Why Beefmaster Cattle May Be Right for You
When it comes to introducing different strands of cattle into your herd, you want your money to go farther than it ever has before. You want a breed that is adaptable and ready to help your herd grow stronger. Beefmaster cattle are perfect for that type of job. Beefmaster cattle bring unique traits that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Don’t believe us? We didn’t at first until we understood the research. Here are 4 reasons you should consider Beefmaster cattle for your herd.
- Adaptable Breed
- Heterosis Retention
- Fertility
- Milk production
Adaptable breed
The Beefmaster cattle breed can adapt to almost any environment you put them in. They can survive cold winters in Montana, and the harsh summers of Texas fairly well. These cows are well equipped to deal with just about any environment you throw at them, which means you can worry about more important things, especially when crossbreeding into your herd.
Beefmaster cattle are also rather docile and have an easy disposition, meaning they are gentle cattle that won’t be hard to sell. Breeding these cows can help your herd be more economically viable, and a worthwhile investment. Additionally, Beefmaster cattle are known for their weight gain. Weight is important because you can amplify your gains in pounds of meat, without sacrificing more money on feed products. Essentially, you’re going to get the most value out of each pound because it will cost you less to feed the animal. Pretty neat!
Heterosis Retention
One of the most promising elements of Beefmaster is its ability for heterosis retention. What is heterosis retention? According to Britannica, heterosis retention can be defined as:
“Heterosis, also called hybrid vigour, the increase in such characteristics as size, growth rate, fertility, and yield of a hybrid organism over those of its parents…”
What does this mean for your herd? It means that when you are artificially inseminating your herd, those desirable traits will be passed along. Why is this important? When it comes to other brands of cattle, they can’t assure that a calf will contain most of the desirable traits of the paternal figure. This means that the breeding is not as effective when you want your cattle to have certain traits. While other American breeds retain around 47% of heterosis, Beefmaster cattle can retain up to 63%.
Fertility
Did you know that on average Beefmaster cattle is more fertile than other breeds of cattle? It’s true! One of the reasons Beefmaster cattle was even bred in the first place was to make a breed of cattle that was exceptionally fertile. When a herd of cattle isn’t producing more, you’re losing money. Instead, choose a breed that can increase profits year over year.
Milk Production
One of the most important factors when it comes to choosing a breed is milk production. Luckily, Beefmaster cattle are also excellent for this too. Having cattle that will produce a lot of milk will help calves grow healthier and stronger as time goes on. This means you can produce a better herd year in and year out!
Are you considering Beefmaster cattle for your herd? Want to know more about this breed of cattle? Check out our genetics page where we dive into our Beefmaster cattle, or contact us and find out how our breeds of cattle can help you. Want to find out more about breeds that can help your herd? Check out our blog on Wagyu Cattle!
