Guess the breed?

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irishshorthorns

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 22, 2011
Messages
146
Well guys,if I was giving the prize for first correct answer I would have to give it to Chiangus. If I was to give a prize for knowing cattle breeds by visual assessment I'd give a prize to Aussie, but for thoroughness and leaving no stone unturned I'd give it to Jaimiediamond!!!! Ah you're all winners guys!!!! LOL. The reason I posted the pic in the first place is two fold. 1). To highlight how the Dairy Shorthorn breed has been bred beyond all recognition, in the hopes of chasing Holstein yields etc., and 2). How can a bull of 46.875% blood of one breed and 53.125% blood of another be marketed under the banner of the lesser blood? If this was a product on a grocery shop shelf the trade description police would be down on them like a ton of bricks. I think the main reason these types of bulls are marketed as being Dairy Shorthorns is to increase their marketability. The Dairy Shorthorn is known for longevity and great fertility, which in the long term more than compensates for any loss of yield when compared to their Holstein counterparts. This bulls maternal lines yields would not stand up if compared against Holsteins so therefore by marketing him as a Dairy Shorthorn this problem is sidestepped. It truly is a pity what some of the breeders have done. I think that the breeders who have remained faithful to true to type cattle will ultimately reap the rewards in the long term. The Ayrshire breed has also gone down this route. A number of years ago at either the Royal or Royal Highland Show the champion Ayrshire was in fact sired by a Red Holstein bull.
 

Mark H

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 9, 2008
Messages
645
The Dairy Shorthorn and the Ayrshire are not the breeds that are being considered to improve problems with fertility, longevity, and somatic cell counts in North America.  The Montbeliard and the Norwegian/Swedish Red are the two breeds that are actively being used for this purpose.  Why?  The Dairy Shorthorn, Ayrshire, anf Brown Swiss have been selected under the same selection plans as the Holstein and let Red Holstein bulls be used in their herd book.  This gives these breeds similar problems to the Holstein (including inbreeding depression) and lessens their utility in a crossbreeding program.
For more information: http://www.creativegeneticsofca.com/usefularticles.htm
 
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