History of Australian lowline Cattle

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librarian

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Occasionally there is some discussion on here about Lowline cattle and I happened to come across this history. There is a lot of confusion about Lowline Angus so here's some accurate information.
Not a recommendation, just information.
http://www.wanamaralowline.com.au/breed-history.html

TIMELINE
•1929 to 1963 - Top stud Aberdeen Angus cattle were imported from Canada & later herd sires from America, Scotland & some well known Australian Angus studs were purchased to form the foundation of the Trangie Aberdeen Angus herd. The intention of the Department of Agriculture was to supply the beef industry with quality genetics for breed improvement and beef production.

•1929 to 1963 - The Trangie Angus herd was prominent in the Australian showing circuit and won many major awards.

•1964 - The Trangie herd was closed to any further genetics & became a ‘closed herd’

•1963 to 1973 – The emphasis at Trangie was changed to scientific research in the form of performance recording.

•1974 - The trial which produced the Lowline breed began with funding from the Australian Meat Research Corporation, to evaluate selection for growth rate on herd profitability. The aim was to establish whether large or small animals were more efficient converters of grass into meat. This project continued for 19 years.

•The Trangie herd was divided into three groups based on yearling growth rates. The high yearling growth rate (High line), the low yearling growth rate (Low line) and a randomly selected group (Control line)

•A program of detailed evaluation was implemented, which included weight gain, feed intake, reproductive performance, milk production, carcass yield and structural correctness.

After 15 years the Low line cattle were around 30% smaller than the High lines. The result of the efficiency in conversion was the same for the bulk of the Low and High line groups

•From 1974 the Low line herd remained closed, with all replacement bulls and heifers coming from within the Low line herd.


•Towards the end of the trial a group of interested cattlemen persuaded the Department of Agriculture to sell the Low line cattle on the open market.

•8th of August 1992 - 9 bulls, 23 heifers and 7 cows were sold to 7 purchasers. They then formed the Australian Lowline Cattle Association.

•30th October 1993 – The complete dispersal sale where 20 bulls were sold, together with 44 cows and 51 heifers
 

librarian

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 26, 2013
Messages
1,629
Location
Knox County Nebraska
Do I read the results of this 19 year experiment correctly?..

That feed conversion efficiency is not a factor of growth rate when genetics are constant and management is constant.
And that the group selected for High Growth converted feed just as efficiently (or inefficiently) as the Low Growth group.
How does one distinguish between the influence of genetics and the influence of management and environment? All 3 groups had the same environmental programming.
How could this research haven been designed to better answer the profitability question?
Was it a really growth rate they were selecting for or size?
What's the difference?
How does this relate to all the Kit Pharo rationale? I have always thought more small cattle made more work and more bone/acre instead of more meat, but my ideas are often wrong.

 
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