BEEF CATTLEMEN'S CORNER
By Ron Del Vecchio, Professor/Beef Specialist
April 21, 2003
LSU AgCenter
Are You Crossbreeding or Mix-Breeding?
Many commercial beef cattle producers throughout the country use crossbred
cattle in their programs in order to take advantage of, and try to maximize, heterosis
(hybrid vigor). Researchers demonstrated the benefits of producing and using crossbred
cattle a number of years ago and those benefits are still apparent today. However, in
order to take advantage of this management technique we must have a general
understanding of the principals of crossbreeding and recognize the difference between
crossbreeding and mix-breeding.
First let us briefly discuss crossbreeding. The benefits of crossbreeding cattle can
be traced back to the early 1900's. There are two primary reasons for using crossbreeding,
1) for breed complementation, and 2) for heterosis (hybrid vigor). Breed
complementation means the crossing of breeds so their strengths and weaknesses
complement one another. Someone may choose to disagree with me but, in my opinion
there is no one breed superior in all desired production characteristics. Further, there is no
single breed which is adapted to all environmental and managerial conditions. Therefore,
planned crossbreeding programs that use breed complementation can significantly
improve herd productivity through the production of offspring which have average or
above characteristics in economically important traits. Heterosis is defined as the
performance of offspring that is greater than the average of the parents. Generally, it is
recognized that heterosis can be maximized with a three breed crossbreeding program
using breeds which complement each other. For example, a cow which is made up of two
breeds, breed A and breed B, crossed with a bull made up of breed C will produce a three
way cross calf that maximizes heterosis.
At this point I would like to address what is loosely termed mix-breeding.
Because there really is no official recorded definition of the term mix-breeding, I will
give you my interpretation. Mix-breeding means the breeding of crossbred cows of
unknown breed origin with a bull of an equally unknown heritage. Most of the time not
only are the breeds that make up the crossbred animals unknown, it is also unknown how
many different breeds were used to make up these crossbred animals. This type of a
breeding program has no real benefits other than perhaps some adaptability
characteristics. Heterosis, as seen in a crossbreeding program, will in all likelihood be
absent in this type of a mixed breeding program. Breed complementation can not be
achieved because it is not known what breeds comprise the cross. It is also extremely
difficult to establish goals/objectives for the breeding program, make plans for marketing
your product (the calves) that will maximize your returns, establish a credible reputation
with buyers so they will want to return and buy your product again, etc, if the animals are
simply a mix of different breeds lacking direction within a defined their breeding
program.
Further, some negative effects associated with mix-breeding can emerge. It has
been reported that a phenomenon called heterosis slippage can occur when careful
planning of a crossbreeding program is overlooked. Heterosis slippage can occur from
inbreeding or when too many breeds that lack complementation are used in producing a
crossbred animal. The result of this type of program is that the offspring under perform
when compared to their parental average (the opposite of what we want to achieve with a
crossbreeding program). The net result is an overall depression in animal performance
(i.e., lower survival rates, depressed rate of gain, lighter weaning weights, increased
morbidity, etc). Obviously these negative effects are something we want to avoid in any
production system.
Crossbreeding can be productive and rewarding for the commercial cow-calf
producer. However, it will not be effective without proper management and record
keeping. The results of improper crossbreeding programs are the production of mixed
breed cattle of unknown parental origin which may actually hinder performance of the
offspring and reduce monetary returns on the investment made by the producer.
I hope you find this information useful to you. If you would like additional
information on crossbreeding beef cattle please contact either your county agent or Dr.
Ron Del Vecchio (225-578-2219).