The American Brahman:Crossbreedings Common

Denominator

17th World Brahman Congress

Joe C. Paschal

Professor and Livestock Specialist

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Corpus Christi, Texas

700 million head of cattle

33% of world’s beef20% of world’s milk

Brahman cattle are known for their tropical adaptability

• Advantages– Longevity (teeth)– Hot climate

adaptability– Internal/external

parasite tolerance– Resistance to some

disease– Maternal ability– Ability to digest

coarse forages– Mineral conservation– Maternal calving

ease

– Energetic efficiency– Highest hybrid

vigor (heterosis) in crosses with non Bos indicus

• Disadvantages– Muscling– Marbling– Gain– Temperament– Tenderness

Brahman cattle are well known for their high level of hybrid vigor in

crosses with non-Bos indicus breeds

• Hybrid vigor is caused by the interaction effects of individual genes

• Highest for traits with low breeding value (early in life) and lowest for those with high breeding value (late in life)

• Effects are cumulative over a lifetime• Hybrid vigor is highest in Brahman – non

Brahman crosses

Total Animal Value, $ (20 years-1367 hd)University of Florida

Johnson and Elzo 2012

Preweaning efficiency of Brahman vs. Bos taurus crossbred cows @

maintenance energy intake

Trait Angus/Hereford Brahman xPeak milk yield, lb/d 18.3 19.7 (+8%)Total milk yield, lb 1764 2082(+18%)Calf BW, lbs 91 83.7 (-8%)Calf wt gain, lbs 257 306 (+19%) Cow intake, Mcal ME 3043 3499 (+15%)Cow Efficiency* 8.4 8.7 (+4%)

*lbs calf weight weaned /Mcal of ME consumed (energy intake)

(adapted from Jenkins and Ferrell, 2004)

Crossbreeding Production EfficienciesSystem Advantage1

2 Breed Rotation 16

3 Breed Rotation 20

2 Breed Sire Rotation 12

3 Breed Sire Rotation 16

2 Breed Composite2 12

4 Breed Composite2 18

2 Breed Terminal (complete) 9

3 Breed Terminal (complete) 20

3 Breed Terminal (buy F1 females) 28

3 Breed Sire Rotation (or Composite2 + Terminal) 24

1 Average percent increase over straightbreeding in lbs of calf weaned per cow exposed using only Bos taurus breeds. Crossing Bos Taurus and Bos indicus breeds can increase these values 50 to 100%2 Substituting a combination breed for a composite reduces the values slightly to moderately depending on the amount of heterosis retained.

Fertility and Productivity in Bos indicus F1 Cows

(Riley et al. 2001a)

Breed of Cow

Pregnancy Rate (%)

Calf Crop (%)

Calf Survival

Weaning %

Angus 87.4 86.7 96.3 83.3

G. Brahman 96.4 95.6 92.3 88.4

Gir 96.0 94.6 96.8 91.5

Indu Brazil 91.0 92.8 87.1 81.0

Nelore 97.0 97.1 98.9 96.1

R. Brahman 93.8 92.7 93.0 86.0

Terminal Cross Calves Produced by Bos indicus F1 Cows

(Riley et al. 2001a)

Breed of Cow Calving Difficulty

Birth Wt. (kg)

Weaning Wt. (kg)

Angus 50.3a 39a 227

G. Brahman 19.7ab 37abc 257

Gir 14.8b 35c 256

Indu Brazil 12.4b 37abc 256

Nelore 4.8b 37bc 257

R. Brahman 8.4b 37ab 261

Columns with different superscripts differ P<.05.

Lifetime Production and Fertility of Bos indicus F1 Cows

(Riley et al. 2001a)

Sire Breed of Cow

P.P. %

C.C. % C.S. %

C.W. %

Angus 87.4a 86.7a 96.3b 83.3a

G. Brahman 96.4b 95.6b 92.3ab 88.4ab

Gir 96.0b 94.6ab 96.8b 91.5ab

Indu Brazil 91.0ab 92.8ab 87.1a 81.0a

Nelore 97.0b 97.1c 98.9b 96.1b

R. Brahman 93.8ab 92.7ab 93.0ab 86.0a

Columns with different superscripts differ P<.05.

Average Age of Bos indicus F1 Cows at Culling

(Riley et al. 2001b)

Sire Breed of Cow

Age (yrs)

Angus 12.4

G. Brahman 12.3

Gir 13.8

Indu Brazil 11.9

Nelore 13.7

R. Brahman 12.3

Determining Value

Medicine, Feed and Total Cost of Gain(Paschal et al. 2003a)

Percent Brahman

Medicine Cost

Feed Cost

Total Cost

0 $7.04e $53.79bc $58.06b

25 $4.95c $54.75c $58.24b

37.5 $5.96d $52.70a $56.37a

50 $4.04b $53.69b $57.53b

100 $ .35a $58.66d $62.17c

Columns with different superscripts differ P<.05.

Feeding and Marketing Margins and Net Return

(Paschal et al. 2003a)

Percent Brahman

Feeding Margin

Marketing Margin

Net Return

0 $69.09c $ 7.01a $76.06a

25 $64.21b $13.08bc $77.03a 37.5 $69.41c $11.46b $80.91a 50 $61.14b $15.72c $76.82a 100 $39.94a $78.27d $118.10b

Columns with different superscripts differ P<.05.

On Feed and Final Weight, ADG and DOF by Percent Brahman

(Paschal et al. 2003a)

Percent Brahman

On Feed Wt.

Final Wt.

