardner. He was put against the so called best bulls in America of that time. I am unable to get the basic data from the American Angus ass but this is what I understand happened.
Our bull kept up with the best to weaning, much to their surprise, but we all thought that they would chicken out when they hit the Drylot because they were total grass bred.
They kept going on Drylot to the point that Henry suggested that that randomised cow mob was tilted in favour of our bull.
Our bull came out in the top 2% of carcases anaylsis.
Now I repeat that I have not been able to get the data so I am going on heasay except one of our geneticists working in America saw the data and rang me.
It was considered possible that the emzines in the gut of cattle bred for the drylot could be different to grass reared. Dr Bill Hohenboken did an experiment in 1987 I think, where I sent him over grassbred semen from NZ.
He found no difference in the gut.
All this is only one bull so it is not conclusive but it certainly appears that grass reared cattle can convert onto Drylot without ant loss.