Terminology for Breeds Flashcards
How many breeds of cattle in the world
250
How many breeds of cattle in the US
80
Breed
A group of animals of common decent possessing distinctive characteristics that distinguish them from other groups within the same species
Purebred
Refers to the purity of ancestry and implies genetic uniformity of all characteristics
Crossbreeding
Most efficient means of commercial production, but highly productive purebreds are the backbone of successful commercial crossbreeding programs
How does crossbreeding work
use breed that possess complementary characteristics to produce desirable offspring
Major characteristics important in beef production include
Mature body size Milk production Age at puberty Environmentally adaptable Rate and efficiency of gain Muscle expression Cutability Marbling
How does mature body size vary
Vary with breed and gender
normally mature cows weigh less than a mature bull of any breed
Mature body size is proportional to what
Body size at any size at all stages of growth
Milking ability is related to what
Mature size because larger animals have the ability to consume more feed stuffs that may be used for milk production
Heavy milking cows have issues because
Heavy milking cows produce milk at the expense of other body functions
if nutrition is inadequate, heavy milkers may become thin
As the emphasis on the percentage of lean in slaughter cattle increases, the importance of a breed’s what increases?
Muscularity
Age at puberty is important because
Cattle that reach puberty at an earlier age conceive at an earlier age
The ability of a cow to conceive at an earlier age is important because
They have the potential to have a longer productive life, which is economically important to cattle producers
Other names for Marbling
intramuscular fat or taste fat