DOF ADG

0 266a 540c 202d 1.37b

25 275b 538c 196c 1.36b

37.5 269a 544d 198c 1.40c

50 254b 531b 191b 1.36b

100 299c 510a 167a 1.31a

Columns with different superscripts differ P<.05.

Carcass Weight, Dressing Percent, Fat Thickness, Ribeye Area, REA/cwt, and USDA

Yield Grade by Percent Brahman(Paschal et al. 2003b)

Percent Brahman

Carcass Wt. (kg)

D.P. (%)

Fat Th. (cm)

REA (cm2)

REA (cm2/100kg)

YG

0 345cd 63.6b .89a 94.2e 23.3c 2.06a

25 341c 63.6b .99b 92.9d 27.2b 2.29b 37.5 345d 63.2a 1.14c 87.7b 25.4a 2.66d

50 339b 63.5b 1.12c 86.4c 25.9a 2.67d

100 325a 63.3ab .86a 82.6a 25.4a 2.48c

Columns with different superscripts differ P<.05.

USDA Marbling Scores and Quality Grades by Percent Brahman

(Paschal et al, 2003b)

Percent Brahman

Marbling Score

USDA QG

0 SM 09d SE 87d

25 SL 96c SE 79c

37.5 SL 89b SE 74b

50 SL 83ab SE 71ab

100 SL 75a SE 66a

Columns with different superscripts differ P<.05.

Warner Bratzler Shear Force by Percent Brahman

(Paschal et al 2003b)

2.69 2.612.95 2.93 3.01*

0

1

2

3

4

5

Shea

r fo

rce,

lbs

0 25 37.5 50 100*Shear force based on a limited number of purebred or straightbred steers.

Percentage Exceeding Tenderness of 4 Kg by Percent Brahman

(Paschal et al 2003b)

13.0

14.9

18.923.1

11.2*

0

5

10

15

20

Per

cent

0 25 37.5 50 100

*Shear force based on a limited number of purebred or straightbred steers.

Feedyard PerformanceTrait Mean SD

Slaughter age 546 d 51 d

ADG 1.49 kg/d .23 kgSlaughter weight

557 kg 56 kg

(Franke, et al. 2006)

Carcass Yield

Trait Mean SD

Hot carcass weight

336 kg 37 kg

Fat thickness .86 cm .43 cmREA 89.1 sq cm 9.0 sq cm

USDA YG 2.3 .7

(Franke, et al. 2006)

Carcass QualityTrait Mean SD

Marbling score

SL 90 62

USDA QG SE 77 44

TendernessTrait Mean SD

Calpastatin 4.51 u/g 1.22 u/g

7 d WBSF 4.59 kg 1.23 kg

14 d WBSF 3.86 kg .86 kg

Hump HeightTrait Mean SD

Hump height

19.3 cm 3.3 cm

ABBA Carcass Evaluation Program

• Muscle/Frame M2• On Feed Wt 246 kg• Off Feed Wt 593 kg• DOF 174• ADG 1.32 kg• Carcass Wt 369 kg• Dress % 64.8• Fat 1.04 cm

• REA 87.1 cm sq• REA/cwt 24.3 cm sq• Marbling SL 87• Yield Grade 2.8• Quality Grade SE+• Hump 21.4 cm• WBS 3.88 kg

Improving Carcass Value• Avoid stress• Change cut style• Improve technique• Reduce shrink• Improve chilling• Allow carcass to age

– Whole carcass– Cuts (wet/dry)

• Electrical stimulation

Heritability and Genetic and Phenotypic Correlations

Trait ADG SLWT FT REA MS QG YG CALP SF7 SF14 HUMP

ADG .33 .71 -.13 .16 .27 .09 .06 -.18 -.17 -.18 -.41

SLWT .66 .59 .10 .30 .33 .00 .24 -.41 -.37 -.36 -.22

FT .11 .16 .36 -.25 .04 .46 .77 -.56 -.82 -.36 -.20

REA .20 .31 -.07 .50 .17 .17 -.66 -.43 -.04 .19 -.37

MS .14 .15 .11 .04 .37 .99 .13 -.51 .08 -.02 .17

QG .13 .10 .12 .05 .81 .42 .38 -.44 .14 .10 .04

YG .18 .25 .78 -.48 .13 .11 .46 -.36 -.90 -.66 -.07

CALP .03 -.03 -.11 -.03 -.08 -.06 -.07 .45 .74 .72 -.23

SF7 -.06 -.03 -.02 .05 -.13 -.09 -.05 .26 .29 1.00 -.43

SF14 -.03 0.0 -.02 .12 -.02 .02 .02 .26 .26 .20 -.14

HUMP .23 .02 .21 .02 .21 .21 .17 -.02 -.04 .05 .38

Milk Production Bos indicus and Dairy Crosses in Tropical

Wet and Dry ConditionsCross Milk

YieldLactation Calving

Int.Age 1st Calf

ServiceConception

1/4 1.7 1

F1 2.4 1.2 .92 .8 1

3/4 1.8 1.1 1 .9

F2 1.9 1.1 1 .9

Galukande, 2003

Advantage/Disadvantage of Dairy Cross Calves and Carcasses

• Fertility• Milk• Growth• Mature size• Carcass weight• Muscling• Dressing percent• Marbling • Tenderness

In Summary

• Percentage Brahman genetics offer higher levels of hybrid vigor for traits low in heritability to improve adaptability, fertility, maternal ability and longevity.

• Purebred Brahman genetics offer superior beef genetics to tropical production systems for both beef and dairy.